gExplore 1.0

Google Docs is a great online service that enables you to create and edit files using any computer with an internet connection. But at times it can be frustrating to have to use a web page to access your files, and this is an annoyance that gExplore aims to address. This handy little app makes it easy to access the files you have already stored online as well as providing you with the option of uploading and downloading files.

Used at its most basic, gExplore provides you with a Windows-style interface through which you can interact with your files. Files can be deleted and renamed, but when you double click one of your online documents you will be taken to the Google Docs web site for online viewing and editing. If you have a Kindle, PDF documents you have stored online can be sent to your device with a couple of clicks.

One area in which you are likely to find that gExplore is an advantage to using the standard Google Docs interface is when it comes to uploading or downloading several files at once – you are able to do this much quicker with the app. When uploading files, you have the option of applying encryption to protect your more sensitive documents but the ability to organize your files into collections as easily as creating folders in Explorer is a real draw.

The main app is available free of charge, but there is also a paid-for edition available. For $19.95, you can gain access to features such as file permission auditing, Cloud File Notes which can be used to store notes online and file sharing options. All of these are useful features, but they are not really killer features that could be described as essential – for most people the free version will do just fine.

Not an essential tool, but a useful tool which is a good alternative to the Google Docs site, particularly for batch operations.