Four Useful Web-Based Productivity Applications
(Page 1 of 4 )
Increasing productivity seems like a never-ending process. There are some applications that can help out a bit, and most of them are very inexpensive as well. You would like to purchase Microsoft Office and Microsoft Project, but they’re out of your price range. You still have options. You can find online applications that are just as effective as these desktop applications. They may not be as robust, but you will find these online tools to be very productive.
You will even like the fact that you can collaborate and edit documents with your colleagues, which is something that desktop applications tend to lack. There are other advantages to using online applications rather than the desktop ones. One major advantage to using online applications is that they cost less. In fact, some of them are free. You'll also like the fact that you can access these applications from any location.
The Internet is constantly changing the way both consumers and businesses conduct business. No doubt, developers will continue to raise the bar in developing more powerful and rich applications. In this article, there are five applications you should consider using before you rush to the store or online to purchase desktop applications. Take a look at them, and see how they can be of tremendous value to your business.
Google Docs
If you don't have Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel or Microsoft PowerPoint, there is no need to worry. You can use Google Docs. If you need to collaborate, you'll love these applications. Google Docs consist of spreadsheet, presentation, and word processor components. To use them, you will need to create an account with Google first. Then, you can assign access rights to your colleagues so they can also use your online documents.
If you're new to using these applications, Google Docs has a simple WSIWYG editor to show you on how to usethem. You can make your document look pretty by using styles or bullets. If you're not a good speller, Google Docs also has a spell check feature. As previously stated, you can collaborate with your peers or managers. The word processor is versatile in that you can save documents using several extensions, including the ones used by Word, PDF, RTF, OpenOffice, or zip.
Google Docs save you and your colleagues time when it comes to editing. You don't have to worry about keeping track of the attachment's versions when someone revises them. That's because Google Docs keeps track of your document's history.
Google Docs also gives you the ability to publish your documents online. Another great feature is that you can access them from anywhere, whether you're on your desktop, laptop, or mobile phone.
Google Docs' spreadsheet component also allows you to share your spreadsheets with other colleagues. Like Microsoft Excel, you can format and edit formulas. Another feature you'll like is that you can converse with colleagues in real-time as you're editing the spreadsheet. Do you have a website or blog? Google Docs gives you the ability to embed the spreadsheet, or a portion of it, in your blog or website. That way, you can share it with others.
As previously stated, you can create presentations. Google Docs allows you to edit your presentations, using the WYSIWYG editor. You can also add images or even videos to your slides. Did you create your presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint, but you want to view it in Google Docs? It will allow you to do this function.
Are you on the go? Use your BlackBerry or mobile phone to access your Google Docs. Unfortunately, you can only access your presentations if you have an iPhone. But you can still view your spreadsheets and word processing documents. If you use a public version of Google Docs, all you have to do is point your browser tohttp://docs.google.com/m. If you're using the Apps version of Google, then you point your browser tohttps://docs.google.com/a/your.domain/m. Now you should be able to see your documents and spreadsheets.
Next: Google Talk >>
More Web Hosting Articles Articles
More By Joe Eitel
