Offline and Online

I like the web. I really like some of the web based applications; Google Mail, Google Maps, Google Reader and Google Docs. I particularly like the fact that they are available on almost any computer I use that it connected to the internet. This means that I can store a document in Google Docs and use (access, modify, ...) from any of the machines I use without having to do anything.

The problem with the web-based applications is that they don't work on a computer that is not connected to the internet. This is such an obvious issue that I've been expecting to see solutions start appearing, and they are. Google have just announced "Google Gears" which will allow Web Developers to make applications which can work on-line and off-line. (Robert Scoble has a good write-up on this). As a first step, Google have new version of Reader with works offline. The application I want the most is Google Calander; and I'd like a really first rate version for my N800.

Steve and Bill had a related discussion about whether browser based applications would take over from platform based (PC, phone, PDA, ...). Their view was "No" as a platform based application could always be better than a web based one.