DISQUS

louisgray.com: louisgray.com: My Top Ten Favorite Google Products

  • Rex Hammock · 3 months ago
    What? No Knol? Google throws so much spaghetti against the refrigerator, it's nice when they stick with something until it's right: Google Reader, for example. However, for my non-technical friends, I use iGoogle as a gateway drug to get them hooked on RSS. Going straight to Google Reader seems to overwhelm them. By the way, the thing I've never liked about Blogger is that thing at the top of the page that says "Next Blog" -- but you don't have it. It's been a long time since I've played with blogger. How did you turn that off?
  • Rick Klau · 3 months ago
    Hey Rex - there are a number of ways to disable the navbar, though we have a number of improvements planned that we think will make it a nice win for users. But in the meantime, if you have a blog on Blogger where you want to disable it, this site lays out the steps:

    http://www.bloggertricks.com/2007/12/hide-disab...

    -- Rick Klau (Blogger PM)
  • Rex Hammock · 3 months ago
    Thanks, Rick. I've just always wondered (worried about) where that link takes people. I'm sure whatever you come up with will take some of the worry out of that -- i.e., if I have some opportunity to suggest where it goes.

    And by the way, let me add that you are one of the coolest customer service people I've ever known. (Note to those who don't know: Rick is one of the guys who run Blogger.)
  • jungleg · 3 months ago
    I agree with all of your products listed here as well, I use all the above extensively; but if I had to choose my favorite of all, I'd have to say Google Chrome. It has just made using javascript-heavy applications (almost all of the latest websites are), and I feel like I'm browsing in slow motion when I use anything else.
  • ArpitNext · 3 months ago
    I love Picasa / Picasa web apps, SMS Channels (By Google India), Google Talk, Google Apps (for custom domains) & Gmail. :)

    Nice to see Blogger in the list. ;)
  • holdenpage · 3 months ago
    Striking Google Desktop (can't use it, too resource intensive for my old computer:/) good list.
  • TJ · 3 months ago
    Maybe not a product, and some would say the reason there is so much rubbish on the internet, but I would have to put AdSense at the top of my list.
    Having tried many ways of monetizing my websites, nothing touches AdSense for ease of use and earning power.
  • DGentry · 3 months ago
    I use a bunch of Google products now. Google Apps for Your Domain handles our email. Google Docs let me keep some of my documents in the cloud to be accessed at any time. I have a couple little web services running on the App Engine. I have a coding blog on blogger, which is hooked up to FeedBurner and Analytics, I use GReader constantly... and the list goes on.
  • John E. Bredehoft (Empoprises) · 3 months ago
    Many of my choices are the same (Google Reader, Google Analytics, Blogger, GMail, YouTube, Google Maps). One that I just started using that you didn't mention was Google Voice. I use Feedburner, but I don't know that I'd count it as a favorite. Google Search I take for granted, but I probably shouldn't.

    Perhaps my one quibble is with Google Blog Search. I found it to be very useful a couple of years ago, but today I find it less useful. In my experience, many of the things that show up in Google Blog search today are also found in Google News, since many of today's blogs that show up in Google Blog Search are tied to existing journalistic outlets, rather than being personal forums.
  • hardaway · 3 months ago
    You forgot Google docs, the favorite of a person like me who regularly operates out of two homes in different states:-) When Steve Rubel goes on the road, he carries a LaCie with him. I bought one after I saw it, promptly lost it, and am happy that most of my docs are in the cloud anyway:-)
  • chinajiaho · 3 months ago
    Yes,goole product are very useful,and i think google analyse and webmastertool also a good tool.
  • Ivan Walsh · 3 months ago
    Hi Louis,

    I would vote for Google Earth. It's just amazing.

    Google Chrome has been a disappointment for me, especially as I cant even log into Adsense with it. It throws me into an infinite loop and tries to redirect me to the Czech version of Adsense.

    Why, I dunno.

    I'm in Beijing.

    I told the chrome lads and they're 'looking into it'.

    Best of luck in England. Avoid the tea.

    Ivan

    Tech Writer, Beijing
  • technogran · 3 months ago
    I don't go online to read my RSS feeds, I let them come to me in my e-mail program Windows Live Mail. This syncs all of the RSS feeds that you enable in Internet Explorer, and then I can read them at my leisure, download any amount for each feed, see them as a webpage if I wan't to instead of a boring old summary as in Google reader.
    I have tried it, but its far too 'fussy' looking for my tastes. Using my method, I can just read those I wan't to read now or save them on my computer for later. Much easier in my opinion..
  • marshal sandler · 3 months ago
    I use most of them and have started using Google Latitude on my website Google Friend Connect and Now Google Voice Connect-I hate answering my cell phone when I am busy Google Voice Connect brings in messages records voice and also converts to text, I added it to my web site so people who take issue with the site or it's content and inform me ! It allows the Angry to vent in real time ! Nice article I feel Google deserves a lot more credit than they receive ! I just redid my Blogspot and as a non Teche it makes creating a page a pleasure ! Regards the Twins !
  • abrudtkuhl · 3 months ago
    Louis - i thought you jumped off the Feedburner train?
  • Shane Belceto · 3 months ago
    Well for me I would have to put Youtube at teh top and Google Voice second on my list.

    Great list Thank YOU for sharing!

    ~Expect Miracles
  • Jason Barone · 3 months ago
    Great post Louis. I stick Reader & Gmail in permanent tabs on Firefox so they're always there. Reader is indispensable for news and I don't know what I'd do without it. I made the switch from desktop email to Google Apps Gmail months ago and it's been amazing as well. I would add Picasa desktop as another most-used app, it blows away Live Gallery.

    If I could request one thing of Google, they should combine Apps accounts, with normal Accounts.
  • tdubya · 3 months ago
    I Like Chrome, it's got speedy startup. But it still has trouble loading a lot of pages, get lots of "RESOLVING" that dies on the vine!
  • finalwebsites · 2 months ago
    I like most of those 10 and I'm using them, and Google Docs is one of my favorites and the search of course ;)
  • Oren Sreebny · 1 month ago
    I'm using Google Moderator for a course I'm teaching this quarter at the University of Washington. While it's got the feel of a not-quite-finished 20% project to it, it's very useful for gathering questions from students and then having them vote on which ones they want to discuss in class.