Gmail and Outlook are both email applications used to send messages. This article covers the key differences in the browser experience and additional features.

Basic Functionality

Additional Features

Outlook has more capabilities than just sending emails:

• Users can access a built-in Calendar by clicking the calendar icon on the left sidebar. To schedule events or meetings (Teams meetings can be created here), click New event and edit its details.
  
• On the left sidebar, click on the People tab to add contacts. Add Tasks by clicking ToDo (checkmark icon). Shortcuts to access other MS365 applications can be made available on the left sidebar.
  
• Tips from Microsoft on using Outlook can be viewed by clicking the lightbulb icon near the top right corner.
  

Microsoft Word offers many, if not all, of the same tools as Docs, with a more intense capacity for users to push their word processing needs to the max. While its interface is slightly different from Google Docs, it will become just as easy to navigate after a couple of uses.

Basic Functionality

Microsoft Word has both desktop capabilities as well as downloadable software. It has a built-in dictionary for spell checking, text-level features such as bold, underlines, italics, and strike-through, and page-level features such as indentation, paragraphing, and justification. Word is compatible with many other programs, the most common being the other Microsoft Office applications.

Similar Workflows

• Collaboration:
  • Collaboration features are available in real-time. Multiple users can work on the same document simultaneously, just like Google Docs.
• User Interface:
  • The user interface for Docs is clean and straightforward. It’s user-friendly, especially for those who prefer a simpler experience. Similarly, Microsoft Word is easy to navigate and adapt to, offering the same basic features as Docs in addition to extensive formatting options and advanced features.
• Features and Functionality:
  • Microsoft Word offers a wide range of formatting options, extensive templates, advanced page layout tools, and powerful editing capabilities. It also does well in covering essential word processing needs with an emphasis on collaboration that Google Docs offers. Word has more templating and layout options.
• Integration
  • Microsoft Word integrates with the Microsoft 365 suite just as well as Google Docs does with the Google Suite. You can easily copy and paste Excel charts and data into your Word document. Word also has better integration capabilities with third-party applications. Oftentimes, Google Docs need to be saved as Word documents to be readable or submittable in certain situations. With Word, the original copy works just fine.
• Offline Capabilities
  • Both Word and Docs have offline editing capabilities that can be turned on through the application’s settings. This allows the document to be modified and saved without the need for wifi or another connectivity option.

Core Differences

Word has a large number of editing features that allow for complete control over your document’s visuals. It’s suitable for the more traditional document creator, as well as today’s modern content creator. Google Docs has fewer features than Microsoft Word. It still allows you to style text, add images, tables, and page numbers, and use similar paragraph styling, but it is far more basic.

There is no way to directly convert a Google Form to a Microsoft Form. However, you can export a Google Form to PDF format and import the PDF into Microsoft Forms. While the conversion is not perfect, it can save time by not having to completely recreate the form from scratch.

Export the form from Google Forms

1. Navigate to forms.google.com and log in.
2. Open the form you would like to export.
3. In the upper right corner, click the ellipses and select Print.
4. On the print options screen, select Save as PDF or Print to PDF. This option goes by different names depending on the web browser used.
5. Make sure to uncheck the option for Headers and Footers. This option may be hidden under a “More Options” or “More Settings” menu.
6. Click Save/Print to save the PDF to your computer. A new dialog box should appear where you can name the file and select where to save it on your computer.

Import the PDF into Microsoft Forms

1. Navigate to forms.office.com and log in.
2. In the top left corner of the screen, select Quick import.
3. In the “Import your file” overlay, click the box to Upload from this device.
4. Navigate to the location on your computer where you saved the PDF and select it. Microsoft Forms will ask you to select the format for the new form.
5. Once the form is imported, you can select whether to import another or start reviewing the current form. It is recommended that you review the form to ensure that it was imported correctly and there are no formatting errors. Be sure to review each question on the form, as different input types (short answer, long answer, multiple choice) will not translate correctly and may need to be fixed manually.

This article is for faculty, staff, and students who have never used Microsoft Excel before but have used Google Sheets. Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel are both spreadsheet programs designed to take in and process data arranged in rows and columns. Due to their similar nature, if you are familiar with one of the programs you will most likely already be capable of using the other without much issue.

Basic Functionality

Manually inputting data and setting up calculations remains the same between the two. Double clicking a cell will allow you to add and edit its contents. Pressing the “=” sign on your keyboard will initiate the function mode and allow you to select which function to use from a list when you start typing. How these functions operate are the same as in Google Sheets.

Core Differences

While both Sheets and Excel share much of the same base functionality, there are a number of differences between the two programs. Highlighted below are the key differences that will most likely affect those transitioning from Sheets to Excel.

Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint share many core features that allow users to create engaging presentations. Here are some of the key comparisons between the two:

Basic Functionality

Google Slides provides essential features for creating professional presentations. It includes basic animations, slide transitions, embedded videos, and the ability to insert images, charts, and shapes. In comparison, PowerPoint is much more feature-rich. PowerPoint is known for its extensive feature set, offering advanced animations, transitions, and multimedia integration. It supports complex slide layouts, embedded objects, and custom animations.

Similar Workflows

• Slide Creation and Editing
  • Both Google Slides and PowerPoint provide a slide-based interface where users can create, edit, and rearrange slides within a presentation.
  • They offer a variety of slide layouts, including title slides, content slides, image slides, and more, allowing users to choose the most suitable layout for their content.
• Media Insertion
  • Google Slides and PowerPoint support the insertion of images, shapes, charts, tables, and other media elements into slides.
  • Users can add and manipulate images, resize and crop them. They can also apply various customizations to enhance the visual impact.
  • They also enable the insertion of audio and video files into slides, allowing multimedia content to be included in presentations.
• Transitions and Animations
  • Both applications offer a range of transition effects that can be applied to slide transitions, providing visual effects when moving from one slide to another.
  • They also provide animation features to add movement and interactivity to individual slide elements, such as text, images, or shapes. Users can specify entrance, exit, and emphasis animations for these objects.
• Collaboration and Sharing
  • Google Slides and PowerPoint facilitate collaboration by allowing multiple users to work on a presentation simultaneously.
  • They offer real-time editing and commenting capabilities, enabling users to collaborate, provide feedback, and make changes together.
  • Both applications provide options to share presentations with others, allowing for easy distribution and presentation to a wider audience.
• Presentation Delivery and Presenter Tools
  • Google Slides and PowerPoint include presenter tools that allow users to deliver presentations effectively.
  • These tools offer features like presenter mode, speaker notes, and on-screen timers, helping presenters navigate through slides, view notes, and control the presentation flow.

Core Differences

The core functionality of creating, editing, and presenting slides is quite similar in Google Slides and PowerPoint. However, there are differences in the depth and sophistication of certain features. For example, a technically demanding graph or chart can be made using PowerPoint, while Google Slides only has basic graph and chart-making capabilities.