This is the first iteration and I can already see it
replacing MSN Messenger. Best thing about the service is
that is uses Jabber which far surpasses Microsoft's
proprietary service, and this means that I can connect
to the service using Adium X...
What the...? Care to elaborate? It's been released for a
whole 2 hours or so.
I really don't like it. Here is why: First off, the UI
blows. Google really needs to invest in some decent UI
developers for all their apps, not just this one, so
that really isn't news. Second off, the features blow. I
can't talk to MSN Messenger users. I can't talk to AIM
users. I can't use the call feature (well, technically I
can about 1 in 10 tries). I can't use emoticons. I can't
send files. Yes, it is beta, but I'm suprised they let
this thing out the door without giving it anywhere near
the functionality of any other of the major IM clients
out there.
The two things I do like:
1) Gmail integration (especially the find contacts part)
2) Small download size
But these are hardly good enough reasons for me to even
think about switching or asking any of the people I
communicate with via IM on a regular basis to do so.
It's a neat app to download and play with for 5 minutes,
but if anyone other than Google had released this, no
one would miss a step. Just watch as people start
talking about it. People aren't going to be talking
about what Google talk "does," they
are going to be talking about what they think Google
talk "will do." What this client may
do at some point in the future really doesn't change the
fact that in its current state it sucks.
It's just been release, in beta stage, and people
already think about using it for rush hour business. I'd
rather use it with my hacker/geek friends than for
business (for now). For that matter, my hacker/geek
friends like it and already noticed there are no
emoticons, but beside that it's light and cute. I
downloaded Google Talk (900K) and one minute later I
downloaded MSN Messenger (9M). Google installed almost
instantly, MSN's installed locked up for 10 seconds at
the 1st screen, doing Microsoft knows what, when I
pressed Next.
Anyway, anyone up to making a GAIM plug-in that supports
Google's voice part of the protocol? :)
By the way, if anyone noticed yet, Google does stuff
right, even if they don't have a rapid development
cycle, no market they can lose if they don't release on
time, and with no deadlines whatsoever. This freaks out
the other commercial competitors since they don't know
what to expect next and due to Google's popularity
anything they release is prone to fast adoption. Using
open technologies scares the hell out of Microsoft (and
possibly others) because their further attempts to
patent "1 and 0", "pen and
paper", "drinkable water" and
"breatheable air" will have no point
anymore.
So, from the above point of view, way to go Google!
BTW, when should we expect GoogleOS? :)
oh lala,
Cool.
Though it has poor IM,it definately serves its primary
focus ~~ "Talk" ~ i had nice voice
chat with my friend.i do think google will be good
competitor for msn and yahoo in sort time..
I am looking forward for GoogleOS Release :):)
Let's Talk!
Jesse never seems to be happy. Read through his stuff,
he just tends to be negative/critical.
My thoughts: I happen to like the UI. Funny thing about
UI's, it is a preference thing... some people like it,
some people don't. Jesse doesn't seem to get that. I
happen to like most of Google's UI, and think their
developers are doin good. Have you seen their customized
home page: www.google.com/ig Crazy stuff. Look at the
'add content' part on the left.
More thoughts: The talk thing worked perfectly for me.
Not sure why he says 1 in 10... must be an operator
error.
No, I do not tend to be negative or critical, I tend to
be honest. There are just as many positive posts on this
blog or posts about cool things (if not more) than there
are negative. The fact that you like to focus on
negativity and only remember the negative things I say
speaks volumes about yourself.
Worst thing that happened to chatting ever (with the
possible exception of the plethora of proprietary
protocols) - Emoticons.
Nothing like cluttering up a good conversation with
nonsensical icons.
Simplicity is beauty. That's what Google knows and what
makes them the best.
Google talk - only for rich people? What about Win 95-98
users?
Any version of yahoo messenger runs on Windows 98!
Man, you're ABSOLUTELY right. If anyone other than
Google had released this, no one would even notice.
People are dissing you as a negative-meister, but I
prefer to think of that sentimentality as optimism
bogged down by reality:
MSNIM sucks. Google has a chance NOT to kill Microsoft,
but to create a great IM client (too many people focus
on 'killing' MS, make a better app than MS and get it
out there and you won't need to worry about killing
anything...). Talking via VOIP is fun, but I've got
Skype if I want to do that - and it has built in
encrypted chat, emoticons, and file xfer that doesn't
suck.