AndroidGuys mix it up with GTalk web app

Oh for god’s sake.

I wouldn’t have to write so much about the iPhone if people would stop being clueless about it.

AndroidGuys have a rant about the web-client version of Google Talk that was released a couple of days ago.

A few days ago, Google released the official Google Talk app for the iPhone and it’s not exactly what you would expect. The problem I found with it was that in order to receive instant messages, the application needs to be open in your Safari browser. Otherwise, your status will be changed to “unavailable” when you head off to another browser window or app, only to have your Google Talk session restarted when you return.

They claim it’s a limitation of the iPhone SDK that the web browser page needs to be open on your device in order to start working. It’s actually more a limitation of being a web app – of running in the Safari sandbox. It can’t take advantage of the new Push service that Apple is releasing later this month for all iPhone users.

Why can’t people take into account that leaving a network application open completely bollocks your battery life. We can see this already with the difference between ‘standby’ and ‘talk time’. The difference is that IP network usage is considered talk-time and the iPhone does well in that regard with 5 hours of network access. For a device that might be with you all day, 5 hours ain’t a lot especially when all you’re doing is waiting for people to message you.

Seriously, who wants their chat program set up so that the only time you can talk with friends is if both people have the exact same websites up on their phones at the exact same time?

The same sort of idiot who thinks a web client of any sort is the best solution for a mobile device?

The rant finishes off with some pipe dreams about running an XMPP based service with built in Skype/GTalk VoIP which will undoubtedly get a zillion hours of battery life using just the charging provided by plugging your mobly into a lemon for an hour.

All the hype in the world isn’t going to turn Android into the jesusPhone just as a hack version of Android installed onto a Nokia N810 isn’t going to prove that it’s a workable product. Let’s see what Android will actually deliver when they deliver it. I guarantee I’ll buy one of them and see what the fuss is all about. By the time decent handsets are shipping, Apple should be about due for another iPhone revision.

We’ll also see if Google release a native version of GTalk complete with the Push service when the App Store comes online and the Push service is available. If they do, kudos due. If not, then it’s incredibly disingenuous of them. Do no evil. Sure. Easy to say when your money is based on advertising.