Title: READ: Creating your own Google Startpage
Course: Computer Technology

Creating your own Google Startpage

Intro

You may remember that when you go to www.google.com, the page is pretty empty. Google offers a unique way to customize your google search page and add gadgets to it that are useful to you!

According to Wikipedia, iGoogle (or google startpage) "is a customizable...personal web portal. Its features include the capability to add web feeds and Google Gadgets."

Sold yet? I guess I'm biased because I love everything google makes. Here is a picture of MY google startpage to get you excited about creating yours:

As you can see from this example, I have plenty of gadgets on my own google start page. I've got a google talk button, which launches google chat when I push the button. I've got my email on the left, and a famous optical illusions gadget underneath that. I've also got my calendar, wikipedia, the weather, and my google docs all in the same place: my google startpage.

Opening your startpage

I'm going to show YOU how to add gadgets to your own google start page. First, login to your OHSU email. Click on the "Startpage" link in the top left.

This will bring you to your default google startpage. Now, you might already have some gadgets in place, like email and calendar. That's great!! That's less of the assignment that you have to do!

Add gadgets/apps

Click on "Add Stuff" on the right hand side:

A page will come up with lots of icons for every type of gadget imaginable! If you see one that you like, click on "Add it now".

Finding Gadgets

To find the google talk gadget, click on the "Communication" section on the left and the app is listed under the name "Google Talk Button." Under the communication section you can also add "Gmail" for your email gadget and your "Google Docs" gadget.

If for some reason, you can't find the app that you're looking for, just search for it in the search box at the top.

Finishing

When you're done adding gadgets, there is a "<<back to homepage" link in the top left that you can click.

Now you've added all these great apps, but you want to move them around. Google startpages allow you to drag and drop them into whatever position you want. Just click and hold down on your gadget, then drag it to whatever place you want to move it to.