In this digital age, we all rely on our devices and the internet to get through each day.  We use them for work, to get connected with work associates and friends and of course to unwind.  Though everything seems so advanced these days, there will always come a time that we would lose our internet connection and this becomes a problem especially when you need to send an important e-mail or you’re reading an important e-mail.

Back in May of this year, Google had been reported to be working on making their three most popular apps capable of working in offline mode. The said apps are Gmail Offline, Google Calendar, and Google Docs.  Google Gears previously supported the offline mode of the said apps but since Google shifted to HTML 5, Gears was removed from the picture.

Google announced today HTML 5 versions of the apps that allow offline functionality.  Gmail Offline enables users to read, respond to, organize and archive email without an internet connection. Google Calendar allows users view events from your calendars and RSVP to appointments, and Google Docs lets users view documents and spreadsheets when you don’t have a connection though offline editing is still unavailable but will soon be.

The offline functionality is available to Chrome users after they installed the apps through the Chrome Web Store.  Once installed, these offline applications will create an icon in the Chrome browser interface for launching them when users aren’t online.  There is a bit of a setback with Gmail Offline, as it will have its own user interface which will entail users to switch back and forth and use different interface depending on internet connection.  Actions done in offline mode will be in “pending mode” and will automatically sync when an internet connection is established even if the app is not running.

Our world shouldn’t stop when we lose our internet connection.  We should be able to move on with our lives and function as normal human beings.  And Google is not about to let the small issue of unavailable internet connection to stop it in its tracks.  Google’s move to making things work offline is a step towards its goal to compete with Windows, from the web out.  Once Google Docs allows offline editing, users might actually shift from Windows to Google OS.

“Today’s world doesn’t slow down when you’re offline and it’s a great feeling to be productive from anywhere, on any device, at any time. We’re pushing the boundaries of modern browsers to make this possible, and while we hope that many users will already find today’s offline functionality useful, this is only the beginning. Support for offline document editing and customizing the amount of email to be synchronized will be coming in the future. We also look forward to making offline access more widely available when other browsers support advanced functionality.”