G Suite For Dummies. Paul McFedries

on Internet servers, too, and started telling anyone who’d listen that these files and applications resided “in the cloud” (meaning on a server — or, more typically, a large collection of servers that reside in a special building called a data center — accessible via the Internet).

      All the G Suite components (Gmail, Calendar, Docs, and so on) are examples of such apps — in the rarefied world of cloud computing geeks, these apps are described as software as a service, or SaaS — and they all reside inside Google’s cloud service called, boringly, Google Cloud. So that’s why I say that G Suite apps and your data live “in the cloud.” That’s also why, as I mention a bit earlier in this chapter, you need an Internet connection to use G Suite: It requires that connection to access all its cloud stuff.

Introducing Online Collaboration

      When I talk to people about G Suite, the feature that invariably raises eyebrows is online collaboration. Just the notion that two or more people can work on a document at the same time seems, well, magical. Yep, there's some mind-bogglingly sophisticated technology behind G Suite's collaboration features, but you don't require a PhD in computer science to use them.

As an example, take a look at Figure 1-4, which shows a file open in Docs. The figure actually shows a fistful of collaboration features, but I want to bring your attention to just these four:

       In most cases, inviting fellow collaborators is a simple matter of clicking the Share button, pointed out near the top-right corner of Figure 1-4. You choose whom you want to share the document with, add a brief note (optional), and then send the invite. The invitees receive a link that they can click to be taken directly to the file to start their editing duties.

       The G Suite app lets you know who's editing the document alongside you by displaying an icon for each collaborator. You can hover the mouse pointer over an icon to see that person's name and email address, plus options to contact that person via email, set up a meeting, send a message, or start a video call.

       The G Suite app also displays the Show Chat button, which enables everyone to send messages back and forth. The potential for fun here is unlimited!

       The G Suite app even shows you, in real-time, a tiny pop-up with the name of each collaborator so that you can see at a glance where each person is performing their editing chores.

      FIGURE 1-4: A Docs file, with several people editing.

      

I wrote this section to give you just a taste of G Suite collaboration prowess using the Docs app. For the full scoop on Docs collaboration, head for Chapter 11.

Going Mobile

      Although I don't talk about them in this book (otherwise, the book would be twice as long as it is), most of the G Suite apps come with mobile versions that run on Android and iOS devices. See either Google Play on your Android device or the App Store on your iOS device to install any of the G Suite apps.

To give you an idea of what's available, Table 1-2 runs through the G Suite apps, shows you how to access each one on the web, and lets you know whether an Android or iOS version is available.

      

For those G Suite apps that lack a version specifically for your mobile device, you can still access those services on your phone or tablet by using your mobile web browser to surf to the app's web address.

TABLE 1-2 The G Suite Mobile Apps

App	Web Access	iOS App	Android App
Gmail	mail.google.com	✓	✓
Calendar	calendar.google.com	✓	✓
Contacts	contacts.google.com		✓
Docs	docs.google.com	✓	✓
Sheets	sheets.google.com	✓	✓
Slides	slides.google.com	✓	✓
Meet	meet.google.com	✓	✓
Chat	chat.google.com	✓	✓
Groups	groups.google.com
Forms	forms.google.com
Keep	keep.google.com	✓	✓
Drive	drive.google.com	✓	✓

Chapter 2

      Taming the Email Beast

      IN THIS CHAPTER

      

Taking a tour of Gmail

      

Shipping and receiving: Sending and getting messages

      

Replying to and forwarding messages

      

Handling file attachments (carefully!)

      

Helpful tips and techniques for managing all that email

      To the world's technology