Work Offline, Even When Not Connected To The Net With Google Docs Offline New Feature - Video Intro

Edit your existing online documents anywhere, even without an Internet connection. Google Docs now allows you to view and edit your documents offline, without an internet connection. "You no longer have to fret if you're working on a document and suddenly the Internet cuts out. You simply start working in offline mode." (Source: Google)

No, it isn't another of those tech April's Fool Day jokes. If you have not been hearing about it yet, it is at least a couple of years, that online companies large and small have been attempting to find ways through which you can continue working on your web-based apps and files even when you are not connected up. Impossible? Look at this short video clip from Google:

Working while disconnected from the Internet while using a web-based application is a concept first pioneered by SocialText, over two years ago, and then followed by a few others, including Zoho, a direct competitor to Google's own suite of Office applications.

But now it is Google itself to bring this powerful new feature to all Internet users as it starts rolling out, its own offline work feature fully integrated inside Google Docs.

"When you aren't connected to the Internet, Google Docs uses information stored on your computer's hard drive rather than relying on information sent across the network. When you're offline, your edits are stored on your own computer until you re-connect, at which point your changes are synced with Google Docs' servers and made available to collaborators."

(Source: Google Docs Help Center)

To do this, Google Docs leverages Google Gears, an open-source browser extension that adds offline work capability directly to your browser.

Google is already rolling out the new offline working capabilities inside Google Docs and you should see them show up inside Google Docs in the coming days.