Google Talk review

Google talk is just another IM client. It is a tiny download compared to the large file sizes of more popular IM clients. The 900 KB file can be downloaded from http://www.google.com/talk/. Now the IM client itself has a very simple interface, and Yahoo! or MSN messenger users should have no problem switching over. A Gmail account is necessary, but invites are no longer hard to get. Either XP or Windows 2000 is required. The interface just has a link to your Gmail inbox, settings, help, and a list of contacts. Google Talk claims that it can let you "Get in touch over email, IM or a call." The first two claims are true, but the third is slightly misleading. You cannot call any phone on the planet, the client basically only supports good old voice chatting. This means that the person you are calling must be in your contacts list. Also, inviting someone to use Google Talk will reduce an invite from your Gmail account if the person you are inviting does not have a Gmail account. The entire exercise creates the illusion of a call only because you hear the sound of a phone ringing till the person you are voice chatting with responds. Once you start talking, however, the clarity, is not noticeably better than the messengers of Yahoo! And MSN. Google Talk has an imperceptible edge over other messengers is that it automatically adjusts the microphone sensitivity for maximum clarity. A nifty little feature is the automatic unmute when a call becomes active. Bottom-line is that Google Talk has absolutely nothing special to offer as an IM client. However, Google did change e-mail as we know it, and the FAQ for Google Talk reads "we're just not quite ready yet to reveal the other cool things we've got planned." It would be advisable to watch out for these cool features that are yet to come.