Googlepedia: The Ultimate Google Resource (3rd Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)As webweaver and search optimizer for my company, I'm always on Internet information overload. There's a lot to be said for any book that gives me ready access to the many topics I need to access only occasionally, as well as the many others I didn't even know I needed to know about. This book excels at taking you into the confusing fine points of using Google. Blogger tags vs. HTML? I finally got it. Self-hosting your blog? Got that, too. The subtleties of sitemaps ... at last! Yes, with a great deal of effort and eye strain you could find much of this information on Google itself. I, for one, am happy to have so much information compiled and printed next to my workstation and to have the author's knowing voice guide me over the speed bumps. A good investment because of the hours of searching it saved me, though probably doomed to a short shelf life. I only wish the book came with an update feature ...

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Googlepedia® Third EditionThe all-encompassing book about everything Google. Not only will you learn advanced search techniques, but you also will learn how to master Google's web and software tools. It's all inside!Google ChromeGoogle's new web browserGoogle Gadgetscreate your own gadgetsGoogle Gearsturn web applications into desktop applicationsAndroiduse Google's phoneBloggercreate your own personal blogGmailGoogle's web-based email serviceGoogle Web Searchthe most popular search on the InternetGoogle AdSenseput profit-making ads on their own websiteGoogle AdWordsbuy keyword advertising on the Google siteGoogle Product Searchfind hot deals without ever leaving your office chairGoogle Calendara web-based scheduling and public calendar serviceGoogle Desktopsearch documents and emails on your PC's hard driveGoogle Docs create and share web-based word processing and spreadsheet documentsGoogle Eartha fun way to view 3D maps of any location on EarthYouTubeview and share videos over the WebGoogle Groupsa collection of user-created message forumsGoogle Mapsmaps, satellite images, and driving directions for any locationGOOGLE MAY BE THE INTERNET'S MOST POPULAR SEARCH SITE, BUT IT'S ALSO MORE THAN JUST SIMPLE WEB SEARCHES.• Use Google developer tools and APIs • Create MySpace and Facebook applications with OpenSocial • Use Google Gears to turn web-based applications into desktop applications • Use Google to search for news headlines, scholarly articles, and the best prices on the Web • Read and respond to blog postings and create your own blogs with Blogger • View the latest viral videos with YouTube • Use Android, the new Google phone • Use Google with the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch • Create maps and driving directions with Google Maps • Use Google's free web-based email service Gmail • Create your own custom Google Maps mashups–and put customized Google search on your own websiteMichael Miller has written more than 80 nonfiction how-to books, including Que's Absolute Beginner's Guide to Computer Basics, YouTube for Business, and Photopedia: The Ultimate Digital Photography Resource.Category: InternetCovers: GoogleUser Level: Intermediate to Advanced

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Google Apps Hacks Review

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(More customer reviews)§
Sometimes I wonder how Microsoft can presume to compete with Google in the Web world. So much depends on search nowadays -- the Internet is one big store of valuable information. Yet I have to use an unsupported freeware utility to search my little Windows XP hard drive because the search feature that comes with the operating system is so slow and inflexible.
**Google Apps Hacks** introduced me to a Google universe that was even bigger than I had expected. I expected --and got-- lots of material on plugging into Google maps (lots of people are taking advantage of the possibilities here) and lots of tips on using GMail, gadgets, calendars and news feeds.
The biggest surprises for me were contained in the chapters on Google Docs. Part of the material was basic "how-to" and "did you know that..." information to help get acquainted with the features of Google word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software. In fact, it appears that this book itself was collaboratively composed by Philipp Lenssen along with O'Reilly staff with Google Docs.
I was most impressed by how easy and flexible the spreadsheet application is to use. The author provides a pile of tricks and tips useful for both the ordinary user and the programmer.
This book should attract programmers (and other Web citizens) who want to investigate and test drive the latest cool things that many people are having fun with -- and a bunch more are making money from.
§

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Can Google applications really become an alternative to the venerable Microsoft Office suite? Conventional wisdom may say no, but practical wisdom says otherwise. Right now, 100,000 small businesses are currently running trials of Google office applications. So are large corporations such as General Electric and Proctor & Gamble. Google Apps Hacks gets you in on the action with several ingenious ways to push Google's web, mobile, and desktop apps to the limit. The scores of clever hacks and workarounds in this book help you get more than the obvious out of a whole host of Google's web-based applications for word processing, spreadsheets, PowerPoint-style presentations, email, calendar, and more by giving you ways to exploit the suite's unique network functionality. You get plenty of ways to tinker with:

Google Documents -- Share and edit documents with others in real time, view them on the run with Google Docs mobile service, and use Google Notebook for web research
Google Spreadsheets -- Add real-time data to spreadsheets, and generate charts and tables you can embed in web pages
Google Presentations -- View them on a mobile phone and save them as video
Gmail -- Send email to and from a mobile phone, adjust Gmail's layout with a style sheet, and a lot more
iGoogle -- Create your own gadgets, program a screenscraper, add Flash games, and more
Google Calendar -- Add web content events, public calendars, and your Outlook Calendar to this application
Google Reader, Google Maps, Google Earth, and Google SketchUp: the new 3D modeling software tool
Picasa, YouTube, and Google Video -- discover new ways to customize and use these media management apps
In addition, Google Apps Hacks outlines ways you can create a simple web site with nothing but Google tools, including Page Creator, Blogger, Google Analytics, and content from other Google apps. This amazing collection just might convince you that Microsoft Office is not the last word in business applications. The price is certainly right.

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Google Apps For Dummies Review

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(More customer reviews)Full Disclosure first: I was the tech editor for the book.
The authors have done a great job of introducing some of the best tools that Google has made available to the public for FREE. I will admit that I thought there was no way you could pull me away from my Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) but I'm a convert now.
The books covers:
* Gmail - Google's email application and one that I'm 100% switched over to now.
* Documents - the word document application that I'm using right now to collaborate on a writing project with 2 other authors.
* Google Spreadsheets - the spreadsheet application which, no surprise, gives Microsoft Excel a run for its money
* Google Presentations - a slideshow application similar to PowerPoint
* Google Page Creator - a webpage design tool
* Calendar - a full-fledged online calendar that you can share with others or keep private
* More - coverage of Chat, Administering your Google Apps, manipulating files, etc.
For me, I use Google Gmail, Calendar, and Spreadsheets exclusively. I still need Word occasionally, but with the ability to import and export to and from Google Documents, I really haven't had any major issues yet with moving back and forth.
One caveat - Google Apps is CONSTANTLY being updated; the Google Apps team of developers seems to release updates and new features almost weekly or monthly, so use the book as an introduction but don't be surprised if there are undocumented features you come across that aren't covered in the book - probably not the author's fault as they can't predict every new feature.
Recommendation - Try out Gmail and Calendar first... then Documents, Spreadsheets, and Presentations. Once you're comfortable using Gmail and Calendar, you'll start to understand how nice it is to have all your data available on any Internet-connected PC. I'm actually able to leave my laptop home when I visit family because I can use their PC to access my email, calendar, and most of my work documents.
Favorite Feature: The ability to text-message my Google Calendar with an appointment and the Calendar auto-updates. PLUS I've configured it to text me two reminders: 1 text message a week before the event, and 1 text message the day before. All covered in the book.


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Google Apps are Web-based, low-cost (or free!) office productivity tools that do everything those expensive applications do — and you can access them from any computer with an Internet connection. Google Apps For Dummies boosts your "app-titude" by giving you the low-down on choosing, setting up, and using these nifty and powerful gadgets for work or play.
Whether you're an individual who wants to take advantage of iGoogle or an organization looking for an enterprise-wide training solution for users at all levels, this comprehensive, practical guide brings you up to speed with all of the basic information and advanced tips and tricks you need to make good use of every Google Apps's tool and capability. Discover how to:
Get productive fast with free or inexpensive Web-based apps
Design your perfect Start Page layout
Choose among the different editions
Use Gmail and Google Talk
Work with Google Docs and spreadsheet documents
Create and collaborate on documents
Import events into your calendar
Build dazzling presentations
Use Dashboard to create and manage user accounts
Create a Web page with a unique domain setting

Google Apps are poised to shatter the primacy of the current way of working with PCs, saving businesses, schools, government agencies, and individuals big bucks on software, network infrastructure, and administration. Google Apps For Dummies is your key to making this revolutionary new approach work for you and your organization.

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Google Apps Express: The Fast Way To Start Working in the Cloud Review

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(More customer reviews)An essential read for anyone interested in discovering more about Google Apps and how to use them effectively. Definitely recommend.

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Google Apps brings the power of the Google platform to your company, school or organization. Throw out costly software licenses and servers and join millions of users in the cloud.Google Apps Express gives you the fast track to the answers you need.
Set up Google Apps in minutes and learn everything you need to know to manage your users and domain quickly.
Get hands-on with each application -Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Sites and Apps - and learn the tricks, tips and shortcuts.
Access your applications and data from anywhere without any IT or networking knowledge.
Collaborate with your team in real time and publish your work on webpages and the Internet in seconds.
Save all your files securely in Google's cloud and never worry about backups again.
Join the cloud computing revolution and reap the benefits of zero-installation software and Internet-based productivity.

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Google Powered: Productivity with Online Tools Review

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(More customer reviews)I was looking for something that would serve as a good introduction to the array of Google applications, and this book is well-suited to that task.
What you'll get:
* A good introduction to 12 or 13 of the newer Google applications. Ledford spends a little more time on the applications that are likely to be more popular (mail, docs, spreadsheets) and a little less time on some of the others (Picassa, chat, etc.). Overall, I thought the focus was just about right.
* Ledford explains the basics of each application. He offers some tips and tricks to using each application. He breaks the discussion up around different features, where appropriate (e.g., Google mail vs. the calendaring function within GMail). Along the way, readers will learn why a particular app might be more or less useful to them than competing applications (e.g., Google spreadsheets vs. Microsoft Excel). Ledford points out the most significant advantages AND drawbacks of each Google App, which is quite helpful.
* For my purposes, I was interested in evaluating the whole Google suite of applications so that I could consider whether to move my organization away from Microsoft's Office suite and toward online applications. This book is a great first-effort in helping assemble that sort of information. Undoubtedly, much more will be written about Google's suite of applications. As one of the first (if not the first) to undertake this endeavor, however, Ledford does a commendable job.
What you won't get:
* Extensive details on any one application. For example, if you want to become a GMail power user, then this book is not for you. Consider this a very basic introduction to the variety of Google applications. For an in-depth discussion, you would need to look elsewhere.
* A substitute for playing around with each application itself. It is one thing to read about Google's application suite; it is another to use and practice on the apps themselves. In my opinion, there is no substitute of knowledge gained through trying to use each of these applications. I read this manual while on a vacation in Spain, where I had no internet access. I likely would have found it more useful if I could have used some of the tips and recommendations in real time. That said, Ledford's book still serves its purpose as a good introductory guide.
Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who wants to know more about Google Apps but was afraid to ask, and to anyone who is considering whether to attempt a life without Microsoft Office. There are other alternatives to Office, but Google's Apps probably are the most prominent of them, and Ledford's book serves as a useful introduction to them.

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Everything you need to know to get started using Google's free productivity tools is right in these pages. With a section devoted to each application, finding and using the information is easy. You'll learn to create documents, crunch numbers, e-mail with Gmail, build Web sites, share photos, track calendars, and more. Harness the power of Google Docs, Google Spreadsheets, Google Page Creator, Google Calendar, Google Notebook, Google Talk, Gmail, and Picasa and get your life powered!

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