Google Gears and Bringing 2.0 to the Desktop: The Real Question is Why

Just call me out of touch, but I just don't get the idea behind moving Google Apps offline. You can give me talking points about competing with Microsoft and unified functionality all you want, but in the long run, what does it do other than create a circle that seems nothing more than keeping developers in jobs.

The two hallmarks of Web 2.0 have been making the web social and removing the reliance on the desktop. Google Apps and friendlier-UI counterparts like Buzzword (our coverage), Peepel (our coverage), and newer entrants like Blist were supposed to have freed us from the solitary confines of the desktop, which made sense, especially when it comes to sharing documents and remote work teams. All you needed was the ability to import and export documents from and to Microsoft Office or Open Office and you were off and running.

Early adopters were accepting when some of these new online applications had fewer features than their desktop cousins, but the ability to switch PCs and share documents more than made up for any sacrifices.

Harry McCracken's disappointment in adoption of Google Gears, doesn't make a lot of sense for me. At this point, I can't think of a single online application that I love so dearly that I want it ported to my desktop. I love Adobe Air apps for their ease of install and cross-platform functionality, but I have no Air apps that aren't smaller apps that are no more than an interface for a web app that's site-specific (like Twhirl). If an app isn't adding some core functionality to an app, why do I want to download it and install?

Especially when it comes to the Google Apps office tools, their apps have a long way to go in gaining the type of loyalty that would drive people to use them offline in place of established desktop apps. While sparse UI may work for ads and search, they don't give off that friendly feel of usability that users look for in utility applications. And until that changes, there won't be any great need for a platform that brings those apps to the desktop.