Google Talk Beta is Live

It's official!
Google’s latest gee-whiz could be the one that puts it above the crowd. Way above for moment.

Google late Tuesday released a beta of its highly anticipated Google Talk instant messaging client. Much like the search giant's Web site, the software sports a straightforward no-frills user interface free of the clutter and advertising that bog down other IM clients.
Weighing in at only 900kb, Google Talk is a much smaller download than other popular IM services, including AIM, MSN, and Yahoo. However, for the time being its feature list is quite sparse.

The beta combins IM and VoIP service and right now, at least, it’s ad-free. “They say talk is cheap,” says the company on the launch site. “Google thinks it should be free. Google Talk enables you to call or send instant messages to your friends for free - anytime, anywhere in the world.”