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Google Launches 'Talk' Instant Messaging

Google aside, I just wish those libgaim folks would add audio/video support (iChat, MSN Messenger, Skype). That way the clients that use libgaim could achieve much higher interoperability with "official" clients. I'm a bit disappointed Google has gone and created "yet another" IM client, albeit on top of an open-source standard (Jabber). They could have invested that effort into libgaim and Done So Much More(tm).

Oh well, too bad. I've added the talk.google.com to my Adium accounts. It works, so far as I can discern, but since I don't have any contacts on that service, I haven't been able to test it.
 
nsjoker said:
we want the app. google neglects mac users like it's their friggin' job... what's the deal with them?? you'd think with all their resources they'd port things like google earth, gmail notifier, desktop search (not that i'd want it), and google talk to OS X :mad:
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How dare they first release the app on the platform that has 90% market share??? How dare they?

Come on, just be realistic about this... I don't like it either, but they are releasing it for free, BTW. They say Linux and Mac versions will be here soon.
 
You can't see the forest for the trees

922 said:
You dont need a Mac version. Since its Jabber, iChar under Tiger will do it just fine. I was actually expecting something innovative. This is just an ugly version of iChat with fewer networks and no video.
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This is about Jabber going mainstream. Google has legitimized Jabber and now there is major support for Jabber. This is very good. Jabber is open source and has an open protocol in XMPP. This means that MSN, Yahoo, and AIM WILL die and there will be no more worrying about whether you can chat with your friends or family because you aren't on the same IM network as they are.
 
Warbrain said:
If they're Mac lovers, they should be ashamed of themselves. I'm getting sick of not having Mac-native programs from them.
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Why should they spend $erious Money to create an app for the Mac that will compete with iChat that Apple gives away to The Mac Faithful? For those that have experienced iChat with 3 other people in an AV Chat, you know how wonderfully integrated this thing is. Why should they spend and fail when they simply can't compete?
 
Jabber will rule them all

corywoolf said:
so whats the point of jabber vs. aim? I hear it's open source, but who cares?

I would say it's a little late in the game. I wouldn't be surprised if maybe 5 years down the road google's services are all more popular then aol's, msn's, and yahoo's. I guess it's better now then never, but I don't see how this is anything useful at the moment. I understand jabber can be run on your own servers, but I am still not sure what the plus's are.
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My naive child. Jabber uses an open xml based protocol. What this means is that anybody can write a client to connect to it. Which means you aren't dependent on a particular client to IM with your friends and family.

Innovation will definitely occur now. Until now the only public Jabber server was at jabber.org. Now Google is putting its weight behind Jabber. It will EXPLODE. Jabber will become the dominant IM protocol in the next 3 years. Just wait and see.
 
jocknerd said:
My naive child. Jabber uses an open xml based protocol. What this means is that anybody can write a client to connect to it. Which means you aren't dependent on a particular client to IM with your friends and family.

Innovation will definitely occur now. Until now the only public Jabber server was at jabber.org. Now Google is putting its weight behind Jabber. It will EXPLODE. Jabber will become the dominant IM protocol in the next 3 years. Just wait and see.
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Yes, that's what I hope, too, because if the IM wars "ends" with only one or two commercial actors in control of the protocols, they will no doubt start charging money one way or another.
 
Google Talk clients however, can't connect with AIM, MSN or Yahoo Messenger clients.

that sucks

all my firends are on AIM (or iChat)

o well i like iChat
 
nsjoker said:
we want the app. google neglects mac users like it's their friggin' job... what's the deal with them?? you'd think with all their resources they'd port things like google earth, gmail notifier, desktop search (not that i'd want it), and google talk to OS X :mad:
Click to expand...

Uhm... why do you want the app? iChat works fine. Why do you want a separate app for every chat service. Wouldn't one app for all services be more desirable?

I couldn't care less about there not being an app, and I'll bet Google guessed correctly in that most would rather use iChat anyway.
 
922 said:
I was actually expecting something innovative. This is just an ugly version of iChat with fewer networks and no video.
Click to expand...

It -is- still beta; the fact they set up a jabber server is good enough. Use Adium!
 
sebaz said:
edit: You found the FAQ lol.

When you are done, add me up to try it out if you want

sebastian[dot]t@gmail.com

We should get a macrumors Google talk list going lol
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I added you. Can't see if you're on or not because Jabber, I guess, has that DUMB authorization thing. No more spying on people. :(

You'll know it was me that added you, because I'm me @gmail
 
Just messing around in iChat, and in correction to Google's how to use iChat help page:

You DO NOT need to sign on using your full username@gmail.com, using just your username is working fine for me!

My username is "itasor", someone try and talk to me. :D
 
ITASOR said:
I added you. Can't see if you're on or not because Jabber, I guess, has that DUMB authorization thing. No more spying on people. :(

You'll know it was me that added you, because I'm me @gmail
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DUMB authorization thing? I think it's pretty neat that you have to be authorized, but that's just me.

I played with this with a windows using friend last night, and it's really nothing big for users. However, it's a step towards using Jabber and open source for IMing, which is good. I've never liked that there are so many different IM services, and I'm too stubborn (read: I like iChat) to use Adium or Proteus.
-Chase
 
rendezvouscp said:
DUMB authorization thing? I think it's pretty neat that you have to be authorized, but that's just me.
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Eh, it's not that bad, but sometimes I like to add people to my list and see if they're on or not but not let them know I added them.....

Kinda weird, but the authorization annoys me.
 
You know, it's probably not worth Google's time porting their client over. iChat actually has more features than their client - buddy grouping, logging, etc. And the fact that you get full compatibility if you chat iChat-to-iChat is awesome.

Anyone who wants to add me: ravenvii
 
Google.. Windows elitists gone wrong.

I'm sorry but more and more I get the feeling that Google's decisions are all based upon marketing.. hence their Windows-first posture on everything of late. If they are Mac enthusiasts, why do they come off as Window-elitists? I'm not impressed. Boo on Google-Talk, Google Planet and Google everything else until they learn to play fair. I'm not gonna be jumping with joy to be forced to use some complicated interchat Jabber server in order to reach the few people that decide to use Google's proprietary messaging service.. What a shoddy upstart for a "rebel" company. If they were at all competing with Microsoft as it has been mentioned, they would have adopted and extended instead of started yet another proprietary messaging protocal... How nice..
Oh I'm sure to catch heII for this message, but wtf, I don't care, that's really how I feel. Google should have stayed out of applications and kept it where they're the best: web portals.
 
Slowly gearing up...

You know, with everything google has under it's belt now, I wouldn't be surprised if they were working on their own OS. If anyone can make an OS to rival the ease of use of OS X, I'd bet Google could.
 
Raven VII said:
You know, it's probably not worth Google's time porting their client over.
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The Google talk client does have built in inviting which makes adding friends very easy. It shares the same contacts list that gmail uses (which auto updates whenever you send/receive email). You can click a button to view a list of contacts then just select the checkboxes next to each name to invite those people. Those who don't have gmail accounts will also use up a gmail invite.

It is in their interest to port the client because most likely one of the main reasons behind google talk is to get people to sign up on gmail/google.

About the client itself.. the design is interesting.. definately not following much windows UI guidelines. New messages appear by default as a new tab (vertical tabs) below the current window. You can drag off and reattach windows to other windows or the contact list. It does support status messages like iChat which other clients do not implement.
 
I can't believe people are being so negative about this.

This is the most ground breaking, earth shattering thing to hit instant messaging AND VOIP in years.

Really!!!

What Google are doing is legitimising the open protocol - Jabber - in an attempt to kill off all the proprietary ones AIM, ICQ, MSN etc. This is great news. Google can do this as they have the muscle.

Next with VOIP they're killing off all the proprietary nonsense that AIM, MSN and Skype use, replacing it with the SIP standard. There's an initiation protocol to add which they are opening up for free too. This is also great news. Finally Skype can be killed off.

And what about iChat.

Well, it already supports Jabber so we don't need Google to write a client for us. The Windows weenies do as getting them off of MSN is important.

Apple jumped the gun somewhat on their voice and video support in iChatAV. It's so nearly SIP/STUN that they could switch to the full standard no problem although they may have problems integrating it with old iChat users. I'm amazed Apple haven't done that already though as the writing is on the wall for proprietary protocols there and the software SIP phones on both the Mac and PC are terrible compared to iChatAV, except for GizmoProject.

This is great news for Apple too as iChat is already at the forefront and their XServes run jabber servers already. Let's just hope Apple pick up the standards banner that Google have raised and sort out the AV side too.
 
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