Yesterday, I downloaded and installed the beta version of Google Talk, Google’s much-rumored and anticipated IM client. My first impression: it’s pretty damn stripped-down. The interface is nice and clean, but the feature set is pretty small: no interoperability with other chat protocols, no ability to change the event notifications, no skins. On the other hand, it’s built on the open IM protocol Jabber, rather than its own proprietary protocol ala AIM, YahooIM, and MSN Messenger.
Microsoft has released 8 new critical patches and updates, and as usual, the nerds at Slashdot have worked themselves into a lather about how the insecurity of Windows operating systems. While Windows certainly has its problems (I am bothered by zealotry on any side of the OS fence), I find it amusing/irritating that the regular release of Windows patches is immediately jumped upon by the “Winblows is teh sux0rs!” crowd as a sign of Linux’s inherent superiority, while the near-daily release of updates that show up on my Ubuntu box is ignored/rationalized by the same bunch.
Can no one produce a decent instant messaging client? I’ve been a big fan of Trillian for the last 5 years or so, but have been vaguely dissatisfied with it since the release of version 3.0. Chief among my problems: It keeps screwing up my contact list. I have my contact list divided up into groups for friend, people in my office, and contacts at the corporate mothership, but people keep showing up in the wrong group, no matter how many times I move them to the correct one.
Google must be the work of the Devil, or some sort of crazy conspiracy. I just don’t see how they can keep doing all this cool stuff and not be secretly evil. I’ve been checking out the Google Maps beta, and it seems pretty cool. Then again, I welcome pretty much any alternative to the loathsome Mapquest.