Having to use Google Drive for my work recently provided me with numerous reasons to love Google Drive, even after never hearing of it previously. Now, I do everything I need to do with work, my budget, to-do lists, photos and more through Google Drive. I even deleted Microsoft Word off of my computer because Google Drive does everything Word does, plus so much more. It comes with many more benefits as well, and I’d like to share with you my favorite reasons to love Google Drive if you haven’t tried it yet. All you need is a Gmail account to get started, which you can easily get at Google. Give Google Drive a try and you’ll be sorry you didn’t sooner!
For starters, one of the main reasons to love Google Drive is the cloud storage feature. You can store everything online through a cloud, and access it anywhere, whether through your mobile phone, computer, iPad, tablet, etc. This provides you with immediate access to any of your files, no matter where you are.
Another reason to love Google Drive is it is completely free. Micosoft's Office can cost anywhere from $100-$500. Even if you get a free trial for Office, you'd still have to buy the Office software later. Google Drive is 100% free from the get go and beyond, and you can do every single thing you would do in Word, all through Google Drive.
The neatest feature about Google Drive is everything is live. You never have to save a document, because all documents are saved immediately. This is great news to any of you who ever forget to “save often” in Word as we’re told to, so if your computer freezes, crashes, etc., you’ll never have to worry about losing your work. There isn’t even a “save” choice in Google Drive because everything is live and updated immediately.
Another cool option about Google Drive is you can create documents that other people can read, and actively type in and contribute to. This is great for work assignments, which I’ve used it for, and users can edit and collaborate with one another, all within documents.
Google Drive has the typical options like Microsoft Office does to create a document, spreadsheet, folder, presentation, drawing or photo. You can also choose from a huge range of apps to add to your Google Drive, which you can personalize however you like. The apps are much like apps you would find for your smartphone and are really helpful, depending on what you need to use them for.
You can also store your favorite links online through your personal Google Drive. This allows you to easily access your bookmarks, straight from Google Drive, and since you can view them anywhere, you can also see these on your smartphone, tablet, etc.
Another cool feature about Google Drive versus Office is you can create documents that others can see, see and edit or that are just for your eyes. When you send documents to people, you can choose any of those options, which puts you in control of your documents and their privacy.
I find Google Drive much more user friendly than Word. I had never used the program before, yet I downloaded, installed it and easily navigated it all within a few minutes. It’s very simple to use, and as long as you’re using a Google browser, your Drive’s logo is automatically at the top of your browser when you log into Google. This allows you to access it while web browsing and you never have to go into a separate program.
Another reason I love Google Drive is because I automatically get an alert signal at the top right hand corner of my Drive that lets me know I have a new mail message. This is helpful if waiting for co-workers or your employer to email you, or waiting for an important email in general.
If you’d like to get started in Google Drive, it’s very simple. Just get a Gmail account by visiting Gmail.com, and then you can visit drive.google.com to download Google Drive all in minutes. I’m so grateful for Google Drive as someone who works from her computer, but it would be helpful to anyone who uses their PC or Mac to create documents, spreadsheets, photos, drawings, presentations and more. Do you use Google Drive?