Rumors of an offline GMail service press on as the Hindustan Times say that the offline version of GMail has already been built and it currently being tested internally.
Many have speculated, and definitely expect an offline version of GMail. All the other web-based apps are doing it. From Zoho to ThinkFree, it seems like a natural progression for GMail, and all its other applications, to have offline access. Google has not confirmed the rumors, but no one will be surprised when it actually arrives, most likely as part of Google Gears, which already offers Google Reader offline access. Should an offline version of GMail be released soon, I hope it has integration with a contact management tool which could be synced up on a regular basis, though several of these tools, like Plaxo, already exist.