Office Web Apps won't work offline
In an interview Monday, Microsoft senior vice president Chris Capossela said that, at least initially, the browser based versions of Excel, Word and PowerPoint won't have an offline mode.
"In the first generation we are certainly looking at having them be connected," he said. "For offline usage of course the Office suite is incredibly powerful." (See YouTube video below for his full comments on the matter. Apologies in advance for the bad sound quality.)
Google has been working to add an offline ability to Google Docs, while Zoho was even earlier to add the ability to work within a browser while offline.
Capossela's comments came following the launch of Microsoft Online, the company's hosted versions of Exchange and Sharepoint.
Microsoft confirmed at last month's Professional Developer Conference in Los Angeles that it was bringing to market browser-based versions of its Office applications. The company has said that a technology preview version should be available still this year.
During her years at CNET News, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once, and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days, most of her attention is focused on Microsoft. E-mail Ina. 
Heh... and they actually want businesses or individuals to, you know... use it!? At least to Google's credit, they working on an offline mode...
I'll stick with OpenOffice unless forced to do otherwise, thanks much.
Re: "Ever Onward IBM"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9oh3gqOEKU
Substituting the free "Lotus Symphony" (Lotus SmartSuite) for OpenOffice.
Ha, ha, ha, ha..........
OpenOffice isn't a net application and does not apply. You recently posted that you were forced to go to Office with your new startup- and yet here you say you'll stick with OpenOffice. Which is it?
Seriously though, with enough work you could theoretically do a web app that kept your data locally until the connection came back up , but no other web app I can think of even tries to do this and while it may "theoretically" possible there's no real effective way of handling it until we get some better extensions into browsers for just that sort of thing.
So, I don't understand how anyone could blame MS for doing exactly what everyone else does. The connection is like the most fundamental part of the web app. It's almost like saying the new Office won't work without RAM. Really? Naaaahhhh.
There are plenty of applications that use remote data, synchronously, asynchronously, with and without sessions. You have to decide how loose your definitions are.
Of course, here's another one. I don't know anything about this yet. But it would make since to have full "Office-Live" support in Office. You know, retrieve, and save your documents online. Won't surprise me if that is true.
All in all, it begs the question, why someone would think that having Office Live would allow them to edit their documents without being online, and not having an editor that worked offline.
My definition is pretty much if it runs in the browser and it uses no local storage on your machine then it's a web app. Beyond that it may be some kind of hybrid where it becomes a subjective opinion really.
"I guess, what I am trying to say is ... why would Microsoft cut the balls off office? "
I think they're just using a simple business trick here. MS just wants to cover all the bases. Somebody may decide that there is more benefit in a web app. You don't have to install it, you don't have to deal with licenses, you don't have to patch it, or whatever. Same reason some people use web mail. Now, maybe you and I think that sounds dumb, but if someone does decide to go that route Microsoft still wants to have something to offer them instead of simply losing the customer to a competitor that does offer such a product.
"All in all, it begs the question, why someone would think that having Office Live would allow them to edit their documents without being online, and not having an editor that worked offline."
I don't know. I can only give my opinion on the matter. First, doing so would be possible for Microsoft, but it's not the easiest thing for a web app. Maybe MS will add that feature later.
Also, the average person may still be having a problem wrapping their mind around remote storage. That?s just how many thought it would work. Remember that Windows supports FTP folders and most users probably don't even know. When you say save a file they think save it to the HD. They're only starting to understand remote applications and storage now, but plugins and applets have been around for a long time. It just takes a while to change perception of how things work maybe.
Purchasers of Microsoft Office would have copies of the full apps on thier PC's. Why would they need or want to use the slower and less powerful web based versions offline? That's like complaining that you can't surf the internet without an internet connection.
The reason d'etre of web based office apps is online collaboration.
/P
But that is your opinion and you have a right to say it.
Are people that confused between a web app and a desktop app ??? I imagine anything that claims to have robust functionality offline requires components to be installed on your desktop which defeats the purpose of a web app.
Would you complain that you can't shop at amazon if your internet connection is down ?
- by Mikebanks November 18, 2008 2:10 PM PST
- This makes me think of using VAX's VMS. clionk-clonk-clonk--created! Mail it to yourself. Download it.
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(18 Comments)--Mike On the Way to the Web