rollApp lets you run desktop apps, work with files, get things done — right from the browser on any device.
How to Instantly Preview Documents Online using rollApp File Opener
Alice Keeler, an adjunct professor of CSU Fresno, Microsoft Innovative Educator Trainer and Google Certified Teacher, recently posted an awesome series of articles about Google Chrome extensions that can help teachers in the classroom. And in the latest post – 5 Chrome Extensions for Teachers: Part 3 – she reviewed rollApp File Opener. Thanks for sharing, Alice, glad you liked it! Let us cross-post your findings here.
rollApp File Opener
I am constantly downloading resources from the web. Unfortunately, sometimes you have to download a resource before you can see if it is any good. You can view it of course after you figure out where the heck it downloaded to. RollApp does not fully solve this problem, but it is a huge help.
After installing the extension look for the little blue cloud icon near the omnibox. If a webpage has documents that can be downloaded you are able to click on this icon to reveal a list of all the documents that can be downloaded. In the below example I did a Google search for worksheets on the pythagorean theorem.
After clicking on one of the choices from the list of options RollApp launches a viewer in a floating window to allow me to preview the document. This saved me from finding the download links on the page, figuring out where the document downloaded to and then waiting for the Word program to launch. If you do not have office on your computer this will help immensely since the RollApp viewer is it’s own application and does not require Office to be installed on your computer.
The @rollapp is kinda jaw dropping. Awesome.
— Alice Keeler (@alicekeeler) November 13, 2013
- Introducing rollApp File Opener in the Chrome Toolbar
- How to Save and Edit Cloud Files in rollApp
- 5 Chrome Extensions for Teachers – Part 1
- 5 Chrome Extensions for Teachers – Part 2