Google Docs Word Processor is a basic web word processor which you can use from within your web browser like Google Chrome, Mozilla FireFox, Internet Explorer, and more. I occasionally use Google Docs for writing up blog posts, and other documents.
What I like about Google Docs is I do not have to install it on my computer. The Word Processor for Google Docs has everything I need for a basic word processor like auto save, print, spell check, bold, italics, underline, insert image, insert table, highlight text, change font, redo, undo and more.
Plus, I do not have to worry about my computer breaking, and losing all my document files since Google Docs save all documents to your Google Docs account on the web. It is also very easy to download your Google Docs file and save them as a Microsoft Word Document, Open Office File, RTF, TEXT, or export as a PDF file.
See my PDF Export of Google Docs Word Processor : Google Docs WordProcessor Review PDF Export
One of the best features of Google Docs is it is easy to share documents with other Gmail/Google docs users by sending them the share link via Google Docs, and easy publishing to the web.
Click Here to view my document, and how it looks like on the web in Google Docs
You can even embed Google Docs documents as an iframe on a website’s HTML code to show up like web widgets. See example below of Google Document iframe embed in this article.
Embed document Source Code :
<iframe
src=”https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1Prb6UpaKYzcVoiP3QapFlQemtIEK9vv_HQEMRvsf0ig&embedded=true”></iframe>
The default iFrame size is kind of small, I wish it was possible to make it bigger. I also prefer HTML since I notice WordPress erases iFrame code when I’m using the visual editor for WordPress.
Google Docs also does not slow down your computer since it is just a website you visit to work on your document similar to how you use Blogspot, WordPress, and Typepad to blog. However, your documents are password protected by your Google Docs user name and password.
I have been using Google Docs Word Processor as a secondary Word Processor when I feel using Google Docs is a better choice, or if I do not have access to a word processor. It works as a basic word processor for typing out regular essays, letters, and journals. But, I rather use Open Office as my main free Word Processor since it is more feature rich, and can do more things. If your computer does not have enough hard drive space for a word processor, or you rarely use a word processor then Google Docs is a good Word processor for you since Google Docs does not require the user to update and maintain their word processor software since Google Docs is all web- based. However, if your Internet is unreliable or slow then Google Docs may not be the best option for you.
One of the downsides of using Google Docs is there is currently no way of doing a mail merge to my knowledge. Plus, you can’t easily tell how many pages your document take up unless you do a print preview. I also can’t find how to insert page number in Google Docs.
Google Doc’s Word Processor Features and options
- Web based
- No install or updated necessary since Google take care of all the maintenance and improvements for Google Docs
- No start up time
- Does not slow down computer
- Good for people with multiple PCs with web access.
- Great for people with dual boot or multiple computers with web access since Windows, Linux, Mac, etc can all use Google Docs without worrying about Windows not being able to read from Mac or Linux drive and vice versa.
- Reliability
- Ease of Use
- Able to work on most modern web browser
- Able to use Smartphone or Tablet PC to work on Google Docs
- Auto save and document is saved to internet, and can be saved to computer, so data loss is rare if you backup a copy to your computer, and don’t delete the copy of your document on Google Docs
- Easy to share documents with other GMail users.
Features I want to see in Google Docs in Future versions
- Mail merge
- Able to know what page I am typing on like other Word Processor with a print preview typing mode.
- Simpler to adjust the bottom margins.
- A Thesaurus (I can’t find one in Google Docs)
- More Options in the right click menu instead of just link in the right click menu.
- An offline editor which you can use which back up your documents to Google docs while online, and being to able to work on the document while offline if there is a power outage.
- Simple way for non-GMail user to edit a file.
- Custom themes/skins for Google Docs toolbar since the grey can get kind of dull.
- Ability to add more shortcut buttons like add table button to toolbar instead of using the menu for tasks like subscript, tables, footnote, etc.
- I notice when I click outside of the Google Docs Work space I need to click my document to type again. For example, if I use my mouse to click the edit menu on Google docs, and close the edit menu. When I type nothing happens till I click on the document again.
- Ability to make custom macros would be nice.
- A zoom in and zoom out button or slider would also be great since since some people do not know how to zoom their browser to make text, and pictures bigger.
- The Google Image Search built-in to Google Docs Insert picture option may lead to some non-child friendly picture since it uses the Internet, so some parental control might be nice if a child is using Google Docs.
- Adding a Copy, cut, and paste right click mouse option which is missing.
- Would be handy if Doc files can be individually password protected where you can make a document password protected even when downloaded as a Word, Open Office file, so if a unwanted viewer tries to access private documents by hacking into a person’s Google Docs account, they need another password to open and modify the files.
- Would be great if I can increase the size of embedded iFrame like how I can pick a larger size for video screens from Youtube embed option codes.
- I like to see Google make a program which can search your hard drive for doc, pdf, odt, rtf and other document files, and automatically upload them to Google Docs.
- Would be nice if it was possible to make an option for computer to silently and automatically download the latest version of the Google Docs Document you are working on every 15 minutes, or when you close your document, so you still have a copy on your hard drive if your internet disconnects, or you forgot to export it to your computer. .
- A source code or HTML mode for using Google Docs to compose HTML Files or as a website builder
This Entire Word Processor review was written in Google Docs, but pasted and edited with the default WordPress Post editor.
If you like to learn more about Google Docs, I recommend you order a copy of Google Docs 4 Everyone at Amazon for 12.90 US Dollars at Amazon. If you spend 12.11 dollars, you qualify for Amazon Free shipping for orders over 25 Dollar policy.