Are you running Google Docs? Oh you are, huh? Liar.
Download Squad has an eye opening piece up today about this application suite. Apparently, 73% of Americans have never even heard of Google Docs with only 6% of Yanks actually using it! Why is this the case? After all, the programs are free, pretty much like everything else Google offers.
I’ve got one reason in particular that I think makes all the difference. People are not in the mindset of being able to use applications such as a word processor, or spreadsheet without clicking on that desktop icon. Without any actual CD to install a program, many people just aren’t aware that they could handle many of their business needs. Besides that, a lot of computers are coming preloaded with office programs from guys like Microsoft.
With Google trying to help speed the transition from desktop to mobile device, they are going to want to get this unknown software bundle in front of more users. It is expected that Android based phones will integrate many of their programs including, GMail, Docs, Google Maps and Google Calendar.
When the time comes to buy one of these phones, will you be learning a brand new system or are you going to be pretty versed by then? Even if you don’t anticipate getting a ‘gPhone’, you should at least do yourself a favor and sign up for the programs if only for GMail.
At the time I wrote this piece, Google offers 5.918945 GB of space per account. While it might not be quite as much server space as other providers right now, it certainly meshes better with more services out there. And let’s be real here. Are you really gonna need 6GB of storage for email? By the time you get close to filling it, you’ll probably have in excess of 10GB or more available to you. In just over a year, I have seen my storage capacity triple.
So what do you do with that kind of space when emails are in the kilobytes as opposed to megabytes? How about saving a word document online rather than on a desktop? Start saving or backing up all of your daily documents online so that you can pull them up from wherever you are.
Today, you can log on to any PC with an internet connection and access your files. Tomorrow, you’ll be able to do this with your phone, and Android will make it easier than ever. As data connections get faster and more wireless networks pop up, you’ll be that much closer to your work. No messy remote software to install so you can pull up a spreadsheet or .PDF when you are at the office and want to pull up something you started at home. With people becoming more proficient and tech savvy, they’re reaching for that all-in-one device that keeps them in touch with the world.
So here’s what you do, class. Get Google Apps. It includes Gmail, Google Talk, Google Calendar, and of course, Google Docs. It’s free, fun, and easy to use.
