Goodbye, Google Docs; Hello, 'Google Drive'

Google Drive, the company's long-anticipated answer to Dropbox and similar cloud storage services, has finally "shifted into gear." The service is not yet available to everyone; some users, instead of seeing a signup link on the Google Drive site, might see a notice that says "Your Google Drive is not ready yet" with the option to "Notify me." But if it is ready, it's time for you to say goodbye to Google Docs, the company's cloud-based office suite, with features comparable to a slimmed-down Microsoft Office. 

That's because it's now part of Google Drive

"Google Drive gives you instant access to Google Docs," the Google Drive website says, "a suite of editing tools that makes working together better". Screenshots on a page for web app developers show the familiar Google Docs interface, with the list of items and "Create" button. But the range of things you can create now no longer includes tables, and has been expanded to include websites, which are powered by Google Sites.
  

Google Chrome integration 

If you are using the Google Chrome browser, there may be options to create even more things, depending on what apps you have installed from the Chrome Web Store. Web app developers can tie their apps in to Google Drive, letting you see all the things you've created through them -- like Lucidchart diagrams -- in your Google Drive, alongside the documents, spreadsheets, and presentations you've already created in Google Docs.

If you have a web app installed in Chrome that's able to open a file in your Google Drive, you can tell it to "Open with" that web app. For instance, if you have the Aviary photo editor installed, you can use it to edit a picture directly from Google Drive.