Unlike Safari Mobile, the Google Gears cache will store offline copies of pages that can be accessed when the user does not have an Internet connection. Safari Mobile will cache the page, but it will not let you load it wihout an internet connection even if there is a cached copy. With Google Gears, the only need for an internet connection would be updates and features that require communication with a server on the web. For example, using Gmail with Gears would allow me to view and manage my email offline, but would need an internet connection for committing changes to the server and sending/receiving new email.
On Sep 12, 6:13 pm, Tac Tacelosky <[email protected]> wrote: > "With Google Gears, I would be able to load and access a web app > without an internet connection" > How? Things like the database are domain-specific, I'm trying to imagine > what the mechanism, on an iphone or on a regular computer, would be to load > a web app while offline? > > On Sat, Sep 12, 2009 at 2:07 PM, Wes <[email protected]> wrote: > > > The Apple web apps will work offline only if you first load them while > > you are online. If I don't have an internet connection I can't load > > them. With Google Gears, I would be able to load and access a web app > > without an internet connection, even if I couldn't use the features > > that require an internet connection (like syncing with the server to > > retrieve new data or backup data). So Google Gears is still the option > > of choice. > > > On Sep 11, 2:17 am, Zbój <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Safari Mobile has the HTML5 application cache. Web developers can > > > easily develop offline web apps for both Android and iPhone (2.1+). > > > > On Sep 8, 10:27 pm, Wes <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > What about if I want to use an app when I don't have access to the > > > > internet? If I don't have an internet connection, Safari Mobile will > > > > not load the page, even if it might have a cached version on hand. If > > > > I load a web app on one tab and then use some other tabs for a while, > > > > Safari Mobile will automatically reload the first tab when I switch > > > > back to it even if I just want to keep viewing the same page. I guess > > > > the issue here is being able to look at a page, or open a page, > > > > without an internet connection, and being able to look at a cached > > > > version, or better yet, still use the web app while I wait for my > > > > internet connection to return so it can sync with the web. Because > > > > Google Gears allows me to view and use a web app without an internet > > > > connection, and then re-sync with the web when I regain my internet > > > > connection, while Safari Mobile does not, I think the best solution > > > > would be to either create a separate iPhone App for this which > > > > supports the *full complement* of Google Gears features (or at least, > > > > as many as possible for a mobile device) plus whatever iPhone specific > > > > features may be available, or to have Apple add *full* Google Gears > > > > support to Safari Mobile. > > > > > On Sep 6, 6:03 pm, Zbój <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > Safari Mobile implements parts of HTML5 - application cache, local > > > > > storage etc. The geolocation API is supported too (in firmware 3.0+). > > > > > There's no need for Gears. > > > > > > On Aug 31, 8:01 pm, Wes <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > I believe that Google could make a great Google Gears iPhone app. > > This > > > > > > approach to bringing Google Gears to the iPhone would be the best > > > > > > approach because Safari does not include a plugin installer and > > will > > > > > > not load a page at all without an Internet connection. However, a > > > > > > Google Gears app would work very well. Users could type in the URL > > of > > > > > > a Google Gears enabled web app and the Google Gears app would > > install > > > > > > that app to the Google Gears app and add it to a list of installed > > > > > > apps. The app could then function like a normal standard/mobile web > > > > > > app. If API's were added for it, Google Gears apps could even take > > > > > > advantage of iPhone OS features (push notification, geo-location, > > > > > > multi-touch controls, etc.). This soul make a Google Gears app for > > > > > > iPhone a very useful app that many people would like. What would > > make > > > > > > it even better was if it could be integrated with the Google Mobile > > > > > > app (possibly as a single app?).- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text -
