Google Talks Desktop Domination
Google Talk has been released, co-existing within it's other recent release, Google Desktop in an apparent bid to control more of your computer than Microsoft. With Google's trademark clean interface and lack of annoying popups and flashy banner ads, Google Talk is already well on its way to becoming a serious rival of other IM clients such as MSN Messenger, Yahoo and ICQ. It's strongest suit so far seems to be its reported ability (still in development, as it it still a beta program) to interface with several rivals' services, making it a tool facilitating convergence of digital media, a feat at which Google has so far excelled (Google News, anyone?).
Google Talk also includes a feature, albeit no innovation, but well-done nonetheless, of allowing voice chat between users possessing a microphone or headset. Given Google's market share, the currently-limited pool of contacts available to call may be small, but as the program's momentum grows, especially bundled with the Google Desktop program, calling family and friends may soon be possible sans phone company involvement at all. One can only hope. For those of you with a Gmail account already, download it, call me and tell me what you think if you have a few minutes to chat.