Google Docs Goes Offline

google docs.JPG Google is today clearing one of the last hurdles it faces before truly competing with Microsoft Office. Starting this afternoon, some users of Google Docs word processing app will be able to edit their documents when they don't have an Internet connection.

Not surprisingly, the functionality will be built on Google Gears, the offline synching technology that now powers unconnected use of Google Reader and task manager RememberTheMilk.com.

I haven't been able to test the new functionality yet (I should get hooked up in a few hours), but if it works well this is a huge development. Google's word processor already has almost everything I need to ditch Microsoft Word entirely. Having the ability to work offline will likely make a lot of people -- and businesses -- wonder why they should pay as much as $680 for Office. (Google says it's working on adding offline capability for spreadsheets and presentations created through Google Docs.)

Obviously, there are also lots of companies and individuals that depend on some set of sophisticated tools that Office has and Google Docs doesn't. But the very online nature of Google Docs -- the ability to get to your files anywhere, share them with anyone and see the changes in real time -- offers a lot that Office still can't match.

A lot will depend on how well the implementation of Google Gears works. My previous experience with RememberTheMilk was that you had to go to RTM while you had a connection, then keep that window open to use it offline. A bit clunky. But the Google email promises:
"You'll be able to go to docs.google.com without a connection and work on Google Docs; when you reconnect, your changes will automatically sync up."

I'll post more when I get access.

Comments

So, is Gears going to download a copy of every document and spreadsheet, then store it on our hard drives?

If that's the case, I wonder if we'll have an option to decide which docs should or should not be downloaded.

TBolt

March 31, 2008

5:42 PM PT