As of today,
Google Talk is now available to anyone. You no longer need to have a Gmail account to sign-up for and run
Google Talk instant messenger.
Google Talk is a very nice, streamlined instant messenger that also provides free PC-to-PC voice calls, voice mail and fast file transfers.
While I like Google Talk, up until now, the one-year old instant messenger hasn't made a significant dent in the IM market. Opening up registration to allow anyone to use it should increase Google Talk market penetration, and could be a first step towards the previously announced
Google Talk - AIM interoperability.
I haven't tested Google Talk with a non-Google email address, and I'm curious to hear how voice mails are received. If you've signed up, please let us know.