Click here to see a step-by-step tutorial video that is a must for beginners. Learn how to use Google Drive to backup files, to access your files anywhere, to share and collaborate with others, and to get back to your files fast. The presenter walks you through how to get Google Drive and how to use your Drive across PC, web, and phone.

Click here to learn about what is in the "Template Gallery" and how to create 'custom' templates of your own.

Click here to read a HowToGeek article entitled "How to Share Folders, Files, and Documents on Google Drive" that shows you the options.

Click here to read a TechRepublic article from Feb 2021 that shows you how easy it is now is to store and maintain files held in Microsoft Office format directly within Google Drive.

Click here to read a TechRepublic article from Oct 2021 "Happy 15th birthday, Google Docs! Check out the app's 15 best features"

The Google Drive application, equivalent to Microsoft Word, is simply called Docs and you can read this introductory Docs guide to find out how to get started.  

Similarly the Microsoft Excel equivalent is called Sheets and you can read this introductory Sheets guide for more details and click here for an overview by Google spelling out the differences between the products.

The above are only two examples of the many ways to get better productivity from Google's free Applications - click here to visit a great site that explains how to make use of many different products.

There are also many useful tips contained in these articles from the TechRepublic :- 

(1) How to set print area in Google Sheets 

(2) How to create conditional statements for drop-down lists in Google Sheets 

(3) Google Sheets: Tips every user should master

(4) How to grant LibreOffice file open permission on Chrome OS

For more advanced users of spreadsheets this guide at the Google Blog explains how to create and use macros to automate tasks.

When you use Docs, Sheets or any of the other free Google Apps you will undoubtedly come across the term G-Suite that Google uses for marketing - unfortunately online reading does not always clearly differentiate which Apps belong to what group. Just what is free, and what you get in the higher level of paid for services, can be a bit confusing - click here for an explanation.

You can also see [a selection of] what Google describes as popular free Apps here.

This Google Support article explains the introduction of facilities within virtually all popular browsers where Google Drive / Workspaces {G-Suite} users have Microsoft Office compatibility. 

Remember you do not always have to be connected to the internet in order to be able to use Drive facilities as a number of smartphone Apps for android and iOS are available that allow you to work off-line with any documents you nominate.

This techRepublic article provides further information about using these facilities.

Click here to see a UK PC-Mag article from Aug 2021 called "Swapping Microsoft Word for Google Docs? 8 Simple Tips to Help You Get Started" that explains the eight topics of "Templates", "Off-line Editing",  "Version History", "Table Of Contents", "Using Google within Docs", "Sharing Links", "Adding New Fonts" and "Special Characters".

Click here for a Google support page that explains how to "Use comments & action items" in documents you collaborate with others over.

Fed up with typing out your handwritten notes then why not digitize them effortlessly and turn them into digital documents. Use the Google Lens on your smartphone to capture the information and copy it to your connected computer. 

N.B. You will need the updated versions of Google Chrome on your devices and access to Google Lens on your Android or iPhone.

Select the text you want to scan and tap on Copy to Computer. 

Next, open your connected computer and paste your text. Note that Google tells you to paste it into a Google Doc but you can try pasting it anywhere.

If you're having trouble connecting to your computer, you can also select Copy text and paste it directly.

Click here to read the full MakeUseOf article on this topic that has supporting pictures that help explain.

Click here for a HowToGeek article that explains what Google now calls "Smart Chips", and how you can go about using them in your other Drive Documents.

Click here for an article by TechniPages that shows you how to create hyperlinks in Google Docs - at the bottom of the page there are several more links that explain how to do other things in Google Docs.

Sometimes, you want to make sure that document text remains together–that you don't have a heading without a paragraph, that you don't split a paragraph, or that you don't leave a single line from a paragraph by itself.

Select the text you want to keep together, then select Format | Line & Paragraph Spacing, then select from these three options:

• Keep with next, to keep a heading and paragraph together,

• Keep lines together, to prevent a paragraph from being split between pages, or

• Prevent single lines, to ensure that a lone line doesn't dangle on a different page.

While your Google Doc may display a page break during editing, but your text will be grouped correctly, as selected, when printed.

Click here to read a Computer World article that is really worth a read to find workarounds to overcome certain irritations and also to pick up some useful tips for situations you probably didn't even know existed.

Since Q4 2020 it has  been possible for Google Account owners to share nominated pieces of their work with non-Google users which allow them to read, or even collaborate, with the information in the same way as regular Google Account owners. 

This information sharing covers all file types held in Google Drive, including any Microsoft Office file formats that may be stored there.

Click here to read a TechRepublic article that provides just about everything you need to know to go about sharing your information.

Click here to read a HowToGeek article with lots of options for managing the placement of images in Documents and wrapping text around them.

Click here to read another HowToGeek article that talks about the placement of images in Slides and wrapping text around them.

If you are familiar with software like Microsoft Office or LibreOffice, perhaps installed on a Windows computer, the bad news is that not all of these programs are currently available on the CloudReady OS platform - but since Google's acquisition of Neverware they may well be in the future, who knows ?

The good news is that there are a few viable alternatives available right now :-

1. Your Google Account provides access to your "Google Drive" where you can manage the all of the different types of popular files, which include files in native Microsoft Office or LibreOffice format. You can even arrange for 'local copies' of files from your Google Drive to be made available offline [for use when you are not connected to the internet] by following the simple steps in this guide. 

2. Files uploaded to Google Drive take their default format for their type which could be Word, Excel PDF etc. For example if a Word document is uploaded by default it retains it's file type of 'Word' [.docx] and is identified by the usual logo icon. When you open a file online a copy can be converted to Google's 'document' format with the corresponding icon and the 'Word' format file may be deleted.  If required the same file can be copied to your PC using the 'File' > 'Download As' option where several file formats are available.  These include popular formats such as the widespread .pdf format, for universal portability, meaning just about anyone with a PC can read it without having Microsoft Office or LibreOffice etc. installed on their machine or perhaps using the .doc or .docx formats that are used by 'Word', documents or the .odt that is for processing by compatible tools like LibreOffice 'Write'. Once downloaded these different formats can be amended locally or distributed as an email attachment as a real 'PDF', 'Word' or 'Write' document.

3. You can get almost the full "LibreOffice" functionality via a "Flatpak" installation that downloads in 3 short phases, click here to learn how at flathub.org. LibreOffice has an official Getting Started guide that you can download for offline reading which is totally free. These useful Libre Office tips in an "It's FOSS" article. are worth reading.

4. The almost full "Microsoft Office" functionality is available at the online 'Microsoft Office Home' site  where, using your Microsoft Account **, you can work with the online versions of the Word, Excel, Powerpoint, OneDrive, Outlook, Calendar and Skype. tools. 

** Login to your Microsoft account (or create one for free) and select the app you want to use, and save your work in the cloud with OneDrive.

5. Optionally Microsoft's Office365 under ChromeOS / Flex / Cloudready is now fully integrated and the free PWA version works well.
    Click here for a  CNET article that receives regular updates called "Yes, You Can Download Microsoft Office on a Chromebook" which shows you the PWA in Chrome. 

    Click here for a  similar Chrome Unboxed article from Jan 2024.

6. You can also use the Microsoft Office 365 productivity tools by using a combination of browser extensions and Microsoft's One Drive as explained in this Neverware link. If you have the Microsoft's "Office Online" browser extension installed you can click on a file in Word,Excel or Powerpoint format it will offer to launch the content of the file in a new browser tab. 

7.  For smartphone users there is a powerful "Office Lens" Android App [also available for IOS] that you may find useful as it can use a variety of formats and integrates well with other products - click here for a TechRepublic article with more details.

8. For another free file storage option [which we all like] you can use extensions to the Chromium browser [default on ChromeReady OS] to access an online Dropbox account where all kinds of files can be stored including those in Microsoft Word and Excel format or in the Open Document Foundation [ODF] format as used by Open Office and LibreOffice.  If you go for this option your browser will display a list of all files stored "in the Cloud" within your Dropbox account. 

9. Installing the Herokuapp "OpenOffice Viewer and Converter" browser extension lets you click on a file to launch it's content in a new browser tab. If you use some of these options then the file you selected will simply be "displayed" on screen in read only mode. However if you want to make changes look for an "Open" button [or similar] that you can click to get full edit access to the content.

Click here for a video that talks you through the requirements to run these Office tools under chromeOS. 

N.B, The process also works for laptops [like an HP Pavilion] running chromeOS Flex but attempts to create a Linux environment [in Oct 2022] on a Desktop with powerful AMD multiprocessors have failed.

User preferences are often built upon personal experiences, possibly through work, that help form opinions. Coming from a working background it is likely that users will experience Microsoft Office [or some elements of it] but there are many alternatives including the free LibreOffice Suite and the wide range of Google servcies available for both online and offline use.  

Click here for the main CNET.com site, which remains unbiased, where you can search for reviews of key features found in the different popular office software 

Click here for an article from May 2021 by Jack Wallen that explains why "Google Docs has won the office suite war among one generation" and probably a lot of the others too !

Click here for an article from May 2021 by Jack Wallen that explains why "Google Docs has won the office suite war among one generation" and probably a lot of the others too !

Click here for a useful guide from 19/06/2025 by Jack Wallen of ZDnet called "How you can get Microsoft 365 (formerly Office) for free - 3 easy ways"

If you already have a Microsoft account just click here to be taken to your 'Office' portal and any documents you may already have - or use the page to register for an account.

Click here for a useful guide from 26/02/2024 by MakeTechEasier called "How to Use Microsoft Office on Chromebook for Free" that is updated over time.

If you already have a Microsoft account just click here to be taken to your 'Office' portal and any documents you may already have - or use the page to register for an account.

There are many educational resources available online, with Youtube being a good place to start, where you can find how to go about solving a given problem or what are the best features of a particular piece of software. 

There are a selection of video clips below, that are of good quality and well presented, which could help you brush up on areas of interest.

Google Calendar :   Top 8 Google Calendar Tips for Productivity

Click here to watch the whole video covering the 'Intro', then the 8 main topics listed below, then the 'Bonus' or click on one of the 'Timestamps' in front of the section of interest to jump right into the video at that point. 

Google Documents :   Top 10 Google Documents Tips for Productivity

Click here to watch the whole video covering the 10 topics listed below, or click on one of the 'Timestamps' in front of the section of interest to jump right into the video at that point. 

Google Sheets :   32 Useful Google Sheets Tips

Click here to see a page at The Fast Company called "32 incredibly useful things you didn’t know Google Sheets could do" - well worth a read.

Google Sheets :   Top 10 Google Sheets Tips for Productive Professionals

Click here to watch the whole video covering the 10 topics listed below, or click on one of the 'Timestamps' in front of the section of interest to jump right into the video at that point.

Google Drive :   Top 9 Google Drive Tips for Productivity

Click here to watch the whole video covering the introduction and the 9 topics listed below, or click on one of the 'Timestamps' in front of the section of interest to jump right into the video at that point.

Discover more videos by Jeff covering different topics to those shown above

Clicking here will run a canned search of Youtube for the term "jeff su" [launches in a new browser tab] and displays a list of the other videos he has produced. 

N.B. You will probably have to click on something like +8 MORE  [just beneath the first couple of videos] to see the full list of what is available.

Google Sheets : Formulas and Functions

Click here to see a video called "How to use Formulas and Functions in Google Sheets" which shows you examples of many popular spreadsheet features. The presenter goes through them at an easy pace, which lets you see exactly what is going on - he even makes the spreadsheet used in the demonstration available  for you to make a copy and save it in your own Google Drive area. You can then experiment and practice doing your own calculations as much as you like. 

Google Sheets : Creating and debugging

The videos below introduce coding techniques to enhance the functionality of spreadsheets. As they assume you already know your way around Google Sheets, and have at least some coding skills, they are not recommended for absolute beginners. Having said that they are easy to watch and, although they are quite long, are not too difficult to follow what is happening. If you fancy learning a bit about coding then they are both well worth watching.

Google Sheets : Creating and Debugging : Video 1

Click here to see the video called "How to Create a To Do List, Task List - Google Sheets Template" which explains how to create a spreadsheet from scratch, then build up the different parts in an easy to follow demonstration. It includes some more advanced, but useful, techniques for data validation and manipulation. 

The presenter also shows how you can easily make coding mistakes and get things wrong but he then explains in detail how to go about tracking down these potential errors and fixing them.   10/10

Google Sheets : Advanced Creating and Debugging : Video 2

Click here to see another video called "Advanced To Do List, Task List - Google Sheets" which follows on from the first video and adds some neat functionality for moving a range of cells in a row to different Sheets.