Google Docs Desktop Client

Google Docs has been designed for exclusive online usage, but some of the users would rather have a desktop interface to work with. GDocsDrive is exactly such an interface for Google’s online service. Although all the work will still be carried out online, this application can help you manage all the items in an easier fashion than the web frame.

GDocsDrive is not free of charge as I am sure many would expect, but comes at a reasonable $19 price, considering that it is a one-time fee. Thus there is no license renewal fee every time a major update is released. If you want the try the app the developer gives you 14 days to test its full functionality.

Installation is a cinch and it does not take too much to complete, either. You’ll be ready to roll with the online documents in no time. As mentioned earlier, GDocsDrive only lists the files and the folder hierarchy and does not put a frame on the actual document editor.

As soon as you log into your Google account through GDocsDrive you will be able to access your files unhindered. As expected, the application will not function at all in lack of an Internet connection.

Although looks are unimpressive, the explorer-like interface makes jumping from folder to folder and viewing the items extremely comfortable. In the left part of the application window you can view the files and some details about them, such as type, size, author (account name) and the date of the last modification.

Double-clicking on an entry will automatically open in Google Docs, so you cannot use the desktop client for editing the data. However, you can use it to upload entire folder structures automatically to your Google Docs account.

GDocsDrive can do this in a seamless manner, by simply dragging and dropping the items into its interface. The app automatically starts the upload process and you can choose it to activate in the background for a less intrusive operation.

If you are not accustomed to Google Docs view, this application is a neat solution to view the items without wasting too much time looking for various options. It lets you view the latest 100 items, those you created, the documents and files that are shared with you by others, starred items or data that is of the same kind (documents, spreadsheets, drawings, presentations).

You can easily navigate through the elements and the synchronization process with your account starts without delay when a new element is added to the list.

Uploading and downloading folders seems to be among the strongest points of the application as it can save them regardless of their structure. The simplicity of the task is amazing, because all you have to do is drag a parent directory into the GDocsDrive’s interface and drop it.

Everything is uploaded to your Google Docs account in an instant. You can view details of the upload operation, such as the progress bar or transfer speed. If the upload screen intrudes on your work on the computer you can easily send it to continue its session in the background.

What comes as a downside in the program is the fact that all the viewing is done in the original web interface provided by Google. It features some of the options available online, but not all of them are present, so for the most part you will still have to appeal to the browser.

GDocsDrive does not come with too many options, but it sports the possibility to automatically convert a document or a file into the Google format, so you can edit the items online. The entire operation does not take too long to complete and at the end only the editable file will be available in your Google Docs account.

Given the small set of features in the application you will not spend too much time configuring it. Except enabling automatic conversion to Google forma the moment you upload a document and turning on automatic update check, there isn’t much to tinker with in the program.

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