'Hangouts'..?

Alan_Cross

For the sake of a technophobe, could someone kindly explain:


1.what this is,

2.whether it can be used for real time voice communication, i.e. a substitute for phoning and

3.whether a desktop PC user could access it..?


Grateful for any help. Have looked at the Wikipedia entry but find it full of the usual techno-nerdjargon.

MovingForwards

Google hangouts?

Its like making a video telephone call. But several people can connect into it.

Both of you need to have it set up on your phone / pc / laptop.

You need a camera connected if you want to do face to face calls.

You need a microphone to speak into.

I found it more stable than Skype, but that was because of doing team meetings with a lot of people over different sites.

JustAnotherSaver

You don't NEED to video or telephone with hangouts. It's an option. I know you mentioned it so i'm guessing maybe that's all you want it for but i'd been using it for years and never spoken to anyone or seen anyone at all.



Think of it like a modern version of MSN Messenger ... sort of. I just used it to keep in touch with various people from various groups i was in. Don't use it so much these days.
Had the app on my phone, never had any trouble with it.


Some of those from the groups i was in would use it to do voice calls. They rated it. Never experienced this myself though, nor the video calls. They never grumbled about it though.


But yeah i would mostly use it on my desktop PC.


https://hangouts.google.com/

dipsomaniac

There are reports that Google is killing off hangouts in 2020

JustAnotherSaver

dipsomaniac wrote: »

There are reports that Google is killing off hangouts in 2020

Hmm. I don't frequent them much these days. A few years ago the groups i was in were very active. Not really any more. Everyone seems to have shifted to Discord. Maybe that's why.

Alan_Cross

Ok, thanks folks.