Click the Save button to close the dialog box and then login as usual when prompted (be sure to put a check alongside Stay Signed In). From then on, just double-clicking the GMDesk icon will start Google Docs in its own program window. You might choose to rename the GMDesk icon to Google Docs too, to complete the effect.

GMDesk isn't just for Google Docs. You can switch between Google Docs and other Google products, such as Gmail and Picasa, using the Google Applications menu.

2.

Once a Mac-only open source application, the v4 release of Cyberduck is now available for Windows too. The application started out as a simple File Transfer Protocol (FTP) program, which most people use to upload files to Websites, but has since grown to be a general-purpose upload and download tool that can connect to a variety of services--including Google Docs' file storage area.

Download and install. To set it up for Google Docs, you'll need to create a bookmark. Click the Bookmark menu, then New Bookmark and, in the dialog box that appears, select Google Docs from the dropdown list headed FTP (File Transfer Protocol).