Thread: New from Google Labs : Offline Gmail

Google has started rolling out an experimental Gmail Labs feature called offline GMail.

So even if you're offline, you can open your web browser, go to gmail.com, and go through your mails. For this GMail uses Gears to download a local cache of GMail, which is synchronised with the mail server. If internet is lost, GMail automatically switches to Offline mode and uses details stored in Harddisk. All normal functions like reading, marking, archiving, sending etc. can be done and would be pushed to the server next time connection is established. It iis also effective in situations where connection is intermittent.

It is already activated in my account. Checkout the labs subsection in the gmail settings. U need to download Google Gears though

You can mail and do other many online wrks offline and it will be done by it when you next come online...
It is good for many with not much access to the internet..

Read it in newspaper today.The only handicap is,you can't sen and receive mails when offline.

how can u when u r offline?
this feature creates a outlook/thunderbird like experience with the normal gmail familiarity.

Ofcourse you cannot send e-mails offline. But, you can prepare them and all the work will be done automatically when you next go online.

Did anyone in the form try this? Any knowledge about the amount of data transfer that occurs once we install google gears? I am speaking about the data transfer that occurs when GG starts caching the emails. For me its takes forever. Is this process dependent upon the amount of emails present in the inbox?

found a similar feature with another service i think gmx mail or sth

BTW is it possible to backup/restore the offline content say while re installing windows..

Originally Posted by newprouser

BTW is it possible to backup/restore the offline content say while re installing windows..

Excellent query, the same has been haunting my mind since yesterday because nothing with regards to clarify the same has been listed in the official help page https://mail.google.com/mail/exp/197...p.html#disable

Edit : http://gears.google.com/support/bin/...50&topic=13192 shows the location where offline emails will be stored. Backing up that folder should ensure seamless operation even after a formatting...

Originally Posted by cool_techie_tvm

Did anyone in the form try this? Any knowledge about the amount of data transfer that occurs once we install google gears? I am speaking about the data transfer that occurs when GG starts caching the emails. For me its takes forever. Is this process dependent upon the amount of emails present in the inbox?

your whole mail box is expected to be downloaded into your system to provide offline support.
so more emails = greater download time.

Personally, I have configured Thunderbird with both my gmail and yahoo mail and rarely use the browser interface.

i also have the "import/export" add-on so every now and then, I simply create a back-up of my thunderbird folders.

Originally Posted by panchabhut

your whole mail box is expected to be downloaded into your system to provide offline support.
so more emails = greater download time.

Personally, I have configured Thunderbird with both my gmail and yahoo mail and rarely use the browser interface.

i also have the "import/export" add-on so every now and then, I simply create a back-up of my thunderbird folders.

OMG, i thought it might be compressed in some form or the other!! It means i need to wait until the free time to activate the application since i am using 580MB

Originally Posted by cool_techie_tvm

Edit : Offline data location - Gears Help shows the location where offline emails will be stored. Backing up that folder should ensure seamless operation even after a formatting...

thx for the info... i will try this feature sometime..

it would be a great security threat as public computers are used in most of emerging countries.

if u are using a public PC, then u are not supposed to activate this feature....

Anyone started using this service? Please post your updates in here !!

Originally Posted by cool_techie_tvm

Anyone started using this service? Please post your updates in here !!

its really tough to even think of being offline and working on the laptop/pc ..