IWork vs. Microsoft Office vs. Google Drive

It has never been easier to type documents, present slides, or produce spreadsheets than it is today and that fact is partly due to the vast number of software and web applications available to store these kinds of files. There are many different types out there but I would like to explore what most college students use on a regular basis: Microsoft Office, IWork, and Google Drive. Personally, I prefer Google Drive but there are benefits to each system.

Microsoft Office was a little slow in creating an online, shareable application so computers across networks would be able to access the same document at the same time, but they eventually got there. This is a great program for those who are loyal to Microsoft, but when compared to the sleekness of the born-online Google Drive, it falls behind. Here you can find out more about the important differences within Microsoft's own programs like the online, desktop, and mobile version if you are interested. Within Microsoft's systems, I prefer the online version because it is very easy to share with friends, classmates, and coworkers.

IWork has a very sleek system design, more elegant than that of Google Drive and Microsoft Office Online, but the actual functionality of the program is a little awkward. However, Mac devotees may prefer it for it seamlessly syncs across Apple devices. 

Finally, Google Drive. As a USC student I find Google Drive to be the easiest of the three to use for the university's email system is based around Gmail. With a Gmail account, students have automatic access to Drive and can share documents with classmates, professors, etc. through simply their university IDs.