India Broadband Forum

panchabhut

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.

cool_techie_tvm

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

The One

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..

justcurio.us

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

panchabhut

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

The One

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.

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?

newprouser

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..

cool_techie_tvm

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...

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.

cool_techie_tvm

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

newprouser

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

niielo

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

panchabhut

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

cool_techie_tvm

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

saurav_k

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