According to a study released by Nielsen/NetRatings [PDF], Meebo is the instant messaging solution with the highest US growth in the last 10 months. Meebo, a web messenger that lets you connect to Yahoo Messenger, Windows Live Messenger, AIM, ICQ and Jabber/Google Talk, increased its US user base from 434,000 to almost 2 million. In the same period of time, Google Talk grew from 904,000 to 2,25 million users. It's unclear whether the study only included Google Talk's desktop client or it also considered the web interfaces from Gmail and iGoogle. The more powerful Skype has 2,6 million users in the US.
Meebo became popular because many schools and companies blocked access to instant messaging clients and their web versions were almost unusable. Of course, Meebo was also blocked, so it came up with an HTTPS version. Now even if Yahoo, Microsoft, Google and others build online interfaces, people still prefer Meebo, the all-in-one messenger.
I like Meebo. There's no comparison to an offline messenger, but it does have them all indeed :) But there's another thing everybody seems to have forgotten about: the Google Talk + Skype thing? A lot of time passed since that announcement and nothing happened. Maybe i'm missing something?
ReplyDeleteMeebo is my all time favorite. I use it even at home, where I have all IM applications installed :)
ReplyDeleteWith meebo we can have some multiple identities. The meebome widget and the meeboRooms are very good concepts too, much more than other comparative services.
ReplyDeleteAny product out there grows up faster than any google products, google promises..., just that.
ReplyDeleteGdrive, voip, encryption, videoconference, aim integration, checkout only in usa and uk, new versions of gtalk, lack of features in picasaweb... AWAITING!!!
It's a good idea, but what happens if the big IM networks just block Meebo?
ReplyDeleteI doubt Meebo is paying fees to Microsoft, Yahoo, etc.
So it's probably just a matter of time...
I'm commenting on what was said about Microsoft, Yahoo, etc blocking Meebo. If you ask me that would be pretty bull-headed of them to block Meebo.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, I just started using Meebo, and I absolutely love it.
So, I say, if one of these companies blocks Meebo, then I'm going to boycott that company until it's unblocked.
Bullheaded... MSN Blocked Trillian another popular all-in-one messenger before and Trillian ultimately had to pay license fees to MSN...
ReplyDeleteLet's see where meebo ends up when they continue growing like they do.
It's understandable. If MSN would be my company, I would not be happy that there is someone else *stealing* my customers.
ReplyDeleteTrillian for example:
They programmed a software. Users can *buy* their software to access MY network. LOL...
My own software has advertisings, so my customers don't need to pay for my software, but at least I get some bucks from advertising...
I would want my customers to use my software and not software from someone else.
@richard
ReplyDeleteDon't forget that Google doesn't charge money for their basic software/tools.
BTW, Google already offers VoIP (GTalk).
Meebo helps me get away from the spyware ridden messaging clients that you usually have to install but meebo help me keep out of all that stuff and i donn't have to go between them
ReplyDeleteMeebo is awesome, but the one thing it lacks is PGP encryption. I'm a bit of a security nut. If I have a private IM conversation, I don't want anyone to be able to read it, and by the way, SSL is NOT secure. There are some standalone IM clients that support PGP, but most don't.
ReplyDeleteYou usually find features like PGP in Linux/Unix based software, not Windows or Mac. I use Meebo all the time, but whenever I need to exchange passwords, or any confidential material, I fallback to a standalone client.
For those with Messenger and/or Meebo blocked give a try at MingleWorld.com ( http://www.mingleworld.com ).
ReplyDeleteIt has an instant messenger with support for MSN.
If I were google i would have allowed Meebo to continue in its operations. Then fold the Meebo untilities into the normal google talk base. That to me is a more user friendly approach. Right now Meebo user are simply leaving the service cold turkey.
ReplyDelete