How to use Google Talk without the Google Talk Client

Chatting has been one of the staple means of communication over the internet. Long before blogging and Twitter came along, chatting via IM or instant messages has been the way of getting in touch with your friends, colleagues and contacts via the web in real-time. It was quick, fun, addictive and cheap!

Services, websites, and technologies have been developed with and around chatting. Communities, friendships, relationships and business deals have been made or broken over chat rooms or channels, or private messages. The technology maybe be old school, but even after Twitter has become the latest craze today, chatting over your choice of IM client and network has remained a basic facet of using the internet.

It’s a good thing Google came up with its own chatting service called Google Talk and with it, the sleek and fancy Google Talk client. Because of this, your Google Account or Gmail account has become a key to chatting glory and fun.

Just download and install the Google Talk client and chat away with your fellow Gmail users and be alerted when new messages arrive in your Gmail inbox. The fun will last as long as you stay on your own PC or you happen to chance upon a PC that has Google Talk client installed. Problems arise when the PC you’re going to use doesn’t have Gtalk client installed. Of course downloading and installing the application would be the best fix but what if you’re using a public pc? Or you don’t have administrator rights for the computer you’re going to use? Or for some really strange reason, you’re friend doesn’t want Google Talk client on his machine, what will you do when you really need to talk to your friend or contact via Google Talk?

Why use the Google Talk Gadget of course!

With Google Talk Gadget you can chat with your Google Talk contacts without using or downloading the client itself.

Simply head on to the Google Talk homepage, click on the “Launch Google Talk” button, log in using your Google or Gmail account and presto! A pop-up window would appear containing the Google Talk Gadget. You can now chat over the Google Talk network, you could even preview videos and photos shared to you by your contacts.

It’s no longer important what or who’s PC you’re using, even if it’s a Mac or a Linux, all you need is a web browser, an internet connection and of course, your Google Account.