Everyday as I use Google talk, I wonder "Why are they not coming up with a new version? It's been almost two years now and every month they add something new to the web based talk." Be it invisible mode, conference chat, video chat or even emoticons - the web gadget has it all.
Whenever I read about a new feature in the web version, I make up my mind to start using the talk gadget or Gmail chat. I login through the gadget, start chatting with people, in parallel do my work, and at some point when I do an alt+tab to bring the browser to focus, I see my friends irritated - I have not seen their messages for the past 30 minutes :-(
Yes, those notifications are something I miss the most in the web version. If you minimize the browser, while a different tab was on focus, you would not be able to see the blinking Google talk tab, when someone messages you. For me, when it comes to an instant messenggers, the usability is much higher when it sits on the desktop.
And the need to use Google talk - All my friends have moved to it. Otherwise I still prefer Yahoo! Messenger. Thank God I am not a Linux user - they don't even have the desktop version on Linux. Sigh.
After seeing Google Chrome, my doubts of Google never again releasing a new desktop GTalk version has gone up steeply. The new home page, the new tab page, the very idea of application shortcuts, the browser task manager etc. look a lot like Google's attempt to make the browser the new home of the PC.
Does Google consider browser to be the next desktop? Sometimes it looks like; but remember - Microsoft Sells and would continue to.
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