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baw · Aug 23, 2005, 11:06 PM

http://www.google.com/talk/

No OS X Support.

Salty · Aug 23, 2005, 11:09 PM

Yet again no Mac version... granted we can still have fun with it... through iChat... I hope they just work with Apple to add voice call stuff to iChat with Google's service.

PurpleGiant · Aug 23, 2005, 11:50 PM

I'd be equally happy with no Mac version, provided audio (and whenthey support it, video) is supported in iChat.

Salty · Aug 23, 2005, 11:55 PM

Agreed. Though I would prefer Google Talk icons and what not in iChat so that people don't have to jump through hoops and don't realize they could use Google Talk.

That said... I've already e-mailed everyone I know how uses Gmail to try and get em using this instead of MSN... I can't stand MSN!

Salty · Aug 24, 2005, 12:02 AM

So, can anyone tell if they've got any gateways up?

baw · Aug 24, 2005, 12:03 AM

Is a gateway something AOL/MSN will allow?

Salty · Aug 24, 2005, 12:06 AM

Not sure... but it'd be nice if they did.

loki74 · Aug 24, 2005, 12:15 AM

The Buddy List looks a lot like iChat's no?

...far superior interface than MSN or AIM. ...yuck.

The Godfather · Aug 24, 2005, 12:16 AM

I don't see the revolution (or evolution) here. What can you do that you could not do with Yahoo, MSN, AOL? I use all three with Adium (Mac) and Gaim (PC). For voice, I would use Skype.

Salty · Aug 24, 2005, 12:26 AM

Well good thing you can still use GAIM. That said for people who use official clients this offers Windows users something less cluttered and crappy than MSN, AIM and Yahoo.
For Mac users... it offers a more appealing IM king.

baw · Aug 24, 2005, 12:36 AM

I for one welcome our new IM overlords.

baw · Aug 24, 2005, 12:41 AM

Found this on /.

Seems to be an easter egg.

http://it.slashdot.org/comments.pl?s...86383#13386436

CharlesS · Aug 24, 2005, 12:53 AM

I don't seem to be able to talk to other Jabber accounts from Google Talk. Is this just me, or has Google made a Jabber server that doesn't talk to other Jabber servers?

PurpleGiant · Aug 24, 2005, 04:09 AM

The interface, especially titlebars, is very Mac-like. Replace the widgets and it almost blends right in with OS X:

Warung · Aug 24, 2005, 04:14 AM

How do you configure iChat? Is it a "Jabber" Account? What's the "Server name"?

baw · Aug 24, 2005, 04:16 AM

Originally Posted by Warung

How do you configure iChat? Is it a "Jabber" Account? What's the "Server name"?

http://www.google.com/support/talk/b...y?answer=24076

Warung · Aug 24, 2005, 08:58 AM

Maybe another RTFM question, - but does Google Talk allow for file transfers between Macs and PCs? Anybody try this yet?

DarwinX · Aug 24, 2005, 11:53 AM

Originally Posted by Warung

Maybe another RTFM question, - but does Google Talk allow for file transfers between Macs and PCs? Anybody try this yet?

I don't believe there is a file transfer feature with this beta.

iDriveX · Aug 24, 2005, 01:17 PM

So what you are saying is that this is what AOL Instant Messenger was about 5 years ago and without advertisements.

GMail exploded because they did something no one else offered, a superior e-mail service that is free
Google Talk is a substandard chatting client and most people are perfectly comfortable with their AIM, MSN, or Yahoo service and deal with the ads for the flexibility it gives them.

Salty · Aug 24, 2005, 02:41 PM

Originally Posted by iDriveX

So what you are saying is that this is what AOL Instant Messenger was about 5 years ago and without advertisements.

GMail exploded because they did something no one else offered, a superior e-mail service that is free
Google Talk is a substandard chatting client and most people are perfectly comfortable with their AIM, MSN, or Yahoo service and deal with the ads for the flexibility it gives them.

Gmail exploded for me because of it's minimalist interface and it did what I wanted it to do. The only reason Google talk was launched last night was because everyone was already on it. You'll see file transfers soon, perhaps even logged saved through your gmail account for future redownloading. And yes this is very similar to what AIM was five years ago... which frankly is simply a less bloated version of what it is today. Look at the way Gmail has grown in a year, do you think that Google Talk won't?

Millennium · Aug 24, 2005, 02:52 PM

Originally Posted by DarwinX

I don't believe there is a file transfer feature with this beta.

And why should there be? Let file transfer be handled by an app made for the task; a revival of the Chungles project comes to mind. Stop bloat where it starts.

typoon · Aug 24, 2005, 03:07 PM

Originally Posted by Millennium

And why should there be? Let file transfer be handled by an app made for the task; a revival of the Chungles project comes to mind. Stop bloat where it starts.

While that maybe true. You'll get those who using complaining that it doesn't support file transfer while the other ones do. Even SKYPE allows file transfer and that's not very bloated.

baw · Aug 24, 2005, 03:14 PM

Originally Posted by typoon

Even SKYPE allows file transfer and that's not very bloated.

Skype takes at least 25 seconds to start on my Mac. That alone makes it feel bloated.

Salty · Aug 24, 2005, 03:16 PM

Originally Posted by Millennium

And why should there be? Let file transfer be handled by an app made for the task; a revival of the Chungles project comes to mind. Stop bloat where it starts.

I'm sorry, but I think it would not be terribly difficult to even have the file transfer be done by Google's servers through Gmail. I don't think that would add much bloat.

Kerrigan · Aug 24, 2005, 03:31 PM

If people are still using AIM or MSN after all these years then I doubt they would switch to Talk.

Salty · Aug 24, 2005, 03:37 PM

Originally Posted by Kerrigan

If people are still using AIM or MSN after all these years then I doubt they would switch to Talk.

I switched from ICQ to AIM, I currently use AIM and MSN. I don't see why I wouldn't use Google Talk. Only reason I don't use Yahoo is because the software is too crappy to get anyone to use it. That said, I already have sent e-mails to every gmail user I know, suggesting they switch or at least start using Google Talk. Most of the reason I use MSN is to talk to a few Canadian friends I know offline. If I can get those people all to switch to Google Talk then we can ditch MSN.
MSN Is HUGE In Canada, but only because there are no other good options. Yahoo sucks, and AIM is associated with AOL, like Canadians are gona use that? So there's MSN. With this, Canadians have options!

stevesnj · Aug 24, 2005, 03:41 PM

Anyone get iChat to work on Gtalk? I cant seem to connect...i set up as per Googles instructions.

Kerrigan · Aug 24, 2005, 03:48 PM

The average IM user in America has always used AIM, and in Europe everyone has always used MSN, so I doubt people would switch over to GTalk, simply because they are not used to it and none of the people on their buddy list use it.

DarwinX · Aug 24, 2005, 04:27 PM

Originally Posted by Millennium

And why should there be? Let file transfer be handled by an app made for the task; a revival of the Chungles project comes to mind. Stop bloat where it starts.

Millennium: I typically agree with your point of view, and I thank you for the link to the Chungles project as it is a tool I have looked for, for quite some time. However, I feel that file transfer is a useful tool and doesn't compare in bloat to various unecessary features like emoticons, avetars, games and the like.

I don't know if they'll tie the service to transfer files through gmail, but I feel as if it will be added and can be added efficiently without over-bloating the program.

I like the competition this product introduces though. It can only make things better.

Just my 2 cents.

iDriveX · Aug 24, 2005, 04:44 PM

GMail took off because you could e-mail people that used ANY e-mail client and any e-mail services. .Mac members could use GMail and talk to SBC and Verizon e-mail customers. The product worked great and was free to it took off.

Google Talk is a completely different beast. You can only talk to other Google Talk people. Google Talk would take off if it was just a client like Fire or Adium that let you talk to AIM, Yahoo, MSN, and Jabber people. But it's not and that's why, if it takes off, it will have a very very slow adoption rate.

Kerrigan · Aug 24, 2005, 05:11 PM

Originally Posted by iDriveX

But it's not and that's why, if it takes off, it will have a very very slow adoption rate.

I agree. Targeting the early adopters and tech-savy is not enough. Will the average person switch to GTalk if they only know a couple of people who use GTalk, out of their dozens or in many cases hundreds of "buddies"? I doubt it.

As uber-crap as AOL has become over the past half-decade, people in America still stick to AIM because everyone else they know uses it. Convincing one person to switch to GTalk might be easy, but convincing everybody on his buddylist to switch is impossible.

PurpleGiant · Aug 24, 2005, 05:14 PM

Guys, guys. They will be adding support to add MSN and AIM buddies to your Gmail list down the track. Then you can simply get a Google Talk account and talk to practically anyone.

iDriveX · Aug 24, 2005, 05:16 PM

Google Talk would and will work if it is part of some larger suite of services that people can't live without. If they had something where you could get your phone service (landline), cell phone service, and incorporated all of that together with Google Talk, where you could have calls forwarded to it or call from Google Talk, that would be revolutionary. At this point it's de-evolutionary.