201X2 Google Drive

Introduction

A Gmail email account (from Google) is great for email and its gives us many other features … and the basic version completely free (unlike Microsoft where you have to pay a subscription)

One of the features is Google Drive, an area of online (cloud) storage for our files. This also gives us the Google versions of Microsoft’s Word, Excel and Powerpoint. These are the most used office software, and they let you create:

• Docs (MS Word) etc
  • letters, reports, document templates, simple invoices or basic brochures, etc
• Sheets (MS Excel) etc
  • spreadsheets for numerical or tabular data (simple database), from accounts to telephone directories
• Slides, Presentations (MS Powerpoint)
  • presenting information on slides, like holiday snaps on a projector!

Learning the essentials of how these work prepares you for the majority of today’s office work. Once you understand one, you will understand them all. The basics are the same, though there will be minor differences in how to do some things

You access all Google services from the menu between the Gmail link and your profile on the standard Google Search page (you will need to be signed with your Gmail account, or you will be asked to)

Google Drive

Google Drive is the storage area for all your files, documents, pictures, videos etc.

It is also the place where you share files and find the files that have been shared with you. More about this later

Some basics