Google Software and Web-Services

Google provides free software and web-services that can be used to complement the features and to alleviate the deficiencies of GooglePages.

Most of Google web-services work best when accessed via Firefox browser. Google toolbar is well-integrated with other Firefox features, and provides several convenient options for quick searches (web-wide and within a page), spellcheck in text fields, and for filling out forms. Too bad that the spellcheck does not work with Google Page Creator (don't even try, because all the fields on a page can become really messed up after running the spellcheck). Also, a more secure option for storing the information used to fill out teh forms would be nice.

Picasa is an excellent "it-just-works" image editor and organizer from Google. Picasa client software indexes images on the local drives and its automatic image enhancement options produce surpringly good results for both on-screen viewing and printing. Now Google also offers a 250 MB web-based Picasa component, which can be accessed either directly through its web interface or via the Picasa client options.

Free software from Google can be downloaded using the following referral links.

HTML and Text Editors

Building websites even as small as this one can be very cumbersome in Google Page Creator, which offers only very basic editing options. Accordingly, for implementing most of the advanced features it is advisable to use an external HTML Editor.

Mozy Remote Backup

One essential web-based service that Google does not offer (yet?) is remote backup. Fortunately, Mozy Remote Backup provides an excellent remote backup client, which shares many of the good qualities of Google services (simple, fast, customizable) and adds a few very useful options for increased privacy and security of teh backed-up files. Also, just like most Google services, Mozy is still officially in beta.

Read the GPX-Files review for details, or use this direct link to Mozy and receive a sign-up bonus: 2GB+256MB of free strorage.