Google Plus: Hands On

So we at PCWorld India did join Google's latest attempt at social networking Google+, albeit through a loophole. Here is what we feel about the Google+ experience.

Signing up

Well apparently Google has suspended invites to any more people on Google+ but there is a loophole (or is it a marketing strategy? Keep guessing!).

In order to join all you need to do is ask a friend who is already on Google+ to share a link to your Gmail address. What you need to do next is click on 'learn more about Google+' and you will be redirected to Google+ sign up page. Voila! Mission accomplished.

Interface

We +1 the interface. The minimalist design is a treat for the eyes.

After the initial formalities of creating a profile, you are greeted to a home screen where the crux of the screen is occupied by what Google calls 'Stream' similar toFacebook's newsfeed and you can obviously share you updates/links/photos in an instant. There is a search bar for people on the top of Streamand four small buttons: home, profile, photos and circle.

The right hand side contains your friends list (circles) and there are Google's custom friend suggestions below it. Below suggestions you have a small button which reads 'start a hangout' which will be explained in succeeding paragraphs.

You can customise your stream according to your preference. For example, you can choose your 'notifications' as the Stream. Below that is 'Sparks' which will again be explained in detail later. Below that is the Gtalk module which shows who are available for chat irrespective of whether they are on Google+ or not.

Circles

Google tries to mimic the way we organise our friends in real life with 'Circles'. After you join Google+, the first thing that you do is create a circle of friends. There are Google pre-determined circles like friends, family, acquaintances and following. You can also create custom circles and add your friends accordingly. You can choose which Circle of friends gets to see a particular post.

The coolest part about circles is the interface. You can drag and drop friends to any circle and the smooth animation looks very good.

Sparks

Sparks is a very interesting and unique addition to Google+. What it basically does is lets you choose a particular search keyword and set it as your interest in the Sparks. So if I like The Doors, then I can create a search term and set it as a Spark and the moment I click on The Doors I am greeted to a search string which is similar to the normal search on Google. Our only qualm is that users don't get all search keywords on a single Sparks stream. However, Google does excel at what it does best - 'Search'.

Hangouts

It is an intriguing name for a video conferencing feature. But, it is definitely something that might put Google+ ahead of Facebook. You can create a hangout of up to 10 people. You can invite a circle of friends or an individual friend to the Hangout room for the video chat session.

Final Verdict

Google+ is definitely creating a lot of buzz on, ironically, Twitter and Facebook. It is a huge leap from the disasters that were Buzz and Wave. However, despite the overwhelming initial response, Google+ has miles to traverse and many more steep hurdles before it can actually be of any threat to Facebook.