Dipping My Toe Into Google Talk

Within minutes of one another, Robert French and Jeremy Pepper kindly sent me invites to Google Talk.  Google Talk is Google's new IM and voice-chat client.

I've signed up -- it's free and easy to install -- to try it out.

First impression: Skype is still streets ahead on all fronts.

So far, at least, Google Talk doesn't offer Call Out to or Call In from non.users, which is a big plus for Skype.

Moreover, you can't search for users -- only people in your GMail address book show up as potential Google Talk contacts. A big limitation, since I already know how to IM most of these people already, on Yahoo or Skype

I haven't checked the sound quality yet. Neither Jeremy or Robert is up yet. But I will when I get a chance. Still, I've had no complaints with my Skype sound quality.

Robert French and I had a chat a few minutes ago: Sound quality on Google Talk is just fine, as good as Skype. I did notice a couple of drop outs: one where the packets seem to have dropped out entirely, and one where they were delayed. I get that on Skype, too, though, from time to time.

Posted by Allan Jenkins at 02:17pm in Communication, GMail, Gadgets & Toys | Permalink | Comments Welcome! (0) | TrackBack (0)

Is GMail getting creaky?

Neville Hobson asked about glitches in GMail, Google's still-in-beta email service. He and others speculated that it could be system tray GMail Notifyer.

Now I'm getting them. Server errors all morning. And when I am able to get to my inbox, I am often unable to access the individual posts. I don't use GMail Notifyer, so that's not the problem. It's entirely at Google's end, though they are not posting about it.

When is it no longer a beta thing? God knows, the entire wired planet has been invited to GMail (I've got 50 invites, by the way, if you want to join); I think it's time to move with it, get it out of beta, and admit it's a mainstream product. And service it like it is.

Posted by Allan Jenkins at 12:35pm in GMail, Technology | Permalink | Comments Welcome! (3) | TrackBack (0)