GMail and GTalk
So the past year or so all you hear is 'GMail GMail GMail', and for a while you are interested, then you get bored of it. Then you find it laughable that the thing was ever a hype. Still you don't have an account.
Then Google releases Google Talk, and suddenly you 'need' a GMail account in order to test it. Cheeky.
Anyway, I have now tried GMail and Google Talk (GTalk). Here are my thoughts.
GMail: Well I can see what the fuss was about...to a degree. The interface is nice and clean. Fair dose of advertising, but then it is free and it is American, I let that pass. It is fast and full-featured, and 2.5GB of space is not a thing to be cast away.
To quote a miser: "I dread the day when a
hundred-thousand dollars two and a half gigabytes isn’t worth groveling for."
In short, I have two email accounts already. My University account seems to have no limit and has a powerful web interface (Exchange), and now my .Mac email which, while not the reason I get a .Mac account, I'm sure I'll have use for eventually.
GTalk: Google have once again muscled their way into a market with their now branded style of simplicity. GTalk is a Jabber based instant messenger client. That's it...nothing else, it is just an IM client. No Winks, Nudges, Pictures, Adverts...nothing. Just an IM. It is compatible with iChat AV over the Jabber network so it'll run natively on any newer Mac. Plus their are loads of free clients out there for all platforms.
Paul loves this, and I can see why. The big names in internet services love to cram in as many extras to their IM clients as possible, with the exception of such clients as MSN 5 for Mac and iChat AV. I for one like apps that have one purpose, and do it well. Just like Firefox has done for the browser world or Google have already done with their original search engine.
The drawbacks are, the only people I would ever chat to over GTalk are already on MSN Messenger. And sicne MSN 5 for Mac is a speedy and simple IM Client, why switch?
Still, while Google keep bringing out more services, it might not be long before they become a de facto monopoly in internet communications.
My advice is, well, there is no harm in trying either service. Myself, I'll be sticking to MSN and my current email accounts, but free alternatives are always welcome.
Now Playing Swallowed In The Sea from the album "X & Y" by Coldplay
Then Google releases Google Talk, and suddenly you 'need' a GMail account in order to test it. Cheeky.
Anyway, I have now tried GMail and Google Talk (GTalk). Here are my thoughts.
GMail: Well I can see what the fuss was about...to a degree. The interface is nice and clean. Fair dose of advertising, but then it is free and it is American, I let that pass. It is fast and full-featured, and 2.5GB of space is not a thing to be cast away.
To quote a miser: "I dread the day when a
hundred-thousand dollars two and a half gigabytes isn’t worth groveling for."
In short, I have two email accounts already. My University account seems to have no limit and has a powerful web interface (Exchange), and now my .Mac email which, while not the reason I get a .Mac account, I'm sure I'll have use for eventually.
GTalk: Google have once again muscled their way into a market with their now branded style of simplicity. GTalk is a Jabber based instant messenger client. That's it...nothing else, it is just an IM client. No Winks, Nudges, Pictures, Adverts...nothing. Just an IM. It is compatible with iChat AV over the Jabber network so it'll run natively on any newer Mac. Plus their are loads of free clients out there for all platforms.
Paul loves this, and I can see why. The big names in internet services love to cram in as many extras to their IM clients as possible, with the exception of such clients as MSN 5 for Mac and iChat AV. I for one like apps that have one purpose, and do it well. Just like Firefox has done for the browser world or Google have already done with their original search engine.
The drawbacks are, the only people I would ever chat to over GTalk are already on MSN Messenger. And sicne MSN 5 for Mac is a speedy and simple IM Client, why switch?
Still, while Google keep bringing out more services, it might not be long before they become a de facto monopoly in internet communications.
My advice is, well, there is no harm in trying either service. Myself, I'll be sticking to MSN and my current email accounts, but free alternatives are always welcome.
Now Playing Swallowed In The Sea from the album "X & Y" by Coldplay
posted by Jon at 2:19 pm
2 Comments:
What's this "posted at 9.16am ?You were still asleep then .Unless your iMac clock is wrong ?Heaven forbid.
Blogger's fault. They had my timezone as USA Pacific. I mean come on, who'd live there?
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