Google Apps: The Missing Manual

Introduction

You’ve probably used Google to search the Web—who hasn’t? Google is so ubiquitous that it’s even become a verb (you can look it up in Webster’s), as in, “I googled the girlfriend I dumped in high school; now she’s CEO of SuperMegaCorp.” But Google is way more than a search engine. The full list of services it offers is almost as mind-boggling as the number of lightning-fast searches it conducts each day. The next time you’re on Google’s home page (http://www.google.com), click “more”→“even more” to see the whole smorgasbord: from maps to a checkout service for online retailers to photo albums and YouTube—and that’s just for starters.

The biggest recent news from Google, though, is that it’s putting programs online—the kind you used to have to install on your computer. They include applications for word processing; working with spreadsheets; creating presentations; reading, writing, and storing your email; and scheduling appointments and meetings. Google’s brought communication, productivity, and collaboration tools right to your Web browser.

Last but certainly not least, the vast majority of Google’s programs are free. Yup, you read that right: You can get word processing, spreadsheets, email, chat, a Web-page builder, and more, and it won’t cost you a dime. Sound interesting? Read on to learn more.

Note

In this book, the term app (with a lowercase a), means an individual Google product, like Google Calendar or Gmail. “App” is an inescapable bit of geek shorthand for “application”—a ...