User>Driven

Google Gears is here and it promises to change webapps forever. I've been blogging about the fact that lack of offline access makes many webapps unusable as every day tools for a while. And I confess I thought Google's browser-centric approach to application development was their Achilles heel. By creating and open-sourcing a set of javascript extensions that allow webapps to operate when offline, Google has changed all of that in one deft move.

Google Gears was inspired by a user (naturally) of Google Reader, a Google developer who wanted to read feeds while on the company shuttle that had a "flakey" net connection. I laughed when I read this because it sounded just like my issue with getting connected on the train every day.

It uses a local instance of SQLite together with catching and multithreading features to capture what you do while disconnected and synchronize with the webserver when you are connected again. You can download the beta version of the plug-in for IE6+ and Firefox 1.5+, but individual webapps must be modified to call the new javascript extensions before they can use the plugin to operate offline.

Adobe is listed as a development partner for Gears. Their Apollo team was developing parallel technology (right down to using SQLite according to Michele Turner, Adobe's VP of Product Management) but will now apparently focus on making Apollo a way for Flash developers to make use of Gears. This really takes the wind out of Apollo's sails but those who believe in the Flash/Flex approach to RIA development will have even broader support for enabling offline activity in their apps with Google under the hood. Apollo can also handle Ajax apps, but Ajax developers may be more comfortable with an open source IDE such as Dojo. (Dojo has also announced support for Gears.)

Google Reader is the first app to be Geared up. Look for a review shortly.