The first way is simple, as long as you have an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch nearby.

In Safari on Apple devices, just point your mobile browser to .

If using a Mac, set Safari's user agent as mobile version. Tap on Sign In, and then you will be presented with a Sign Up form to join Google+, which prompts for your name and gender.

In my tests, I was able to join Google+ with a regular Gmail account. Note that once you sign in, you may be redirected to the mobile version of Google Buzz. If this is the case, just login with the credentials you just created on your mobile to the desktop version of Google+ on your PC, and you should be ready to roll.

Once you are on Google+, check out our guide, and if you are looking to ditch Facebook, also check out .