Google Docs has added support for Google Gears, a firefox add-on that enables web applications to be accessed online. Google Reader has had the support since May 31, 2007, almost as long as gears has been released.

As much as I love Google, they are stagnating. Competitors like Zoho Writer have had this functionality since August. There’s no excuse for taking so long for a feature that takes advantage of Google’s own technologies. Indeed, the support has been largely added in case a user is disconnected while using Google Docs. There is no way to create a new document while offline.

Google Gears itself, while a cool idea, is outdated. HTML 5, while not yet widely supported by browsers (Opera is leading the pack on that front), has specifications for bringing web 2.0 apps offline. Is Google Gears doomed to remain in beta forever?

Even if it is a redundant technology, and Google’s implementation of it is stagnant, there is a reason I love Google. Check it out.

These are the gears that power the tubes. :)

note: picture from tinypic

You can find the option to go offline in the top-corner of Google Docs when editing a document. The option isn’t available to all users yet, so don’t be disappointed if you don’t see it.