SmallBizResource Blog -- Productivity

Google Bolsters Gmail With Offline Accessibility

Posted by Gayle Kesten Friday, Jan 30, 2009, 09:43 AM ET

Google doesn't want a little detail like lack of an Internet connection stop you from using your e-mail.

Earlier this week, the other mighty G rolled out offline Gmail -- an "experimental feature" that lets you access your e-mail without being online. According to the Official Gmail Blog:

"Once you turn on this feature, Gmail uses Gears to download a local cache of your mail. As long as you're connected to the network, that cache is synchronized with Gmail's servers. When you lose your connection, Gmail automatically switches to offline mode, and uses the data stored on your computer's hard drive instead of the information sent across the network. You can read messages, star and label them, and do all of the things you're used to doing while reading your webmail online. Any messages you send while offline will be placed in your outbox and automatically sent the next time Gmail detects a connection."

Gmail is also offerings what it calls a "flaky connection mode," which kicks in when your Internet connection is slow or unreliable, using your local cache for e-mail retrieval while still syncing with Google's servers.

To activate offline functionality -- which, by the way, applies only to your last 10,000 messages -- go to your Gmail account and click on "Settings" up at top. Then click on the "Labs" tab. The rest, as you'll see, is self-explanatory.

For the record, the day after Gmail's offline announcement, the folks at Zoho sent out a very diplomatic email reminding the world that Zoho Mail has had offline functionality since October 2008. Same goes for Zimbra, which, as CNET's Matt Asay points out, went offline with its open-source email app in March 2007.

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