I’m a regular user of Google Reader because it helps me keep my feeds in order, and I think you agree with me on this one. However, a little colored link that said NEW caught my view today. It linked to a page that presented me a new BETA service developed by Google, called “Google Gears”. The software is available for Windows, Mac, and even Linux right now, and it seems like a wonderful project.

It’s basically an open source browser extension that enables web applications to provide offline functionality using following JS API’s that will store any application resources locally and serve them from your HDD. The same goes for the databases and their relations with other components. And it’s all STILL based on AJAX to improve the user feeling.

Want to try it out? Download it from here (requires browser restart). How is this useful? This will enable you to browse content while offline, the same content that would have required you to be connected otherwise. For example, you can browse offline the latest 2000 posts in your Google Reader account, or you can check your GMail inbox (will soon be developed). Isn’t that great?

Running the above downloaded setup file will be possible only after you close all of your browser windows (yes, including this one . It will then initiate a download sequence (this might take a few moments), and afterwards Google Gears will install on your system.

The requirements are not high though you should already be running Windows XP or Vista and use Firefox 1.5+ or IE 6+ for it to work. You can safely start your browser after the installation finishes and load Google Reader again. You will be prompted by a security warning (shown in picture #1) which you’ll have to accept in order to continue. Should you need to go over these again, the settings can be found in your Tools menu (Firefox shown in picture #2).

The only disadvantage I would find for now is the amount of time that will take for it to download that much data and when the GMail extension will be released, the time it will take for people to download 1,5GB of mails. Of course, most people don’t use that much of their space so it’s barely a general disadvantage, but time will come.

I’ve always wanted to be able to stay connected to the Google services while offline and now this is making it possible. If anyone has tried this in detail already, I would be more than happy to hear your comments and first opinions on the service.

Google on,