Google Talk to Mac users: Drop dead

Right now Adium and even iChat are much better than Google's client. Google's client doesn't have any features (except that e-mail button in the chat window). I personally have it configured in both Adium and Trillian Pro. If they make their client feature-rich, that's when you're going to want a Mac version; who cares right now? -- Elias

Um, it isn't clear from the above comments or the original post, so I'll say it quite clearly: iChat SUPPORTS GOOGLE TALK Come on everyone, what's the big deal? Just add a Jabber account using SSL and you're good to go.

Actually, Mac Tiger users don't need Google as much as PC users. Spotlight and the right combination of widgets make Google Desktop, Beta 2 look somewhat aged. I can see why PC users are all hot and bothered over the next Google god send - they have nothing else. If you look at all the Google offerings, generally, Mac Tiger users have much better choices.

Meh. Lots of underwear twisting over nothing. If Google doesn't release a Mac and Linux version, then their core target group (voice chatters) are going to stick with Gizmo or Skype. If they don't release alternate versions, then they're going to suffer. If they do, then we're all happy. Let's all have a beer and calm down a bit.

It's obvious that Barb is clueless. Google Talk is based on Jabber which uses an open protocol called XMPP. Therefore, it doesn't require a specific client to run. Any client can be used provided it talks XMPP. And guess what? iChat supports that. I would rather use iChat on my Mac and GAIM on my Linux box rather than have to download and run another client. Thats the power of open standards. May the best client win.

After reading Barb's post, I too am indignantly outraged. Google BASTARDS.

I wouldn't use GoogleTalk unless it worked with iChat. I don't want multiple IM clients eating up my desktop space.

Would you like Google to be like Yahoo and release a Mac version of their IM software that is total schlock? In a way, I can't blame certain software companies for releasing a Windows only application, and I wouldn't want them to release a Mac version if they weren't going to put any real effort into it. This is especially true if a company will allow other - maybe better then what they could deign - applications to port into their system.

Really, the way I see it, Mac users got a good deal here. The vast majority of Mac users (sophisticated and casual alike) currently use a chat client that already supports Google Talk. PC users however now have to choose to switch to another IM client or choose to use yet another one along with their existing ones, which is a much more tedious and consequential decision than for instance switching their email to gmail. Couple the fact that some great working clients already exist on pretty much every Mac with the fact that this is new software so a major company should naturally be inclined to release it primarily on the platform with largest market share and I don't really blame Google at all for not bothering with a Mac client yet. And even when they do, I doubt I'll choose it over Adium or iChat anyway. Also, the "Mac and Linux users can connect to Google Talk using other IM clients" message on google.com/talk doesn't really translate to "Drop dead" to me.

I can COMPELETY understand the concept of releasing Windows-only software initially. I'm an exclusively Mac user, and as such I have to realize that I'm a very small corner of the market. I don't think it's fair to chastize a company like Google (or any software vendor for that matter) for releasing software (initally) for THE platform that's going to give them the best idea of how it'll be adopted. If they release the software for Windows and only 10 people download and use it, is it really worth their time and effort to produce a Mac/*nix client? Probably not. As a software company, you go where your users are. Unfortunately for Google, since their (mostly) web-based, their users are everyone. However, when they come out with a non-web-based offering, I think they did just fine by releasing it as PC-only first. I feel this way ESPECIALLY since it's possible to use the service with other clients. Everyone needs to quit their bitchin', use the service, and hope they release a Mac client. Personally, I think they will...and I think it'll be soon.