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Google Talk Arrives

by Judith Dinowitz

Well, the rumors were out and about, and yes, Google just came out with their new IM. In contrast to Yahoo, AIM and the others out there, the interface is simple and minimalist (which Google is known for.) And, of course, as Jared Rypka-Hauer said, Google Talk has the ability to make phone calls over the Net. This is not new, however; Yahoo also supports voice communication over the Net -- but Yahoo only supports this on the Yahoo IM network. On the other hand, Google supports Jabber/XMPP, which means that any client that supports that protocol can communicate with Google Talk. This is a brilliant move, as it allows developers to extend Google's network with their own custom IMs and interfaces. And ColdFusion MX 7 supports this protocol!

To use Google Talk, you need a Gmail account and (currently) a Windows platform. Google states they are looking to expand to other OS's and that they are interested in working with other IM's. But that is for a future release, apparently. So I downloaded the IM and started using it. And I did like the feel, although I'll confess that I'm one who enjoys Yahoo's bells and whistles. I have used Yahoo's Talk feature and Google's, and saw no difference in voice quality. (My microphone is not that great, so while the experience was fine, the quality suffered because of the equipment.)

I did notice one thing. It was easier to use Google's interface for the voice. I could immediately figure out how to end the call. (The words "End Call" were clear as day; on Yahoo, they weren't there at all.)

So on the one hand we have Yahoo and AIM, with their bells and whistles that appeal to the aesthetics. And then you've got Google Talk, with its "German" interface, which appeals more to the developer. Will Google's extensibility make it the more popular interface, or will Yahoo's flashy look win out? Only time will tell.

Google Talk

About Google Talk

Google Talk Developer's Page

Google Talk Available Early (Slashdot, August 23, 2005)

Google Unveils Instant Messaging Entry (CNET, August 23, 2005)

ColdFusion MX 7 IM Gateways (Livedocs)

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