[CB4me]

Sounds like this is almost a 'requirement' for June 15th... I wonder if they will get it done on-time for the Chromebook launch. They better!

With that in mind, on stage today, Google’s Sundar Pichai revealed that Google has internally been using offline versions of their three most popular apps for months now: Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Docs. And this summer, all users will be able to use these apps offline too.

Pichai also noted that there are already hundreds of apps in the Chrome Web Store with offline access. And that includes almost every game in the store. This, on top of the built-in 3G connectivity is all vital to ensure the vitality of Chromebooks, Pichai noted.

Coming This Summer: Fully Offline Gmail, Google Calendar, And Google Docs

 

[modder]

Nice, offline modes will certainly help the WiFi only Chromebook offerings be more successful.

 

[geekyass]

I'm surrounded by free hotspots so the wifi model will work just fine for me

 

[jwr]

This would be useful to any google user. Can't wait for it

 

[texastopkat]

Offline access will be critical.
Especially for users such as myself. I travel to make presentations and I have no guarantee of web access or even cell service in many of the places I go. If I can't get to my stuff offline, then I'm sunk!

 

[6sigma]

Having posted quite a bit here in the last 48 hours, I could be accused of defending the Cr-48 and future Chromebooks. However, I want to make sure everyone understands something about a Chromebook on Day 1 and beyond. Even if "the offline feature" for Gmail, Docs and Calendar aren't there on June 15th, you will have the feature on your Chromebook immediately after the feature is released by simply powering on your Chromebook. It's not like the Windows/Linux approach where new copies of those apps have to be downloaded and installed or a lengthy OS update has to be done.

Clearly, if the feature isn't available on June 15th and you have some "disqualifying type of work" to do on the 16th, the trusty laptop will have to go to work.

 

[modder]

I don't imagine that it is a coincidence that this they brought up offline mode during the Chromebook portion of the I/O event.

 

[6sigma]

I don't imagine that it is a coincidence that this they brought up offline mode during the Chromebook portion of the I/O event.

Exactly. It now becomes a question of how long it takes to migrate away from the Gears API to HTML5.

 

[zora]

That is a good question, but then that makes me think that this is not something they have just began. They might be further along with it than we realize.

 

[Musicmeister]

Actually, if you watch the development of Google Apps you see a lot of this coming. They dropped offline support for Google Apps a while back, and just dropped support for the Chrome browser with offline Gmail.

It's a mass migration away from Gears to 'something else' for the offline support. If I had to guess, gears was a problem in releasing the Chrome OS... but I'm glad to see it's finally coming to fruition.

 

[modder]

HTML5 would serve as a better solution, and to be honest I find it doubtful I will need offline mode often, but certainly it is something that needs to be sorted for business users.

 

[curt123123]

i can't wait for the google apps to be able to be used offline. I think this will help all google users. i thought that they should of had it done before the chromebook release though.