Google is rolling out a much-awaited feature for its hosted applications: the
ability for people to use them even when they aren't connected to the Internet.

The first application to get this offline access will be the word processor,
said Ken Norton, Google Docs
product manager. "The design goal is to create a seamless experience, with
or without an Internet connection," he said.

Over the next three weeks or so, Google will turn on the feature for all word
processor users, giving them the ability to view and edit documents while offline.
During the same time period, Google Docs' spreadsheet will gain offline ability
for viewing, but not editing, documents.

Google Docs' third component, an application to make slide presentations, will
remain for now without offline access. However, Google has plans to extend the
offline access to it and to other hosted services in the Google Apps suite,
of which Docs is part. Apps also includes Gmail, Calendar, Talk and others.

"Offline access of [hosted] apps is the next step in making the Web as
a whole a lot more reliable," Norton said.

Expectation for offline access in Docs and Apps had been building since Google
introduced its Gears open-source technology in May of last year. Until now,
Google had only built Gears offline functionality for its Reader RSS feed manager.

By allowing Docs and Apps users to work offline, Google is addressing one of
the biggest objections to Web-hosted applications. So far, offline access has
required that users export their Docs files to third-party file formats, like
Microsoft Office.

Gears is a browser plug-in that can store files and data locally, as well as
run JavaScript applications without a server connection. It's this architecture
that will allow Docs users to work on their word processing documents if their
Internet connection drops or if they're somewhere without one, such as an airplane.

To access their Docs files offline, users need only install the Gears
plug-in and type in the regular Google Docs URL: docs.google.com.

Work done offline will be automatically synchronized with the Google Docs servers
when users connect to the Internet.

As an open-source technology, Gears can be used by developers outside of Google.

The offline access will be turned on "in batches" over the coming
weeks in consumer Docs accounts and in the administrator consoles of Apps.

Gears is currently supported in Internet Explorer 6 and above and Firefox 1.5
and above for Windows XP and Vista, according
to Google. Firefox 1.5 and above is also supported on Mac OS X 10.2 and
above and Linux. Gears also runs on Microsoft Windows Mobile 5 and above in
Internet Explorer 4.01 and above.

IDG News Service

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