Microsoft is working on an offline mode for OneDrive
Users of Microsoft's cloud storage and syncing service OneDrive may soon use some of the service's functionality in a browser while offline.
Most OneDrive users associate the service with the cloud. While OneDrive client's support flagging some files and folders for offline availability, so that they are accessible even when there is no Internet connection or Microsoft decides to lock account access, it is clear that the files of most users are available online only.
OneDrive's new Offline Mode changes that to a degree. Microsoft plans to launch it as a preview in November 2023 before rolling it out to all OneDrive users a month later.
Offline Mode is a new feature that works in the browser only, according to Microsoft. Basically, what it adds is the ability to "view, sort, rename, move, copy and delete files", even when there is no Internet connectivity.
Furthermore, OneDrive users may open and use any file that is available offline on the local system at the time. Any changes made to these files, e.g., editing text in a Word document, is synced automatically once a connection to the Internet is established.
Microsoft does not reveal specifics, e.g., if the feature is limited to certain browsers.
The feature sounds similar to Google Drive's offline capabilities. It remains to be seen if Microsoft will limit access to Chrome and Edge as well. Google users need to install a browser extension next to that if they use Drive on the Web. This is the only option to use Google Docs, Google Sheets and Google Slides while offline.
The ability to work on files that are available locally is not new. OneDrive users can, in theory, edit any file that is available locally at any time, regardless of status of the Internet connection.
Offline mode adds the capability to the web browser. It may be useful to users who use most of the editing and managing in the browser. OneDrive users who do the editing and managing locally on their devices won't really benefit from it, it seems.
Now You: do you use OneDrive?
Title of the article I am posting a comment on,
Microsoft is working on an offline mode for OneDrive – Martin Brinkmann (Sep 14, 2023)
>> ghacks.net/2023/09/14/microsoft-is-working-on-an-offline-mode-for-onedrive/
First of all,
As much as possible, I avoid products and services from Google and Microsoft, which are scheming to monopolize the market.
By the way,
The company I work for uses a high-performance machine, and even then, I would often experience frustrating system hangs due to Microsoft Teams and OneDrive consuming and hogging too many system resources.
The intention of adding “offline mode” is probably a workaround for online web services (such as cloud sync), which take up excessive system resources and bandwidth.
However, the reason why a browser is an essential requirement is that “a wide variety of activity information that is possible only with a browser can be obtained”, making it an ideal spyware (browser) for “Google and Microsoft” who want to collect such unique information.
Having said that, there are very few people who are concerned about unique privacy collections, moreover most general users place the highest priority on “convenience, ease, and versatility”.
So, things will progress as Google and Microsoft hope.
Yeah, I use it. Well I used it once long enough to fill it with porn out of spite.
Cloud storage is just not secure enough for me. This ‘feature’ will make it more error prone which is even less secure.
Microsoft is working on an offline mode for OneDrive:
This is a stupid feature. Everything synced is both online and offline, and the browser is simply a front end for what’s on your local drive. So why not simply use File Explorer? There is no need for a bloated browser.
the last sentence of your article is the most important
Super interesting!