5 Safe to install
Gears by Microsoft: A Wheel of Productivity
Gears by Microsoft enhances productivity with its intuitive design and seamless integration across devices, making task management effortless and efficient.
Introduction to Gears by Microsoft
Gears by Microsoft is a pioneering suite of web development tools, crafted to enhance performance and expand functionality across modern web browsers. Its comprehensive set of APIs empowers developers to build more responsive, interactive, and efficient web applications.
Key Features of Gears
- Offline Caching: Gears allows for local caching of web content, significantly reducing server requests and accelerating load times for users.
- Offline Mode: Users can access cached content sans internet connection, ensuring uninterrupted application usability.
- Geolocation Support: Developers can incorporate geolocation features to create location-aware web apps, enhancing user engagement.
- Background Processing with Worker Pool: Scripts can run in the background using Gears' worker pool, ensuring that main UI remains smooth and responsive.
Historical Context and Discontinuation
Introduced in 2007, Gears was initially available as a browser plugin compatible with Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Firefox. It marked a significant step forward in web technology development. However, by 2011, Gears was discontinued as its functionalities were integrated into evolving web standards, making external plugins redundant.
Legacy and Impact
Though no longer in active development, Gears played a crucial role in paving the way for modern web application capabilities. It laid the groundwork for features now standard in current browsers, such as offline support and geolocation, influencing the future trajectory of web development tools.
Overview
Gears is a Commercial software in the category Web Development developed by Microsoft.
The users of our client application UpdateStar have checked Gears for updates 94 times during the last month.
The latest version of Gears is 5, released on 01/08/2025. It was initially added to our database on 09/24/2019. The most prevalent version is 5, which is used by 100% of all installations.
Gears runs on the following operating systems: Windows.
Gears has not been rated by our users yet.
Pros
- Easy integration with other Microsoft products such as Office 365 and OneDrive
- Robust security features to protect sensitive data
- User-friendly interface for smooth collaboration and communication
- Support for various file types and customization options for user preferences
- Seamless synchronization across devices for accessibility on-the-go
Cons
- Pricing may be a barrier for small businesses or individuals
- Requires a Microsoft account for full functionality, which could be a hurdle for non-Windows users
- May have limited advanced features compared to other specialized project management tools
- Some users report occasional glitches or slow performance during peak usage times
FAQ
What is Gears by Microsoft?
Gears by Microsoft is a web browser plug-in for Internet Explorer and Firefox that enables offline web application functionality.
Is Gears by Microsoft still actively supported or maintained?
No, Gears by Microsoft has been deprecated and is no longer actively supported or maintained as of 2011. Users are encouraged to migrate to HTML5 technologies.
What are some of the features of Gears by Microsoft?
Some of the features of Gears by Microsoft include the ability to store data locally on the client machine, run asynchronous JavaScript in the background, and perform SQLite-based database operations.
What are the requirements for using Gears by Microsoft?
Gears by Microsoft requires a compatible version of Internet Explorer or Firefox, as well as the Gears plugin itself.
How do I install the Gears plugin for IE or Firefox?
The Gears plugin can be downloaded and installed directly from the Google Gears website.
What types of web applications benefit from using Gears by Microsoft?
Web applications that rely heavily on client-side data storage or use large amounts of dynamic content can benefit from using Gears by Microsoft.
Can Gears by Microsoft be used with other browsers besides IE and Firefox?
No, Gears by Microsoft was specifically designed to work with Internet Explorer and Firefox, and is not compatible with other browsers.
Is Gears by Microsoft open source software?
No, Gears by Microsoft was not released as open source software. However, a similar technology called WebKit is open source and offers many of the same features as Gears.
What is the difference between Gears by Microsoft and HTML5 offline storage?
HTML5 offline storage is a native web browser feature that allows web applications to store data offline without the need for a third-party plugin like Gears. HTML5 offline storage is also more standards-compliant and has wider support among modern browsers.
Can I still use Gears by Microsoft for my web application?
While Gears by Microsoft is no longer actively supported or maintained, it may still be possible to use it with older versions of web browsers that support the technology. However, it is generally recommended to migrate to modern HTML5 technologies for offline web application functionality.
Minh Ong
I'm Minh, a software engineer and author with a passion for exploring and writing about the latest in software and technology. With my experience in software development and a specialization in software updates and content creation, I bring a deep understanding of the tech landscape to my reviews and articles. My focus is on providing you with comprehensive insights into general software topics and the latest industry news.
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