Before learning how to do something digitally, it helps to know where to do it. First, computers and phones run on different systems. But for the most part, they do the same things just in slightly different ways. For example, the menus and icons may look different, but almost everything you learn transfers across systems.
What is a “digital ecosystem?”
A set of tools that work together on your device—like your car’s dashboard or kitchen setup.
The 3 Main Platforms
Google Suite
Common Devices
Chromebooks, Android phones
Microsoft Office/360
Common Devices
Windows laptops or PCs
Apple/iCloud
Common Devices
iPhones, MacBooks, iPads
| Task | Microsoft | Apple | |
| Write a document | Docs | Word | Pages |
| Make a spreadshet | Sheets | Excel | Numbers |
| Store files online | Drive | OneDrive | iCloud Drive |
| Send email | Gmail | Outlook | |
| Schedule or Join meetings | Calendar/Meet | Outlook/Teams | Calendar/Facetime |
The good news is: most systems actually do the same things. They just look and sound a little different.
We’ll mainly use Google Suite because it’s free and works well on Chromebooks and iPhones.
✋ Pause
Look at your device right now. Do you see Gmail or Outlook? Which system is your device using?
Quick Tips for Switching Systems
- Look for icons, not words
- E.g. Paper = Document, Grid = Spreadsheet, Cloud = Storage
- Use the search bar (often the magnifying-glass icon)