14 DAY TRIAL // A couple of days ago, we came about an interesting looking screenshot of what the Google Voice phone call window in Gmail might look like, if and when it gets launched. In the meantime, there have also been rumors about a Google Voice desktop app the company was apparently developing with the help of the Gizmo5 team it acquired last year. Now, it looks like plans for a desktop Voice may have been scrapped as it doesn’t coincide with Google’s philosophy.
TechCrunch says that Google was definitely working on a desktop app for Google Voice, based on software developed by Gizmo5. The startup, which the search giant acquired, offered a voice chat service and application that also worked with Google Voice and Gtalk. The app it was developing for Google has been in testing internally and some employees are still using it now.
But plans to release it to the public have been delayed or possibly even dropped, the report says. This is due to internal debate over whether Google should be launching a dedicated desktop app instead of doing what it does best, web apps. So, it looks like the team working on the Google Voice client has been told to create one for the browser and using just HTML5.
While Google has been touting the virtues of HTML5, the task may be too much even for its own engineers. Apparently, the biggest issue is with the microphone, it’s hard to get quality sound and low latency with the tools available today.
But there’s a third way, one that Google is actually pursuing. Gmail now offers voice and video chat inside the application. However, it does this by requiring users to install a browser plugin, something that Google isn’t keen on either, but has been known to do when no other options were available. The company is moving to ditch plugins in favor of HTML5. Still, it looks like the only viable, if temporary, solution to the problem and is one that Google is at least contemplating, if the rumors earlier this week are to be believed.