A lean, open interface sets this new instant message client apart.Barely a day goes by without a rumor that search engine giant Google is entering yet another client software and online service arena. In a relatively short time, we've seen the company release products for desktop search, e-mail, mapping, news and shopping info aggregation. Now Google tackles instant messaging and VoIP, with the introduction of the Google Talk Beta.
Starting today, Gmail (which is still in beta itself and invite only) users can download, install and run the client for free. According to Georges Harik, Google's Director of Product Management, "millions of users" and all Gmail member swill find their existing contact lists instantly ported to the new instant messaging client.
There's isn't much to the Google Talk interface. In stark contrast to America Online's instant message AIM client and Microsoft's MSN Messenger, Google's instant message interface includes no ads, search bar, scrolling stock tickers, videos, or even links to content from Google's numerous sites. This makes for an extremely lean interface and little but effective functionality. So while Google Talk Beta offers no emoticons, video or file transfer capabilities (features found in MSN and AOL clients), it does install and work smoothly. It also offers presence indicators in the form of colored buttons and contact name roll-overs that feature more info about the contacts status. Also notable is the inclusion of easy-to-use, full duplex—and free—VoIP that works with any PC that has a microphone and speakers.
Adding chat friends is easy and integrated with Gmail. You can search your Gmail contact list via the Google Talk client to look for people to add. Once selected, an invite is sent via Gmail. Gmail notifications have also been upgraded through Google Talk and now appear as graphical pop-up boxes on your taskbar. Gmail integration does not, however, extend to presence indicators in Gmail. So while Google Talk knows your Gmail contacts, it cannot tell when one of them is online and running the Google Talk Beta client.
Custom controls can be found under Google Talk's "Settings" menu. Here you can, among other things, add to your blocked "friends" list, decide whether Google Talk should launch at start up, save your recent chat history, and manage notifications.
Google Talk is also open. Built on the Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP), it works with Gaim, Jabber and XChat. Harik says Google hopes to "federate" with other clients and services and expects Earthlink to join in the near future. "[We] have outstanding calls to all other networks to help us all make an open IM service that protects all users, but lets anyone talk to anyone just like the phone service and just like e-mail."
AOL, Yahoo and Microsoft have attempted to tackle interoperability in the enterprise instant messaging space, but have yet to open the doors for cross communication between consumer clients. Still Harik is optimistic, "There have been times in the history of the Internet where things have taken off very quickly. Things have a way of moving from an open to closed network. We hope this will be the case here."
Google is also working on making the invite-only Gmail more open. Starting today, anyone in the U.S. who has a phone with SMS text capabilities can visit the Gmail site, enter their phone number, and receive a text invite and code from Google for a Gmail account. This also means they'll have access to Google Talk Beta. While this should increase Gmail membership, some still question why Gmail isn't simply an open service like Hotmail. Google's Harik promises that this is to protect the end user, "We've been slowly rolling it out to get more and more people. We want to maintain this as a system where people can't do odd things like send out thousands of spam mails or take up lots of names."
Stay tuned for a full review of Google's new Google Talk Beta service and client.
Visit Gmail to get more info on the new Gmail and Google Talk offerings.
