Instant Google Drive Starter

Mike Procopio

• Publisher: Packt Publishing
• Year: 2013
• eBook ISBN: 9781782160489
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Computer Science General
• Index: Computer Science

In Detail

In recent years, we've enjoyed being able to do more and more online and in the cloud. Google Drive brings the power and convenience of working online for you and your files. With Google Drive, you can create and store your files safely in the cloud, share them if desired, and access them from anywhere using a web browser, smartphone, or tablet computer.

"Instant Google Drive Starter" is your companion to getting started with the world of cloud computing and working with your files online. With clear visuals and step-by-step examples, this book shows you how to use Google Drive from start to finish. From creating documents and files in Google Drive to sharing them with others and accessing them anywhere using your web browser, phone, or tablet computer - you'll be working in the cloud.

This book starts with the very basics of cloud computing, providing clear examples for ways you can use Google Drive to work with your files in the cloud, and the benefits of doing so. It will take you step-by-step through all the aspects of using Google Drive to get you quickly working with your files online, accessing them from anywhere using a web browser, smartphone, or tablet computer.

You'll learn how to use Google Drive to create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, and also how you can upload folders and files from your hard drive into Google Drive using your web browser. Once your files are in Google Drive, this book will show you all the things you can do with them: edit them online from anywhere (including your iPhone, iPad, or Android phone or tablet), and even share them with others if desired. This book will also show you how to use the Google Drive sync program to back up your files to the cloud and keep them automatically in sync between your computer's hard drive and Google Drive.

You will learn everything you need to know to create and store your files safely in the cloud with Google Drive, share them with others if desired, and access them from anywhere using a web browser, smartphone, or tablet computer.

Approach

Get to grips with a new technology, understand what it is and what it can do for you, and then get to work with the most important features and tasks. This book is a Starter which teaches you how to use Google Drive practically.

Who this book is for

This book is perfect for people of all skill levels who want to enjoy the benefits of using Google Drive to safely store their files online and in the cloud. It's also great for anyone looking to learn more about cloud computing in general. Readers are expected to have an Internet connection and basic knowledge of using the internet.

Instant Google Drive Starter

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Instant Google Drive Starter

Copyright © 2013 Packt Publishing

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.

Every effort has been made in the preparation of this book to ensure the accuracy of the information presented. However, the information contained in this book is sold without warranty, either express or implied. Neither the author, nor Packt Publishing, and its dealers and distributors will be held liable for any damages caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by this book.

Packt Publishing has endeavored to provide trademark information about all of the companies and products mentioned in this book by the appropriate use of capitals. However, Packt Publishing cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

First published: January 2013

Production Reference: 1220113

Published by Packt Publishing Ltd.

Livery Place

35 Livery Street

Birmingham B3 2PB, UK.

ISBN 978-1-78216-048-9

www.packtpub.com

Credits

Author

Mike Procopio

Reviewers

Theodore Chen

Ron Schneider

Acquisition Editor

Usha Iyer

Commissioning Editor

Meeta Rajani

Technical Editors

Worrell Lewis

Priyanka Shah

Project Coordinator

Esha Thakker

Proofreader

Maria Gould

Graphics

Valentina D'silva

Aditi Gajjar

Production Coordinators

Aparna Bhagat

Nitesh Thakur

Cover Work

Aparna Bhagat

Cover Image

Conidon Miranda

About the author

Mike Procopio holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Colorado, where he studied Machine Learning and Autonomous Robot Navigation. Mike works as a Senior Software Engineer at Google and lives in Boulder, Colorado with Sharon, his wife. When not slingin' code, Mike can be found running along the trails of Boulder. You can follow Mike on Google+ at www.googplus.org/mike, or at www.mikeprocopio.com.

Note: The opinions and recommendations stated in this book are Mike Procopio's and not those of Google or his current or previous employers.

I'd like to gratefully acknowledge the support of my wife Sharon while writing this book, and also the broader Google Drive team for giving me the opportunity to be part of such an awesome product!

About the reviewers

Theodore Chen has a degree in Computer Science from the University of Colorado. He has over 10 years of experience writing software for companies such as Sun Microsystems and Parexel. He has worked as a Software Engineer at Google for the last 5 years primarily focused on Google Docs and Google Drive.

Ron Schneider has been working in document management and collaboration software for more than 20 years. He is currently a Director of Software Engineering at Google and can be contacted at <[email protected]>.

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Chapter 1. Instant Google Drive Starter

Welcome to Instant Google Drive Starter. This book has been especially created to provide you with all the information that you need to get up to speed with Google Drive, a web-based application that allows you to store, edit, and share your files online using the Internet. You will learn the basics of Google Drive, how to work with files online in the "cloud", and how to share and collaborate in the cloud with other people.

This book is broken down into the following sections:

So, what is Google Drive?: Learn about cloud-based storage, how to access your files from anywhere, and why it's so much more convenient than being tied down to using files on just one computer.

The Google Drive user interface: Get a high-level overview of all the pieces of the Google Drive user interface. Learn about the files list, Navigation panel, toolbars, search bar, and more.

Quick start – creating documents and uploading files: Learn how to create new documents, spreadsheets, and presentations using the built-in programs that come with Google Drive, and how to upload files from your hard drive directly into Google Drive.

Top 7 features you need to know about: Learn how to perform tasks with the most important features of Google Drive. By the end of this section you will be able to organize your files, search and filter files, share files with other people, discover and use add-on programs, automatically keep files in sync with your hard drive, and use Google Drive on your phone or tablet computer.

People and places you should get to know: Discover the community around Google Drive. This section provides you with many useful links to the project page and forums, as well as a number of helpful articles, tutorials, blogs, and Google+ pages for Google Drive.

So, what is Google Drive?

Google Drive is a place where you can safely store your files online and access them from anywhere. When you use Google Drive, your files are stored remotely on the Web instead of your computer's hard drive. This is the main idea behind "cloud computing".

Once y...

Table of contents

• Instant Google Drive Starter