Zoho Writer: Going “Offline” in Name Only

I like Zoho Office. Or rather, the idea behind Zoho Office. It is by far the most ambitious attempt yet to create a fully-functional, web-based productivity application suite. Unfortunately, this nascent Microsoft Office challenger suffers from the same limitation that hampers all such “web office” solutions: An inability to work “offline.” And, sadly, the latest update to Zoho Office – a limited offline implementation using Google Gears – does little to mitigate these shortcomings.

First, the “offline” capability is limited to Zoho Writer. Zoho Sheet, Zoho Show, Zoho Notebook – none of these inherit their sibling’s “offline” capability. Second, there are way too many caveats to the “offline” mode.

For example, when working with a document “offline” you can’t use the Preview or Page View functions. Ditto the document Email function which, though it sounds counterintuitive (we’re working offline, after all), is actually a huge hassle. I can’t remember how many times I’ve drafted a document while disconnected and then “sent” it via email, safe in the knowledge that – once I was back online – Outlook (or whatever other traditional “fat” email client I was using at the time) would dutifully transmit my backlog of queued missives.

This sort of workflow scenario breaks-down with Zoho, even with its new “offline” capability in place. Add to this the loss of important basics, like Page View, and you find yourself sliding down that slippery slope of compromise for the sake of…what exactly? Dodging the “Microsoft Tax?” Sticking it “to the man?”

It’s all so comical that I’ve got to remember to fire-off a copy of this entry to my “handlers” at Microsoft HQ. Oops! I forgot! I’m typing this in Zoho Writer. At 37,000 feet (business class, of course). And the damned Email button is now italicized into dysfunction!

Must remember to send document…send document…send…oh look! Cake!