Google Talk is an app tool, available to the public, for instant messaging. It is typically a Google app and is therefore integrated with Gmail. However, the app is also available as a free and independent download.
Google Talk is best suited for Windows. Other Operating systems may use other messaging services or use the Google Talk chat app directly from their Gmail account.
Google Talk Features
Apart from the text messaging service, Google Talk presents users with an opportunity for video and voice chats too. The app supports video chats if accessed directly from the Gmail account. Mac users can also use the video chats feature. The separate Google Talk app available for free downloads does not support video chats.
Keeping You Posted All the Time for Free
Google talk offers you the advantage of viewing the status of your Gmail inbox without having to log into the mailbox directly. Once you set the app running, it pops up with notifications of new mail or chat contacts trying to reach you. The convenience contributed greatly to the apps popularity. You can go about your business without worrying about missing your important mail.
Users should note that when they set their user availability as ‘Available’ on the stand-alone Google Talk app, they cannot set it as invisible from the Gmail account.
The Google Talk vs Google Hangouts Downloads
Google Talk was the first app that Google decided to offer for free on a downloadable independent platform. It is accessible from both Gmail and, independently, via the Google Talk app. Google decided to replace the chat app with Hangouts in 2013. It was believed that Hangouts provided an expanded avenue for chat creativity and an enriched experience which included the video chat that is not available on the stand alone downloadable Google Talk. Google Hangouts is also supported by the Chrome browser from which you can use the app without necessarily logging into your Gmail account. Hangout thus logs out once you close the chrome browser.
Yet, some people have maintained that it was not a good business idea to replace the old Google Talk with an entirely new app that would take time for users to embrace. In fact, a section of users has insisted that Google Talk is a light app, thus offering a user-friendly interface with simple but effective features. Moreover, the stand-alone Gtalk version offered freedom to users to keep in touch, even when they have not opened a browser. Although Hangouts is enabled to support multiple text chat and video sessions at one go, including the ability to share pictures, Google Talk still appeals to a significant number of users. There are numerous users who decided to stick to the old stand-alone Google Talk and have no complaints.
Video Conferencing with Google Talk
You can chat and run conferences in text and video if you log into your Gmail account and access Google talk from there. The app was initially targeted at the Windows users but other Smartphone operating systems, including Android, have been reined into the chat community lately.
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