Google Talk vs GChat

Google Talk is a messaging client that was produced by Google. It is in direct competition with other software like Yahoo Chat, MSN, and Skype. Google later decided to integrate the said service to their email service Gmail and decided to call it Gmail Chat or GChat. So the two are basically the same, aside from the fact that GChat is only accessible via Gmail and Google Talk isn’t.

The main distinction you need to make with Google Talk is that it is a separate software and you need to download and install it on your computer before you can begin using it. This is not the case with GChat. As long as you have an updated browser and internet connection, you can use GChat after you’ve logged-in to your Gmail account. GChat is very useful if you want to chat with someone but you do not have the ability to install applications on the computer you are currently using.

As Google Talk is a separate software, it is able to do much more than what GChat is capable of. The biggest feature that GChat is missing is VoIP. VoIP is a protocol that allows the transmission of voice in a packet based network like the Internet. As long as you both have Google Talk clients, it is possible to call the other party regardless of where he is at virtually no cost. Another complementary feature is video calls, which is just a normal phone call but with a video feed for both parties. A web browser lacks the flexibility to allow the coding of such features and even if possible, it would possibly add excessive loads to the browser.

Google and Gchat are just two ways of accessing the same service. Google Talk is just full featured and should be used most of the time. On the other hand, Gchat is just a handy tool that allows you to send quick messages or have a short chat with a friend of colleague while checking your mail. It is convenient to have an alternative when you can’t have Google Talk or when the task is too short to launch a separate application.

Summary:

1.Google Talk is a messaging application while GChat is an email add-on
2.Google Talk is a separate client that needs to be installed while GChat isn’t
3.Google Talk provides VoIP service while GChat doesn’t

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