Hum… it seems indeed they don’t really need to go after Skype (update: read this analysis by John Markoff of the NYTimes) … Anyways, give it a try, ‘cause it’s all over the news today. Google Talk is here:
Google Talk is a downloadable Windows application that offers:
- Free calls over your computer anytime, from anywhere, and for as long
as you want
- A simple and intuitive user interface for sending instant messages
or making calls--no clutter, pop-ups or ads
- Superior voice quality through just a microphone and computer speaker
- A shared Gmail contacts list that updates automatically with the people
you communicate with most often
Once you download Google Talk, just sign in with your Gmail username
and password. You can then begin inviting anyone you want to talk to
for free. Google Talk lets you email your contacts directly using
Gmail and you can even receive new Gmail message notifications.
Google Talk works with any computer speaker and microphone, such as
the ones built-in to many PC laptops today, as well as with wired
and wireless headsets and USB phones. Google Talk also works across
all firewalls.
Google Talk is still in beta. Just like with Gmail, we're working
hard to add features and make improvements, so we might also ask for
your comments and suggestions periodically. We appreciate your help
in making it even better!
Thanks,
The Google Talk Team
Update: GoogleTalk is built upon the Jabber protocol (I like the fact that Google advertises other software clients as well!), which means you should be able to use it also on your MOBILE device!
