No more Gmail account requirement – that was the biggest change to the Google Talk registration process, as Google now feels confident enough to open the service to anyone with a Google Account.
Mike Jazayeri, Product Manager, Google Talk, listed the reasons for giving the service a try, besides the easier sign-up process:
• free and crystal clear voice calls to your friends and family anywhere in the world
• transfer files and folders to others
• free voicemail messages
• IM from your BlackBerry
“There are, however, still some features including chat histories and mail notifications that will only work if you sign into Google Talk with a Gmail account,” Jazayeri wrote.
That applies to voicemail and BlackBerry usage as well, according to the help files associated with those two features.
Google also sells branded headsets from Plantronics, like the CS50-USB wireless headset, in its store. Those work with VoIP applications like Google Talk and others.
ZDNet’s Google blogger, Garett Rogers, also suggested some possibilities for Google Talk in the future:
It would be nice to see a built-in chat history feature in Google Talk – and I’m sure enough people will complain about this to make it a worthwhile addition.
The product has come such a long way since its launch, and so I am looking forward to see how it improves over the next few years. Maybe we’re getting close to video conferencing, skins, or even IM to landline functionality – keep your eyes peeled.
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David Utter is a staff writer for murdok covering technology and business.
