Gmail is going where no e-mail has gone before — offline. Google has rolled out a new Gmail feature that lets people use its Web-based e-mail even when there is no Internet connection. It’s made possible by Google Gears, a browser plug-in that comes with the search giant’s Chrome browser.
“Web-based e-mail is great because you can check it from any computer, but there’s one little catch: It’s inherently limited by your Internet connection,” wrote Andy Palay, a Gmail engineer, on the Gmail blog.
Although Internet access is becoming more ubiquitous, he noted, there are still times when Web mail can’t be accessed because of an unreliable or unavailable connection. The new feature, developed by Google Labs, helps fill the void.
The Magic of Gears
Google 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 Web mail online,” Palay said. “Any messages you send while offline will be placed in your outbox and automatically sent the next time Gmail detects a connection.”
What’s more, Palay said, if you are on an unreliable or slow connection, you can choose to use “flaky connection mode.” This mode relies on the local cache as if you were disconnected, but still synchronizes your mail with the server in the background.
An Innovation Whose Time Has Come
Offline Gmail has been part of Google’s plans for a long time — ever since the company introduced Google Gears back in October 2007, according to analyst…