“Google It!” was and still is a popular phrase that has become part of our culture. Anyone with a computer and an internet connection can find just about anything using Google. As Google grew, it added more functionality such as email and chat. Now Google finds themselves in competition with one of computer technology’s largest names, Microsoft. Google added word processing, spreadsheets, presentation, and calendars, among some others that have collectively become known as Google Apps, to their list of products coming into a direct competition with the Microsoft Office suite. While Google Docs has its pros and cons when compared to Office, there is no denying that Google Docs is a force to be reckoned with. To learn about this suite of “applications”, the ever present Google can be used or a different course of action can be followed: an e-book! Michael Millers’ “Using Google Apps”, published on January 5th, 2011 by Que Publishing, is one of many books ready to lead you through the instruction of the Google Docs Suite, but can it perform? Read on and see.
This book includes quite a bit of information about Google’s apps including: an explanation of the basics of Google’s application suite, the majors differences that lie between Microsoft Office and Google Docs, information regarding the different “suites” available, and whether Google’s applications are right for an Enterprise solution. One major difference between the Google’s apps and Microsoft’s Office is how they are accessed. Office is a collection of applications that are installed while Google Docs is a collection of Cloud-based applications that are accessed via the Internet, no installation required (unless you use the Google Gears option). These applications include Google Docs (Word), Spreadsheets (Excel), Presentations (PowerPoint), Gmail and Google Calendar (Outlook), among many others available within the suite. Besides the first and last chapter, the book walks the reader through the functions of each Google application with detailed instructions for nearly every feature available. The book includes step-by-step instructions and video’s to show the reader how to perform the activity. This book would be a great introduction for anyone new to computers or that are interested in Google’s applications.
Anyone with a computer would benefit from this book, yet there are caveats to be taken into consideration. For instance, with the growth and change of Google and computer programs we see today, books are hard pressed to keep up with the current versions and updates that seem to come out continuously. This book is no exception. The images in the book are from an older version of the Google Docs Suite and are therefore not completely accurate; an updated look has been implemented since the printing of this book. With a closer look one can realize that these are only slight differences, in most cases, yet what else is different that may not be in the book? There are some features that have changed and may be missed unless the reader follows along with the Google applications on the computer and works through each of the examples. With Google Docs, a major change is with the footnotes feature. Footnotes, according to the book, are floating notes represented by the “#” sign instead of being located at the bottom of the page and represented by the traditional number. This is incorrect in the current version, as footnotes now act as expected when compared to similar footnotes from Office. Google Spreadsheets is also affected by this inconsistency. One major change is the Sort feature. The book directs you to the Tools tab which is now missing Sort. There is a Data tab that is used for sorting now and is very different from the book’s instructions. The Presentation chapter does not include the comment feature that is now available, assuming the feature was not available at that time. Presentation animations are also slightly different, while transitions stated to be “not yet available” in the book are currently available. Gmail has many visual feature differences as can be expected, for instance, “Contacts” and “Tasks” have been moved to the “Gmail” drop-down instead of residing in the sidebar. In Google Talk, the book fails to mention the “busy” and “invisible” status settings available. Although there are discrepancies, one strength about this book is that it highlights the small parts of Google’s applications that many do not know about, like Gears, Talk, and the various suites offered by Google.
Overall, this book is a great reference for anyone who is interested in learning about Google’s applications or may be new to these types of applications. With applications from Google Docs to Google Chrome, this book covers a large selection of computer users that would benefit from a single chapter or multiple chapters. I was very impressed to learn that Google offers an “offline” solution called Gears allowing the user to use Google apps without an internet connection; this was a major concern of mine regarding the apps, although I wish Gears would have been explained much earlier in the book. The book is very honest about the abilities of the Google applications compared to similar software; many of the lessons taught in this book will have similar functionality in other office suites like Microsoft Office. The author does seem to lean towards Google’s suite over Office, yet there are many good points when it comes to Office applications being more powerful or functional. I would suggest this book highly, even though it is dated. The “Let Me Try It’ and “Show Me” sections make this book a great learning tool. Whether you use Google Docs separately or in additional to Office, the Google set of applications add value for the home user, business user, and student. Just remember, as you read through, that Google changes their apps quite frequently, so there may need to be some exploration by the reader.
Book Information
Title: “Using Google Apps”
Author: Michael Miller
Publisher: Que Publishing
Date Published: January 5th, 2011
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