RSSGoogle Talk Gets Avatars, Themes
By Nate Mook | Published April 7, 2006, 3:38 PM
While Google Talk remains a slimmed down communications client compared the likes of AIM Triton and MSN Messenger, the search giant has added a few new consumer-oriented features to its latest update released late Thursday. Google Talk 1.0.0.92 now supports buddy icons, also known as avatars, and nine different themes for chat windows.
Users can choose a buddy icon from a gallery or upload their own 32x32-pixel image. The custom Appearance option is slightly different from AIM Expressions, as it does not change the way friends or colleagues see the chat window on their computer. Google also recently added support for the BlackBerry through a special downloadable version of Google Talk designed for the handheld device.
I think for me and my friends the one big feature that is missing is the ability to make conferance type calls.
Encryption and Conferance calls that can be daisy chained, would really solidify this program for use in my circle of friends.
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|when they add file transfer, i'll be interested ..until then, like MTV show "NEXXTT!"
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|I wouldn't see the harm at all if Google Talk could match all the features of the latest IM clients out there without the bloatedness (does it have to be a slim line IM only?).
This would make it the number one IM out there in terms of its feature set but even then this would not allow the IM to be the number one (used) application.
Unless gmail removes its invite only service, they will never have as many users using their services as people use hotmail/aim etc.
However, who says that Google actually want to be the number 1 used IM client?
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|highly needed:
1. encrypted communication
2. file transfer (yes i know its a talk client)
3. an option for direct client to client communication AND communication through the server (so one can select which one to use)
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|is IRC what you mean?
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|They need to get encryption and everything else is second to that.
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|Does anybody really use Talk as their main IM client? Not many people have GMail accounts yet and Talk lacks features and doesn't support AIM or MSN. It's just too limited right now. I wish, and hope, that Talk does work with AIM one day. I will use it as long as Google doesn't fill it with ads. Like it or not, AOL has the lock on IM clients with AIM. Just think of how many people out there have AIM accounts.
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|you can use Trillian to chat (not talk) to peeps on Google chat, all you need is a Jabber plugin. Trillian also allows you to use all of the 4 main IM clients in one neat package.
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|AIM? Are you mad? Ads and the 100% all time worst IM client in the world!
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|While it may be the worst client out there, notice how many people out there use it? That was his point.
They have the largest IM userbase.
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|Blech. Trillian... GAIM supports GoogleTalk without any stupid plugin. And it's free. ...not shareware.
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|AIM only has larger userbase in US. Outside US, AIM/Google Talk/ICQ userbase are dwarfed by the userbase of (soon to be combined) MSN and Yahoo Messenger users. In Asia and Europe, these 2 can have up to 90% userbase.
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|Trillian Basic is free to, if you want to step up to Pro then you have to pay. It's a great IM client. I use GAIM and Kopete as well, but I like Trillian better.
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|I was talking about the protocol which was obvious to everybody else...
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|Ummm, you even said client!
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|Add Australia to that list. ICQ is basically dead here now. :(
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|....Maybe its just me, but how is this news. If I run out and slap some avatars into my chat client (old school project) will it get posted on betanews?
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|... it's news because your IM client doesn't come from a billion dollar company. :)
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|It seems that Google deems avatars are more important than file transfers feature. Doesn't see this as threat to the upcoming MSN+Yahoo! hegemony anytime soon.
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|So I'm not the only person wondering when MSN and Yahoo! are going to exchange their friendship bracelets, glad to hear!
Google Talk is great in principle in line with the slimmed down webmail, but until everybody is on it, people are still going to favour the clinet which their friends use.
The viral approach of Gmail could work if you think about it, gmail users invite their friends, so their friends then get access to google talk, but it's only any good if people send out their invites.
Speaking of invites, I still have about 300 of the things in various gmail accounts if anybody wants one... agent31@gmail.com
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|The chat themes is a nice touch.
I plan on ditching msn messenger fairly soon, it's been nice but I don't have much need for it now that most of my friends/family are moving over to the other evil empire.
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|Yay!
Just what I need to make my chatting more efficient and productive; Avatars and bubbly pink buttons.
The blackberry support is a start, though.
So disappointed in this one, Goog.
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|Where's my inter-operability already?
It also feels like the program slowed down after this update.
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|What's the point of an avatar NO ONE CAN SEE BUT YOU. That's why people have avatars is self expression for OTHER PEOPLE TO SEE.
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|First of all, why'd you reply to someone elses post to say this?
Second, did you even try to read this article? The avatars are two-way, meaning the other person CAN see your avatar. Only the expressions, or "themes" can't be seen by the other user.
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