Irfan’s Corner on the Web On Mac, Linux, Grid, Virtualization and Software Technology

10Jun/072

Google Gears the first offline web application toolkit?

One thing I hate that the IT Industry is that when someone releases a piece of technology that is completely revolutionary, and no one takes stock, however when some company with a lot of clout in the industry such as Google or Apple release, everyone think that they rock!

From my RSS feeds I stumbled across this article in ZDnet "Can Microsoft change "gears" for the sea-change ahead?". The title was attractive so I started reading it, however early on in the article I came across this:

"During that time, I have drawn attention to the work being done with JavaDB and Derby as examples of how the offline problem might get solved. But, ultimately, I have routinely said that when the problem gets solved, it will get solved by Google. Last week, with Google's announcement of Google Gears, that day came."

Once I read this I stopped reading why? Because Google Gears is NOT the first offline web application toolkit. The first on to my knowledge is Dojo Offline. Dojo is a popular AJAX framework, and Dojo Offline extends basic Dojo's capabilities by allowing Dojo applications to be used while you're offline.

Another related news, is the launch of the Apple iPhone. I've seen Blogs dubbing it as revolutionary because it has a pure touchscreen interface etc. But is it the first smart phone with a pure touch screen interface? Certainly not! I've been using the Motorola e680i since 1 year, and it was released in 2005, and it too has full touchscreen interface with minimal buttons and no keyboard. Surely it would be an improvement over those Palm Treo and Motorola Q type devices with mini keyboards, but the iPhone is not as revolutionary as people think.

So why is it that the IT industry does not recognize achievement and give credit where it's due?