Getting started
Google Apps include Mail, Calendar, Docs/Drive, and Sites plus a few marketplace apps: Smartsheet, Manymoon, and GQueues. It's important to realize that all these tools are integrated. Accessing one of these applications provides an easy way to get to the rest (using links that are always available).
Get a Google Apps account
This is something that will probably be done for you, but if it's not, here are the steps to do it.
Tips for using Google Apps
Accessing a Google application directly
- gmail.lbl.gov
- gcal.lbl.gov
- gsites.lbl.gov
- gdocs.lbl.gov
Once you have access to your Google account, configure settings the way you want them:
Mail settings
- turn conversation view on or off, according to your preference
- apply a signature if you want one
- when you're away from the office, set the vacation responder
Mail labs
- We suggest the following, but choose the ones that you like: Apps Search, Calendar View, Canned Responses, Inserting Images, Undo Send, Unread Message Icon
Calendar settings
- set your working hours
Calendar labs
- We recommend Event Attachments, Smart Rescheduler, and Next Meeting. Other popular ones are Year View and Jump To Date
Documents settings
- should documents open in the same window or a new one?
Resources
Google Apps Help Center
The primary page for help with anything Google: Help Center.
IT help Desk
If you have questions that aren't answered in the individual help centers, contact the helpdesk.
Google User Group
We have established a Google Users Group (GUG). The primary focus will be communicating new features via email and occasional brown bags. Anyone will be able to opt in or opt out as they desire. If you'd like to join our group please click here to subscribe.
Training
You can enroll in a class through Employee Self Service. Log in with your LDAP user name and password, choose Training Enrollment in the left sidebar, select Computer Applications, then Introduction to Google Sites, then enroll in the one that best fits your schedule.
Using Google Apps in an integrated fashion
Use Google Mail to create an event in Google Calendar
If you have received an email that requires you to put something on your calendar, you can create an event on your Google Calendar directly from that message and it will automatically fill in the title and guest list from the subject and recipients list of your message. Simply open the message, click Create an event in the More menu, and then fill in the date and time. If you need more detailed instructions, here are the steps.
If you want to send an email and create an event at the same time, use the invitation link as you compose the email. We've got steps for that here
Use Google Mail to create a Google Document
There's a lab that will add a Create a document option to the More menu when a message is open. Once that's enabled, open an email message, click Create a document in the More menu, and Google will create a document - the title will be that of the email and the content will be what's in the body of the email. If you need more detailed instructions, here are the steps.
Use Google Mail to create a Google Task (GQueues is another option)
If an email contains something that should go on your To-Do list, there's an easy way to add it to either your Google Task list or your GQueues tasks. Here are the steps.
Not familiar with GQueues? Read about it here.
Create a new Calendar for a special project
You can create (and delete) secondary calendars for special purposes – group project, group resource, vacation schedule, your personal activities. See the procedure here.
Use a Form to survey collaborators about some aspect of a project
coming soon
Create a Google Site to advertise and organize a project
This isn't something that we can explain in a single page, but it's extremely useful. Please come to a Google Sites class to learn how to create and configure a Google Site.
Using Smartsheet to manage a small project
Smartsheet is a web based tool that allows you to collaborate with internal and external team members on shared tasks or small projects. Learn about Smartsheet here. You can access it from the More menu in the Google bar shown at the top of this page.
Real time communication (chat or video chat)
Gmail has a built in chat client. Once you request a chat connection with a team member (put in their email address in the chat dialogue box) and they accept, you can chat. If both of you have web cams, you will see a camera icon next the persons name, and you can initiate a 1 to 1 video chat. If you need a multi-person video chat meeting, request a Google+ account and try "Hangouts". Up to 10 participants can join a Hangout. (Note: requesting a Google+ account requires you enter a birthdate. Any birthdate entered that indicates you are younger than 13 years old will cause an immediate disabling of access to all your Google apps - be careful).
