Google IM 'Talk' Misses the boat regionally

For the first time ever, I saw Google on the National Nightly News... due to their release of IM - Google Talk.

But in Australia, no one can access it unless they have Gmail. In the US you can do something with your mobile to get a Gmail invite, then download Google Talk, but in Australia you need a standard Gmail invite from another existing user before you can get near Google Talk.

I'm bewildered as to why Google hasn't just opened up Gmail / Google Talk globally. No business in their right mind would place such significant barriers to entry for consumers.

They have just had their splash exposure in the media... a gazillion dollars in free advertising... surely anyone going to a Google homepage should be enabled to register for both.

IMO they stuffed up the launch of Google Talk.

 

It's not an artificial barrier. It's a technological barrier. Gmail code and Talk code have components in common. Talk needs Gmail. Doesn't work without (yet).

 

I don't know if GMail will ever go out of beta, but I get the impression that almost everybody has GMail now. They must already have enough GMail users to release Google Talk. I think.

 

I think it's really silly that they haven't made Gmail completely public yet. At first it might have been clever marketing, but enough already.

 

Then im one of the few who dont. I dont think ill migrate to Google talk unless it takes over the IM world. I dont like change and Im going to stick with my MSN 6.1 for now (its fairly new but its not with the times)

 

It's probably not public because of legal wranglings and I couldnt care less about google talk. Enough of IM's.

 

what i 've heared that's because of its privacy problems because their use of adsense en Gmail, especially en europe. Also in Germany people doesn't have gmail, have Google Mail.

 

I believe you choose not to have Gmail, and not because you can't get invitation, right? Just like there are people who don't have Yahoo account and therefore can't (and don't) use YM.

But that's just my opinion, of course I may be wrong

 

Well lets just remember this is beta free software.

I think google hit the nail on the head personally. Any other company would go bonkers if they could get as much pub from launching a beta.

 

No, your absolutely right. I choose not to. I dont need it. My domains give me enough email space for anything I need. Not to mention the hundreds of accounts that already exist. For me I dont see the need for a gmail account until Google Talk takes over as the biggest IM

 

Yeah, in this case MSN wins because you can create passport with any email, not just Hotmail. I doubt G Talk will be the biggest IM, there are too many IMs out there taking over one another.

sarahk: you're right, I have friends who were clueless about Gmail and thought Hotmail was the only one existed Heck, my dad doesn't have any of hotmail/yahoo/gmail account. ISP all the way

 

Google chose to open up their Gmail system slowly to prevent all sorts of fake accounts like there are on Yahoo! or Hotmail.

 

whoo hoo! just what i need ... another IM platform to install and run for that 1 person in your contacts that has to be special.

move over trillian ... here comes quadruplian.

i think this is one area where google is going to have a hard time rising above msn and yahoo. there are many users searching google but their homepage is still set to yahoo because that's thier habit. for every 1 google toolbar i see on a users machine i see 6 yahoo toolbars (minus the IT crowd).