In this tutorial, we explain some of the

changes to Google Docs

that have been made recently. If you frequently

use Google Docs

, you might have noticed some of these already. Some changes are cosmetic, though others have

added features to Google Docs

that can make it easier for you to

share and organize your files

.

In our last episode on

working with Google Docs

, we'll show you how

adding links to documents

is easier than ever before. Google Docs can

automatically detect links

so that you can easily

add links to files

without having to input full URLs, saving you a number of steps and lots of time.

Collaborating on documents

is easy when you're

using Google Docs

. That's because Google Docs lets you

see modifications

to files in real time, including what changes were made and who made them, and even

chat in Google Docs

with others who are viewing the same files as you. We'll show you how it works in this episode.

In this episode, we show you how to perform a

Google Image Search

while

using Google Docs

.

Searching for pictures

from within Google Docs to

find images online

that that you can use in your documents and share with others when

collaborating on files

.

Not only can you

create text documents

using Google Docs

, but you can also

create drawings and basic artwork

. In this episode, we show you how to

make artwork in Google Docs

and show you a couple of tricks for manipulating your files.

In order to

use Google Docs

, you'll want to

upload some documents

to work on. In this episode, we show you how easy it is to

upload files to Google Docs

and show you how to

change the privacy settings

on the files that you upload.

If you need to see a

webpage in a different language

, you should try out

Google Translate

. It's a free tool from Google that allows you to

translate documents

and websites into a variety of languages. You can even use it to see your favorite webpage in German.

One significant criticism of the iPad involved the device's inability to

print documents and websites

. Fortunately with

iOS 4.2

that problem has been mostly fixed so that you can now

print documents with your iPad

. We'll show you

how to use AirPrint

to print with your iPad in this episode.

Striving toward the utopian dream of a paperless office? Did you know you can verify the authenticity of a document, sign contracts, send secure forms to your colleagues (and much more), but do so quickly, securely and most importantly, legally online? Most countries recognize the legality of a digital signature and deem it binding. Also, many industries have established regulations that recognize digital signatures as valid replacements for handwritten signatures. This week, Stacy introduces three online services for creating your own digital signatures.

If you need to

create or edit documents

on the go then you won't likely be picking your iPhone as a first choice of tools. However, if you

use Pages on your iPad

,

handling large text documents

becomes much more manageable. In this episode of

60-Second App

we'll show you

how to use Pages

on your iPad both with and without an external keyboard.

An important part of any office suite is the word processor. Writer is the word processor in OpenOffice.org and it's full of features and is compatible with Microsoft Word documents. Here we'll walk you through some of the basics and what you need to know to get started

creating documents

using Writer in OpenOffice.org

.

If you already have a

Google Docs account

then you know how handy it can be. Its got tons of storage space available and you can

access your documents anywhere

. With

GDocs Notepad on your Android

phone you can take advantage of Google Docs even further. We'll show you how!

In Gmail 101 we gave you a brief overview of

Gmail and how it works

. In Gmail 201 we got into more complex concepts like

labels, filters, using colors, using Google Gears

and more. Most recently, in Gmail 301, we got into advanced topics. We looked at plussing, keyboard shortcuts, canned responses, mobile Gmail and other features. Now, in Gmail 401, Graduate Studies, we're looking at Google Apps, superstar searches, remote logon, video chat and even more.

With your whole document workflow in one place thanks to Google Docs, it can be handy to star your favorite documents so you can find them at a glance. In this final installment of our

video tutorial on using Google Docs

, Molly McDonald looks at doing just that. She also explores

transferring ownership of a Google Doc

and hiding documents you don't want to see.

Using forms in Google Docs

, you can track RSVPs for a party, get signups for a bake sale, take a vote or whatever else you might think up. Our

video tutorial on using Google Docs

takes a look at quickly and easily creating and sharing forms in Google Docs.

Molly McDonald continues our

video tutorial on using Google Docs

with a look at

creating a PowerPoint style presentation in Google Docs

. Once again showing it can be a viable

free alternative to Microsoft Office

, Google Docs lets you create attractive slideshow presentations.

There are a ton of

templates in Google Docs

and they're free for the taking. In part seven of our

video tutorial on using Google Docs

, Molly McDonald looks at

using templates in Google Docs

. Templates offer attractive layouts, project-specific functions and just generally save a lot of time. Why reinvent the wheel, after all.

Because files can be shared easily and can be edited simultaneously with one or more collaborators, Google's online offering proves it can do some things that other offline office suites simply can't do. In this

video tutorial on using Google Docs

, we look at the comments workflow and how it makes

online document collaboration

easy.

In Google Docs, you can easily link one document to another. You can link a sales write-up to a slideshow presentation for example or just link one text document to another in order to provide context.

It won't take long for your Google Docs home screen to become overrun with all the documents you've created and uploaded. We continue our

video tutorial on using Google Docs

by organizing our documents and spreadsheets using

folders in Google Docs

.

One huge benefit of

cloud computing

is that it's easier than ever to share documents and other files. No more email attachments required. No more version control troubles. Our

video tutorial on using Google Docs

demonstrates the sharing and emailing functions in Google Docs.

Our

video tutorial on using Google Docs

continues with a look at

how to get your documents in the cloud

by

uploading files to Google Docs

. If you're convinced that Google Docs is a viable

free alternative to Microsoft Office

or if you have a bunch of documents on your computer that you want to be able to access from anywhere, this is for you.

Kicking off our 10-part

video tutorial on using Google Docs

, Molly McDonald runs down

how to access Google Docs

and gives a quick tour of the Google Docs interface. Google Docs is a viable

free alternative to Microsoft Office

for basic word processing, spreadsheets and even presentations.

Get your documents into the cloud with any one of these

10 great free online word processors

. These

free online word processors

let you do just about everything you'd do with Microsoft Office without having to pony up. You can share documents without having to worry about version control, get offline access and sync with your docs next time you're online and much more.

As you progress in your use of Gmail you're going to want to integrate more than just email. You can use a handy Google Labs function to put Google Documents just a click away right from your Gmail interface. This makes using Gmail even more handy and convenient.

Cheryl Poirier, AKA Miss Download, somehow managed to obliterate

Microsoft Office

from her home PC only to discover the

open source equivalent to Office, OpenOffice.org

. Not a moment too soon either; she had an important spreadsheet due in two days' time!

Sometimes you just need to take a peek in order to see if you have the right file. That's what Quick Look is for. It gives you a way to quickly see files without having to open up their native applications.

If you're looking for a free tool that creates PDFs simply, quickly, and accurately without unsightly watermarks - look no further! PrimoPDF is a free document conversion tool that can quickly create PDFs from over 300 different file types and acts very much like a printer within windows.

Make the folders in your profile private, including My Documents, Favorites, Cookies, the Desktop and the Start menu, so that users who share your computer cannot access them or the files within.

Google Docs is a great way to manage your online workflow. We look at some of the different ways you can easily import documents and spreadsheets from your computer, your email or from an online source.

In this series we'll show you some tips and tricks for using Google Docs. We'll show you how to upload files and convert PDFs to text as well as how to find images using Google Image Search without even leaving Google Docs. These are just some of the features that make collaborating on documents with Google Docs so convenient.