Chromebooks to Ship with Offline Versions of Google Apps

One of the problems with the marketability of the Chromebook -- that it only functions when connected to the Internet -- is also a misunderstanding. Google's Chrome OS doesn't have any locally installed apps like a word processor or spreadsheet manager, so many believe that Chromebooks are dependent on and useless without Wi-Fi or cellular data connectivity. But when Chromebooks ship on June 15, they'll come packaged with offline versions of Gmail, Docs, and Google Calendar.

Sundar Pichai, vice president of Chrome's product management, announced at the Google I/O developer's conference that the company has been using offline versions of Gmail, Docs and Calendar for months, and that not only will Chromebooks sport this feature, those three core services will be available offline to everyone this summer.

Google is positioning itself as the leader for online productivity and our tech culture's future in the cloud. However, it's neglecting to highlight its offline features -- a marketing oversight that may hold many back from adopting Chrome OS.

Read more: http://www.pcworld.com/article/227728/chromebooks_to_ship_with_offline_versions_of_google_apps.html

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