No Joke: Google Apps Go Offline
Google has begun rolling out offline access to it one of its most popular online office applications.
Soon, users of Google Docs will be able to periodically sync their library of saved files, normally stored on Google’s servers, to their desktops. These local backups will enable people to view, search and edit their Google Docs word processing documents through their web browsers even when not connected to the internet. The feature will keep the online and local versions in sync, updating the online data as soon as a connection is re-established to reflect any changes made by the user. Syncing happens behind the scenes.
According to Google, the feature is already live for a small percentage of its users, and will be made available to everyone with a Google account over the next few weeks. Also, this only works for Google Docs right now, and only in English. Other languages and access to spreadsheets, calendars and Gmail e-mail inboxes are sure to follow, though the company hasn’t said when.
Google has been working towards this marriage of "desktop and cloud" for the past year ever since the introduction of Google Gears, the bit of code which makes this possible. You’ll need the Google Gears browser plug-in for this to work, and as soon as you’re eligible, you’ll be prompted to download it if you haven’t already. Google Docs competitor Zoho is offering similar functionality using Google Gears as well.
Google’s roll-out of offline access also comes just as Microsoft is moving towards the same model with its Office Live service — the big difference being that while Google’s apps are free and accessible through the web browser, Microsoft’s online/offline syncing model still requires a copy of Microsoft Office to be installed on the local machine (Actually, any .doc-friendly office app will work, but with varying results). So in this case, the accessibility advantage plainly goes to Google.
To find out if you’ve got offline access, look for the little green arrow next to your login info while working in Docs. Or, check out this exceedingly silly video explaining how the whole thing works.
See Also:
