GoogleTalk IM

[Civrules]

It's interesting, just a few weeks ago I was thinking why Google doesn't introduce an IM.
My wish has come true. This is from the CNN story which was posted today.

SAN FRANCISCO, California (Reuters) -- Google Inc. is set to introduce its own instant messaging system, the Los Angeles Times reported on Tuesday, marking the expansion by the Web search leader into text and also voice communications.

Citing unnamed sources "familiar with the service," the Los Angeles Times said that Google's Instant Messaging program would be called Google Talk and could be launched as early as Wednesday.

Google Talk goes beyond text-based instant messaging using a computer keyboard to let users hold voice conversations with other computer users, the newspaper quoted a source as saying.

A Google spokeswoman declined to comment on the company's product plans.

If confirmed, the combined computer text and voice-calling service would put Google in competition with a similar service pioneered by Skype, which has attracted tens of millions of users, especially in Europe, to its own service.

Separately, independent journalist Om Malik on his blog at http://gigaom.com/ pointed to technical clues that suggest Google is preparing to run an instant messaging service based on an open-source system known as Jabber.

Jabber technology would allow Google instant message users to connect with established IM systems that also work with Jabber, including America Online's ICQ and Apple Computer Inc.'s iChat, Malik said.

"This is the worst possible news for someone like Skype, because now they will be up against not two but three giants who want to offer a pale-version of Skype," he wrote.

Earlier this week, Google said it was branching out beyond pure search to help users manage e-mail, instant messages, news headlines and music. It introduced a new service called the Google Sidebar, a stand-alone software program that sits on a user's desktop and provides "live" information updates.

Over the past year or so, the company has expanded into e-mail, online maps, personalized news and more.

The product push comes as rivals Yahoo Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Time Warner Inc.'s AOL are all pushing to upgrade existing instant messaging systems and expand into new Internet phone-calling services.

Google's moves take it beyond its roots in Web search and closer to becoming a broad-based Internet media company.

With instant messaging, Google would be breaking into a market in which its major competitors boast tens of millions of subscribers to their established instant messaging services.

America Online, with its AIM and ICQ brands, counts more than 40 million IM users in the United States alone. Yahoo has around 20 million and Microsoft's MSN Messenger numbers some 14 million users, according to recent comScore Media Metrix data.

Should be good.

 

[elfangor801]

My God those people are taking over....btw, AIM's numbers are probably inflated to hell because most people go through like 3 SNs a year and I'm sure they count those. But I don't know who's going to break with AIM to get Google. The real issue is getting all your friends to get it, and then all their friends and so on.

 

[stormbind]

Yay! It is JABBER (http://www.jabber.org)

That has always been my first choice, my IM address is stormbind@jabber.org but I dare say I'll be trying out stormbind@googletalk.com soon

For me, the best news is that an email provider is adopting Jabber. This means it is likely they have contemplated making an email gateway. Note that my IM address cannot currently receive emails due to nobody backing my repeated requests for an email gateway.

Wonderful news! Hazzar!

 

[stormbind]

My God those people are taking over....btw, AIM's numbers are probably inflated to hell because most people go through like 3 SNs a year and I'm sure they count those. But I don't know who's going to break with AIM to get Google. The real issue is getting all your friends to get it, and then all their friends and so on.

Jabber's user count is most certainly inflated. Once, I even opened a second account by accident when trying to login

You have misunderstood: You would not need to break with AIM... Jabber works with AIM, ICQ, YIM, MSN &c. through what they call gateways or agents (depending on the client).

I can chat with anyone via my Jabber account

 

[MarineCorps]

Jabber's user count is most certainly inflated. Once, I even opened a second account by accident when trying to login

You have misunderstood: You would not need to break with AIM... Jabber works with AIM, ICQ, YIM, MSN &c. through what they call gateways or agents (depending on the client).

I can chat with anyone via my Jabber account

Well if it can talk with MSN then I'm going to use it! Not that I wouldn't anyways.

Google sidebar. Hmm.

 

[stormbind]

Read this if you never heard of Jabber before: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jabber

That article says there are over 10 million users, but Jabber themselves reported more users than ICQ so not sure about the accuracy. It is tricky to measure because the users can register to different servers - for example, stormbindjabber.org and stormbind@googletalk.com could communicate with each other as though they were registered with the same IM.

Jabber is well established so you have no excuse for living in the dark ages, download a compatible IM today! There are loads of Jabber-compatible IMs available, and they work with any Jabber-compatible server which frequently confuses users of legassy IM providers.

 

[vbraun]

This might actually cause me to start using IM again...

 

[Plexus]

Alright, another IM service that I'll seldom ever talk to anyone on. All I ever use is AIM, though the others are also on.

 

[LLXerxes]

It's out, but not very exciting. Nobody logs on because it only recently came out. Whenever i try to add people to my list, i get an error email... But it's not a complete waste.
llxerxes[at]gmail[period]com is my name, just in case

 

[elfangor801]

You have misunderstood: You would not need to break with AIM... Jabber works with AIM, ICQ, YIM, MSN &c. through what they call gateways or agents (depending on the client).

I did misunderstand thanks for pointing that out, this looks a lot more interesting . I looked on the website though, and I don't have a damn clue what any of it means, too techy for me sadly....have someone write up a webpage a stupid 14 year old can understand and I'm sure their numbers will go through the roof .

 

[stormbind]

You can download Google Talk now, http://www.google.com/talk/index.html

It sucks though: no MacOS, Linux, or Windows support! Windows NT 5.x only (i.e. XP)

I cannot use it

 

[stormbind]

I did misunderstand thanks for pointing that out, this looks a lot more interesting . I looked on the website though, and I don't have a damn clue what any of it means, too techy for me sadly....have someone write up a webpage a stupid 14 year old can understand and I'm sure their numbers will go through the roof .

I agree that it can be confusing. Miranda was the easiest to learn, but to really experience Jabber properly you need to disable it's built-in support for ICQ, AIM, &c.

 

[LLXerxes]

Isn't this only a Beta? It'll get better than this. I will agree, this blows, but google makes top of the line products and v 1.0 will kick beta's butt.

 

[MarineCorps]

I can't talk to MSN people. I need that. Through the built in mail notifer is cool

 

[Blasphemous]

"msappir" and then an [at] and then "gmail.com" is me.
Add me.
Anyone here using it on Trillian Pro yet?

 

[Chairman Meow]

You can download Google Talk now, http://www.google.com/talk/index.html

It sucks though: no MacOS, Linux, or Windows support! Windows NT 5.x only (i.e. XP)

I cannot use it

You can use Adium, Gaim, or iChat for it on OSX. On the Google Talk page, click on the "Other IM clients" link at the bottom of the page, and then click on the IM client that you are able to use. Same for Linux and older versions of Windows.