Google Docs is a free, Web-based word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, form, and data storage service offered by Google. It allows users to create and edit documents online while collaborating in real-time with other users. Documents, spreadsheets, forms and presentations can be created within the application itself, imported through the web interface, or sent via email. They can also be saved to the user's computer in a variety of formats (ODF, HTML, PDF, RTF, Text, Word). By default, they are saved to the Google servers. Opened documents are automatically saved to prevent data loss, and a revision history is automatically kept. Documents can be tagged and archived for organizational purposes. There is a limit on how much a user can store on their account. Individual documents may not exceed 1GB. Google Docs serves as a collaborative tool for editing amongst users and non-users in real time. Documents can be shared, opened, and edited by multiple users at the same time. In the case of spreadsheets, users can be notified of changes to any specified regions via e-mail. The application supports the ISO standard OpenDocument format. It also includes support for proprietary formats such as .doc and .xls as well as support for .docx and .xlsx. However, there are no tracked changes, so it is impossible to determine which editors made which changes to the document. The earlier version of Google Docs had a 'Revision History' feature that would highlight changes between autosaved revisions and did distinguish between authors, but the comparison element (and author highlighting element) of this feature was removed in the April 15 2010 update. Google Docs is one of many cloud computing document-sharing services. The majority of document-sharing services require user fees, whereas Google Docs is free. Its popularity amongst businesses is growing due to enhanced sharing features and accessibility. In addition, Google Docs has enjoyed a rapid rise in popularity among students and educational institutions. Registration required.
Published on 2010-09-14 03:51:41 - Click here to edit or to add informations - Report as not working