Offline reader

An offline reader (sometimes called an offline browser or offline navigator) is computer software that downloads e-mail, newsgroup posts or web pages, making them available when the computer is offline: not connected to the Internet. Offline readers are useful for portable computers and dial-up access.

Variations

Website-mirroring software

Website mirroring software is software that allows for the download of a copy of an entire website to the local hard disk for offline browsing. In effect, the downloaded copy serves as a mirror of the original site. Web crawler software such as Wget can be used to generate a site mirror.

Offline mail readers

Offline mail readers are computer programs that allow users to read electronic mail or other messages (for example, those on bulletin boards) with a minimum of connection time to the server storing the messages. This is accomplished by the server packaging up multiple messages into a compressed file for the user to download and then disconnect. The user then reads the message packet locally and any replies or new messages generated are packaged up and uploaded back to the server upon the next connection.

Most e-mail systems, like the common POP and IMAP formats used for internet mail, are on-line by their very nature. Most end-user mailers, such as Outlook Express and AOL, can be used offline even if they are mainly intended to be used online, but some mailers such as Juno are mainly intended to be used offline.

Off-line mail readers are generally considered to be those systems that did not originally offer such functionality, notably on bulletin board systems where toll charges and tying up telephone lines were a major concern. Users of large networks such as FidoNet regularly used offline mail readers, and it was also used for UseNet messages on the internet, which is also an online system. The two most common formats for FidoNet BBS's were Blue Wave and QWK. Less well-known examples include Silver Xpress's OPX, XRS, OMEM, SOUP and ZipMail.

List

Name	Publisher	License	Platform
A1 Website Download	Microsys	Shareware	Windows	[1]
BackStreet Browser	Spadix software	Shareware	Windows	[2]
Browse Offline	Menelaos Vergis	Free software	Windows	[3]
Darcy Ripper	DarcyRipper	Free software	Windows, Linux, OS X, Unix	[4]
HTTrack	HTTrack.com	Free software	Windows, Linux, OS X, Unix	[5]
NCollector Studio	Calluna Software	Shareware	Windows	[6]
Offline Browser	MetaProducts	Shareware	Windows	[7]
Offline Explorer	MetaProducts	Shareware	Windows	[8]
Offline Pages	Codium Labs	Paid	OS X, iOS	[9]
PageNest	pagenest.com	Freeware or Paid	Windows	[10]
ScrapBook	Mozilla Add-ons	Freeware	Cross-platform	[11]
Site Sucker	Rick Cranisky	Paid	OS X, iOS
Teleport	Tennyson Maxwell Information Systems	Shareware	Windows	[12]
WebCopier	Maximumsoft	Shareware	Windows	[13]
Offline Browser	Nikodroid	Shareware	Android	[14]
Xaldon WebSpider	Xaldon Technologies	Freeware	Windows	[15]
Offline Browser	Gashaw Mola	Shareware	Android	[16]

See also

• Online and offline
• Cache manifest in HTML5
• Kiwix, Wikipedia offline reader

References

1. "A1 Website Download - Download and view websites offline". microsystools.com. 2013-11-18. Retrieved 2013-11-18.
2. "BackStreet Browser - Offline Browser, Download Entire WebSite at High Speed!". Spadixbd.com. 2011-01-24. Retrieved 2012-07-07.
3. "Browse Offline | Free website downloader". Menelaos Vergis. Retrieved 2012-11-23.
4. "Darcy Ripper | Free website downloader". Darcy Ripper. Retrieved 2014-03-10.
5. "HTTrack Website Copier - Free Software Offline Browser (GNU GPL)". Httrack.com. 2012-06-23. Retrieved 2012-07-07.
6. "Offline Browser | Website Crawler - NCollector Studio". calluna-software.com. Retrieved 2012-08-01.
7. "MetaProducts Offline Browser". Metaproducts.com. 1999-03-26. Retrieved 2012-07-07.
8. "Offline Explorer". Metaproducts.com. 1999-03-26. Retrieved 2012-07-07.
9. "Offline Pages". Codiumlabs.com. 2015-04-24. Retrieved 2015-04-24.
10. "PageNest Free Offline Browser". Pagenest.com. 2007-01-15. Retrieved 2012-07-07.
11. Gomita (2012-04-03). "ScrapBook :: Add-ons for Firefox". Addons.mozilla.org. Retrieved 2012-07-07.
12. "Tennyson Maxwell Information Systems, Inc. - Home". Tenmax.com. 2012-06-27. Retrieved 2012-07-07.
13. "WebCopier :: Products". Maximumsoft.com. Retrieved 2012-07-07.
14. "Offline Browser:: Products". Nikodroid. Retrieved 2012-07-07.
15. "xaldon Technologies". Xaldon.de. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
16. "Offline Browser". Gashaw Mola. Retrieved 2015-07-28.