Just What I Need! More IM: Google Talk
I downloaded Google Talk this morning, and yes while the title of my post is a bit sarcastic, there is a bit of truth in it. I am what you can classify as an IM junkie. I use Trillian to manage my AOL IM, Yahoo IM and MSN messenger accounts. I use all three services on a daily basis as I maintain active “buddy lists” on all of them. I also use Skype, a lot less, but I do use it for frequent voice communications overseas and throughout the country. So I am addicted 
I am a power user, I use IM for work all day long to speed up the communications of various projects I am working on. I am the polar opposite of a ludite I can tell you though, as most people know, IM is NOT my preferred method of communication, alot can get lost in translation (thats for a completely different post), but in alot of cases it gets the job done quickly and efficiently.
Today Google brings us something new to try out. On the heels of me really getting into customizing my Google homepage and reading some of the hype about their new desktop app, upcoming IM client and rumored Googlenet, OS and browser, I woke up this am and headed right for talk.google.com. As with everything Google and any good software provider, Google Talk is in beta and available only to people who have a Gmail account. The installation is unbelieveably simple, quick and light. Gmail contacts are immediately imported into the client and made easy to invite to your buddy list. Integration with Gmail is seamless, displaying recent messages and new messages in the lower right hand corner of your screen (Like MSN and Yahoo, etc). So far so good, but give me a few days to review all of the features, especially the voice functionality.
But as we all know, this is NOT just about another instant messenger client, this is about Google taking yet another charge forward, playing their cards as they continue to build a loyal userbase on the PC, another big step towards control of the desktop. Everything Google coming to a PC near you, if you so choose. Keep watching.
August 25th, 2005 at 1:03 am
I use Skype mainly for IM and now Gizmo for podcast VOIP recordings…so now Google Talk application…
Feels like when I got more than 2 free email addresses and before adding another one, I had to choose which one I was going to use. The whip of setting up all new users, etc. doesn’t have me excited (but it DOES interface with Gmail…that’s cool)
Need to know if this will be a standard accepted by the majority of the people that I communicate with before I download.
Todd