The advent of document typing initially relied on the use of typewriters, but Bill Gates’ introduction of computer-based typing technology, particularly through Microsoft, led to the decline and eventual extinction of typewriters.
In today’s digital era, the question arises: what purpose does a typewriter serve when computers offer comprehensive capabilities?
In the early 2000s, document typing primarily occurred on software like Microsoft Word. However, these applications had limitations, notably the absence of cloud storage. In the event of a computer malfunction, valuable documents were at risk of being lost.
In this 21st century, Google has evolved beyond being merely a search engine or email service provider. Google has introduced an application akin to Microsoft Word, known as Google Docs.
Google Docs is a web-based word processing tool offered by Google, part of the Google Docs Editors suite. This suite encompasses various tools, including Google Sheets, Google Slides, Google Drawings, Google Forms, Google Sites, and Google Keep.
Google Docs facilitates accessibility via web browsers as a web-based application, and it is also available as a mobile app on Android and iOS, as well as a desktop application compatible with Google’s ChromeOS.
One of the notable strengths of Google Docs is its collaborative functionality. Multiple users can access and edit a single document simultaneously. This real-time editing is trackable, allowing users to monitor changes made and access a history of edits.
In Google Docs, editors are easily identifiable through unique colours and cursors assigned to their roles. Furthermore, a robust permissions system is in place to regulate user actions. Recent updates have leveraged machine learning, introducing features such as “Explore,” which provides search results based on document content, and “Action Items,” enabling users to delegate tasks to others.
Accessing Google Docs is straightforward, requiring only a Gmail account. In this new series, “Google Beyond Googling,” we aim to explore various simple Google applications that can streamline tasks and enhance productivity.
