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Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

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Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#361

Post by nathancahill »

verytrivial wrote: post #292
codelitt wrote: post #284

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People keep saying mobile is the future, however, I just can't imagine desktops leaving us anytime soon. If I'm on the go, then sure I want it on my mobile device, but 99% of the time when I'm at work I want quick and easy access either through an app or the browser on my desktop. If a service I use doesn't have a desktop app, then it likely won't receive any of my attention until I'm out of the office.

Exactly this: I wanted to send an annotated Google Map to someone. I started whilst on a train trip and with a series of silly screenshots (using an offline map app after having my network go up and down etc.) I got about half way done in 20 minutes. I got to my desk and restarted from scratch and got it done in about a minute. Obvious I know. My point is my strange use-case (an annotated map) was an artifact I could…

> Unless someone has (1) identified a mass need exactly the same as yours, and (2) made an app that does exactly that you are out of luck.

So true. And even if there was the need, and the app was made, you would never be able to find it in the app store without knowing it's exact name.

Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#362

Post by Pxtl »

MrPatan wrote: post #319
Bedon292 wrote: post #261

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Definitely doesn't make sense. I use hangouts constantly. It is my default app for SMS and chatting with family. I like having one consistent thread between different desktop devices, as well as mobile. Yes Slack has replaced it for work, but that's no good for family, at least not mine. Until this has desktop support there is no reason for me to buy in. Why not have (one of) the most important feature of hangouts (a…

For SMSs too? On my Android, the new(ish?) message app ("Messenger") now wanted control of SMSs back from hangouts. Another silly reversal, and another silly messaging app from Google. Fourth time lucky? On that topic, when is the inbox app replacing the gmail app? Maybe never and that's good, given that sometimes I cannot download attachments with the inbox app that I can happily download from the old gmail app righ…

I still can't figure out how to find archived messages in Inbox.

Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#363

Post by Pxtl »

danohu wrote: post #256
whack wrote: post #249

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There was a NYtimes article a few years ago, which I thought perfectly captured the fundamental difference between Apple and Google's product planning process. Apple runs on Intelligent Design. You have a room full of geniuses who decide what to build, make sure it fits perfectly into their overall product portfolio with minimal overlap or cannibalization, spend years in a dark secret room building it until it's perf…

The Google approach would be great, if they just separated it from the Google brand. Like, when Unilever launch a new detergent, they give it a totally separate brand. If it fails, they drop it quietly, and if it succeeds they can roll it out worldwide. I wish Google would do the same. Launch this as 'allo', with the fact that it's from alphabet buried in the small print. Once it's been doing well for a couple of yea…

Exactly.

Disney has Miramax for films that don't fit under the Disney brand.

Toyota has the Scion brand for quirky, weird car designs.

Google could have a brand for experimental apps that they're not sure about.

Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#364

Post by subliminalpanda »

unprepare wrote: post #294
baldfat wrote: post #286

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Desktop will always be around. I just think we are moving back to the 80s and 90s where only the "Super Tech" person owned them and the rest just didn't need them. Mobile has replaced a lot of the way people spend time but for my interest and needs desktop is king. I don't watch movies on my desktop (YouTube yes) but I also don't do video editing and data science on a phone.

I think PC gaming has been growing in popularity, i dont see that being overtaken by mobile anytime soon, as i dont see mobile being competitive with desktop GPUs anytime soon (let alone RAM, cpu, cooling, power availability, etc) Also, with the growing trend of 'cord-cutting' i think more and more people are hooking their laptops up to their TVs and watching netflix and youtube that way. Though the trend in that spa…

>Also, with the growing trend of 'cord-cutting' i think more and more people are hooking their laptops up to their TVs and watching netflix and youtube that way. Though the trend in that space seems to be pointing more toward curated ecosystems like roku, apple tv, etc.

I have been doing this for some time now. My laptop hooked up to my TV serves me for gaming (helps that a lot of PC games support controllers now), consuming content and music all without being crippled by consumer hardware restrictions.

Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#365

Post by degenerate »

sorenjan wrote: post #353

I don't know of any other company that has discontinued as many products people actually used. Sorry Google, even if I didn't already have several chat apps and even if I didn't prefer to type on a real keyboard I still couldn't recommend your new products to friends and family. I just don't trust you anymore.

RIP Google Talk, February 16, 2015. This was the end for me.

Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#366

Post by CoryG89 »

sbarre wrote: post #266
ryandvm wrote: post #255

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google really has nailed usability with Duo. It's clean and fast and easy to use. The potential is there. If I was optimistic, I'd say their strategy will be to force their way into the market by integrating it into the OS via Contacts or maybe even lower. Of course Hangouts had potential too. And then Slack came along and ate their lunch on the business side. It's really kind of ridiculous that every single organiza…

Huh.. I had never looked at Duo and I scrolled down the landing page and saw "Preview incoming video calls before accepting them" and now I want FaceTime and Skype to immediately integrate that.. That's a killer feature..

Maybe it's just me, but I kind of find this a bit creepy. It seems to me that it would be similar if the phone companies allowed you to listen to someone calling you while it was still ringing for them.

Maybe it's not quite what I am thinking though. I can't tell if the video preview is live or if it's something recorded before the call is made.

Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#367

Post by dethstar »

dagaci wrote: post #355

I Have WhatsApp running on my iPhone, Windows PC, on my iMac and Laptop. I haven't tried Allo yet, but I'm not happy with any app like this taking off that isn't cross-platform.

Whatsapp wasn't on the web not too long ago. They also started with Chrome only which was annoying.

Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#368

Post by degenerate »

fzzzy wrote: post #295
rubber_duck wrote: post #290

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly crap like this is devaluing their brand. At this point I have 0 faith that Google will stick to any of their random products (Google Wave, Buzz, Reader, Code, Google+) and therefore I avoid using them.

It really is devaluing the brand. Bring back Google Talk.

Google Talk was perfect. PER-FECT. Of course they killed it!

Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#369

Post by [deleted] »

skyrw wrote: post #206
jotux wrote: post #72

So now google has Voice, Messenger, Hangouts, Allo, and Duo all with overlapping functionality? I wish they would just focus on making Hangouts work really well.

The only killer feature that hangouts has is that it's the only reliable way to talk to any of your friends that work at google.

[deleted]

Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#370

Post by GFischer »

bmaupin wrote: post #304
soylentcola wrote: post #300

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is exactly why so many of my friends and family use Hangouts née Gmail Chat. We can use it in the browser at work just by keeping Gmail open in a tab. No IM applications to install or concerns about whether we're running Windows, OSX, or whatever. Then the conversations follow when you log off whatever desktop or laptop you're on via the mobile app. About half of us use Android so it either comes standard or you…

> We can use it in the browser at work just by keeping Gmail open in a tab. There's also https://hangouts.google.com/

Didn't know about that ! Interesting.
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