One of the services available to MindMeister Premium users is our Offline Mode. This service allows users to work on various mind maps while not connected to the internet, and have changes synchronized back to their main account once connected. This service is provided by utilizing Google Gears, a beta product from Google that stores offline changes locally, and provides the dialogue back to MindMeister to synchronize the changes.
Development of our new HTML5 offline mode is well underway and should be finished within a few weeks. In the first version we will only be able to support Safari and Chrome as they are the only browsers that support the required advanced HTML5 technologies.
This offline mode change will not affect iOS device users.
October 29, 2010 update:
We’re looking at a late November/early December return of the offline mode feature.
December 21, 2010 update
Offline mode is up and running on our end, and we’re testing it extensively before releasing it to the world. Estimated Time of arrival, mid-January.
March 4, 2011 update
Early last week Google announced a host of improvements and fundamental changes to their Docs suite. While these changes are right in line with our philosophy – better, faster, more intuitive collaboration – Google is taking this time to retool their approach to Gears.
The official Google policy on Gears remains so: beginning May 3rd, 2010, Google will remove offline support for Docs. They stress that Gears support will be removed for Docs only, and will remain for Gmail and Google Calendar. The removal of Gears support is intended to be replaced by an HTML5 based offline option.
Unfortunately, the technology that MindMeister employs to make our Offline Mode work will be affected. If you’re using an ‘older’ browser, i.e. one that is not 100% up to date, your MindMeister offline mode should work. From what we’ve found Firefox 3.0 and Internet Explorer 6 should continue to support Google Gears, however, we are unable to guarantee zero data loss and/or seamless synchronization. Likewise, if you’re a Snow Leopard OS user, while officially not supported, you should be able to retain Gears functionality through the Mail Plane application.
To this end, we’re striving to deliver a solution based on HTML5 that will replace this Gears functionality.
Google will be hosting a webinar tomorrow, April 20th, 2010 at 9am PST / 12 pm EST / 5pm GMT, which we’ll be attending. As an added bonus, we’ll also be live mind mapping the webinar, so even if you can’t tune in with audio/video, you’ll be able to watch the action as it happens, and have the results archived for future reference.
We recognize that this will be an inconvenience to some of you, but again, we’ll have a solution in place very soon.
Thanks for this update!
I’m currently happily running Gears under FireFox 3.63 on a MacBook Pro with SnowLeopard. Go to Extras/Add ons/extensions and update gears. That did the trick for me.
Now that offline mode has stopped working altogether, any update on when the new HTML5 system will be ready? The lack of offline mode is a really big deal. Thanks!
We’re working on returning Offline support fast as we can. We promise to keep you updated.
….. does that mean days, weeks, month? I really need the offline mode for work. I would be really happy to get a hint, when you go online with HTML 5. If it takes too long I have to buy offline software.
Hi Volker, and thanks for the comment. We’re projecting a late November/early December major release that will include the return of our offline mode feature.
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Really urgently waiting for the Offline Mode to return… Together with the online version and an iPhone client MindMeister really makes a great tool suite!
Some of your users are purchased your service because they were told it could be used off line.
Could you advise when the offline usage will return so that users can properly understand what service they can expect and decide whether or not they want to continue with or cancel their account.
Thank you.
The new offline mode is ready and we’re doing final tests to make sure no data can get lost. The release is scheduled for the end of next week (Dec 18). Sorry for the inconveniences and thanks for your patience!
NB: Due to lacking HTML5 support in older browsers the new offline mode will only work in Safari and Google Chrome in this first release.
Why dont you just launch a PC&Mac client. Like Xmind or freemind. You already have the online part, which is the hardest to develop.
Still waiting for the offline mode to come – proper testing is necessary of course and lost of data during the online/offline sync is not acceptable, but having the offline mode is really a key feature. Hope for it to return very soon.
Thanks for the update reminder Danat. The offline mode function is done on our end, and we’re testing it extensively right now. We’ve still got a few more checks to make, but barring any unforeseen need to recode here or there, Offline Mode should return in January.
Hi Dan,
Being a software developer myself I can appreciate the amount of testing you seem to be putting into the offline version.
Wouldn’t it be wise to offer a beta period so you can get some real testing?
Cheers Daniel
Hi Daniel! Thanks for getting in touch. We currently have a group of beta testers putting the offline mode through it’s paces, and have already found a few, “Hmm…that’s not quite right,” lines of code. With that said, we’re now down to ironing out the final wrinkles, and will have offline back online soon! Thanks for your patience.
Glad to see it being replaced with HTML5 standards instead of gears as gears had some ugly problems on my osx box …
I subscribed to MM in order to be able to use off line ( to fit with my work ). I do feel as if this aspect of the service has not been delivered. Will you be extending the subscription date ‘free of charge’ to compensate for the lack of promised service. I can understand the issues set out in previous posts but really feel that the time taken should be compensated for in some way. I look forward to hearing from you. Steve
Hi Steve, please see my last comment on this post (the one in response to Bob):
http://www.mindmeister.com/blog/2010/12/06/new-features-at-mindmeister-2/#comments
Michael, I do agree with Steve – I paid for MM in order to be able to use it offline – I wouldn’t have paid otherwise. I really would like to emphasize the point that it has been now more than 3 months that I am not getting the service I am paying for. Before we start discussing legal implications, please take into consideration the feedback of your customers and reimburse the time the service you have promised to deliver was not available.
Hi Mindmeister.
I was looking forward to this being ready in late November, then late December, and now late January. It’s disappointing. Please let us know when it will be back.
Thank you
Asher
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Any news on when offline mode will return? I’m still not able to switch it on
I am very disappointed that the offline mode is still not working. It is almost February no…. I signed up for a Premium account and also asked a lot of co-workers to join me… Please give us a status update.
Thanks,
Lammert