The feature we have all been waiting for is finally here. Google Docs is now available in a special Offline mode with the aid of Google Gears which will allow users to edit their Google Docs documents on their computer even if they are not connected to the Internet.
Google Reader was the first contender in the Google family of products and services to use Google Gears technology for offline reading and since then everyone has been in high hopes for Google Gears to integrate into Google Docs.
Google Gears is basically a browser plugin which saves a local copy of data while in offline mode (when not connected to the Internet) and then syncs it online as soon as the computer is connected to the Internet. This will now enable users to use Google Docs for most of their work without requiring an Internet connection.
This feature is slowly being rolled out to all Google Docs accounts so if you want to know if you are ready to try it, just look on the top right menu for a link called "Offline" and make sure your browser has Google Gears installed.
I discovered Google Docs long ago but started making actual use of it recently when I constantly wanted to read, write and edit documents from my home, university or any other place. Google Docs may still not be the best alternative to Microsoft Office as it lacks a lot of advanced features but is still useful if you need a good, light and portable document processor.