Google Instant Messenger all Rumor

Jbravo writes "Search, blogging, maps, photos, email, and now a portal, Google has kept adding to their array of services. Is an instant messenger next for Google? Most recently Google has been said to be buying out a company called Meetroduction, LLC for their instant messenger Meetro. So, is it true? Is Google writing the check now? Well, after a chat with Paul Bragiel, CEO of Meetroduction, the word is not right now. He called the whole story 'rumors.'"

Comments

Hello?

[Anonymous Coward]

Wasn't this called "Hello"? See here:
http://www.google.com/intl/en/options/

Ummm, they already have an IM client...

[todesengel]

Sure they don't advertise it, but Hello is a Google product...

Re:Perhaps not the right approach for the market

[slashdotnickname]

In europe, its extremely common for people to have MSN, whilst the trend stateside seems to be more toward AIM (with MSN still significant there too).

or you can get an awesome open-source program like miranda which supports ICQ, AIM, MSN, Jabber, Yahoo, Gadu-Gadu, Tlen, Netsend and tons more... all in a ~3meg memory footprint.

Re:Too many already

[skinnytie]

Actually, check out http://www.meetro.com/ . This client is location based. It auto-populates your buddy list with people around you based on criteria.

Supposed Google XMPP Client

[emcmanus]

My Moustache is claiming to have found a screenshot of a google alpha client. It's clearly identified as a Jabber client.

Take a look: http://mymoustache.com/blog/2005/08/google-instant -messenger-screenshot.html

My original impressions are that this is a hoax, given that it looks to be nothing more than a rebranded out-of-the-box jabber client (and it doesn't appear as though any of the locational features of meetroduction's client).

Also, what kind of idiot developer would post a screenshot of such a highly anticipated application? Discuss!

Re:Perhaps not the right approach for the market

[brunson]

Which is why I use Gaim on whatever platform I'm on.

Re:Google buying its technology?

[sethadam1]

Both corporations buy other companies and release their tech for free, in order to eliminate competition.

The motive is not proven for Google. It is, however, for Microsoft. You can argue all you want, but you cast Google into an unfair light solely because there exists a tried comparison to Microsoft - they are both big technology companies. Microsoft has a history of doing bad things to eliminate competition, like gaining market share and then changing standards to ensure, for example, websites will only render properly in IE. Google has no such blackmarks in their permanent record.

Those who distrust Microsoft do so with reason, but those who distrust Google do so because they are paranoid and fear what MIGHT happen. VAST differences, my friend.

MS [...] has not said that IE7 will not feature improved CSS support.

Yeah, right. These are verbatim quotes from the IE Blog:
"there are some fairly large and difficult features to implement, and they will not all sort to the top of the stack in IE7."

"we are doing a much better service to web developers out there in IE7 by fixing our known bang-your-head-on-the-desk bugs and usability problems first, and prioritizing the most commonly-requested features based on all the feedback we've had"

You see, you need to read up. While IE7 will have improved CSS support, it's still not enough to justify moving back from the many alternatives that are doing A LOT to come up to the most modern standards - like CSS2.1 and CSS3, which we know, because they've said, will NOT be in IE7. IE7, to my point, is SOLELY a release to continue to keep their portion of the market locked in.

Re:Perhaps not the right approach for the market

[HD Webdev]

or you can get an awesome open-source program like miranda which supports ICQ, AIM, MSN, Jabber, Yahoo, Gadu-Gadu, Tlen, Netsend and tons more... all in a ~3meg memory footprint.

Trillian is a similar program that works quite well.

I like it a lot because I've had IM since December 1996 and can't stand being locked down to one IM. Or, even worse, running 4+ different IM programs at once.