Brad Feld

Back to Blog

Everyone Is Twittering About Chat

Aug 24, 2005
Category Technology

Or is that “everyone is chatting about twittering?”  Google released Google Talk yesterday.  While it’s an obvious first step, it’s unremarkable.  Apparently, in response, Microsoft released MSN Messenger 7.5.  A minor upgrade.  And lo and behold – Skype announced SkypeWeb and SkypeNet.  Ah – another API!  Much more interesting.

I’ve been using Google Talk all morning.  It’s fine.  I’ve been using Trillian for more than two years.  It’s “better than fine.”  I’ve been using Skype (and SkypeOut) for all my phone calls in August (and some chatting).  I like it much better than Vonage, although everyone tells me I just need a different phone and Vonage will be happy again (I’ll try from Boulder when I’m home next week.) 

I’ve been using IM in some form (AOL, then Yahoo, then Microsoft, now all three via Trillian) for the past five years or so.  It’s remarkable to me how a limited, light weight chat client can get so much buzz.  Now – while it’s clear where Google can go with this – it’s now got to go there.

As I was writing this, one of the guys in my office sent out a love note:

“If any of you have a gmail account please send me your gmail e-mail ID and I will invite you to use Gmail Talk if you have not already gotten an invitation – this is really good.  Excellent quality – better than skype, imo and effortless to use.  Download of client took 15 seconds and I was up and running – amazing!”

True, but can you call me on my cell phone with it?  Yeah – I know – soon.