Google Talk is so much more than just a feature that sits alongside Gmail and the other Google services. It lets you chat with friends and colleagues with one tap, you can share files of any type and size with contacts and you can even make and receive video and voice calls.
If anything, the ‘Talk’ name does not do it justice because almost every form of communication is covered in this diminutive feature that sits quietly alongside all of the other Google services on screen, yet it somehow helps to make you much more productive and communicated than ever. Google Talk has the potential to bring you closer to the people you know and love, even when you’re far away from them, and there are very few services that have that. The fact that Talk is so well integrated into other Google services just makes it even more impressive.
Key features
Instant messaging
Instant messaging is one of the least social methods of communication, just behind email, but it can often be the perfect medium when you need to check that someone is okay. All you have to do is tap one button and you can be conversing immediately. The inclusion of smileys also helps add some personality to your conversations.
Share media
Files of any type and size can be sent using Google Talk, and this makes it the ideal service for sharing information with others. The process to send a file is so quick and simple that you don’t even have to break into the conversation to do it. The files will arrive while you are still talking and can enhance any conversation whether it is for business or pleasure.
Talk
The voice facility in Google Talk could easily replace a traditional landline thanks to the call quality and ease of use. Only one tap is needed to initiate a call during a conversation and calls between Google Talk users are completely free.
Leave a message
You can leave a voice message for someone whether they are online or not and the facility goes way beyond simple voicemail. Messages will be received in Gmail and the files can be listened to straight away or saved to a PC. You can even email the sender as soon as the message arrives in your inbox, which blurs the communication methods housed in Google Talk almost perfectly. This is what voicemail should have always been like.
Multiple chats
You can chat to multiple people at once if you so wish by using the Google Chat Gadget. It lets you invite new people into a conversation to create a Group Chat and just requires tapping a button and choosing who to invite. You will find that Group Chats are often more interesting, but that they will sometimes spin off at a tangent. The fact the facility is available is great though and adds a new dimension to communicating using computers.