Who uses Google Talk?

[milovany]

Pleeease tell me you don't have to use the video feature to use Google Talk.  Can you just call using audio like you can with Skype? 

 

ETA -- Okay I see that Google Talk is now "Google+ Hangouts."  Can anyone give the very basic rundown?  What do I need to do to get set up to use it?  Do I have to have a gmail account? I have a Google account but not gmail.  Do I have to use Chrome? (When I click "for computer" it seems to tell me to download Chrome.)  I need to be able to call a person in the USA and hear what's going on in the room that he's in (lecture).  I really do NOT want to be seen while I transcribe his class!  I type sitting on my bed in my jammies, with unkempt hair, LOL. 

 

ETA -- Thank to those that replied.  I learned this morning that Hangouts is different from Google Talk.  I think Talk is being slowly done away with (one of my supervisors called it "obsolete") but is still available for those that use it. 

[nmoira]

Yup. I don't use video.

[AHASRADA]

Nope, no video. We use it all the time to call places of business, etc. As long as you have gmail, you're all set! I think you do have to set it up (dh took care of that), but after that, it's just always on the sidebar. Just type in the phone number and go!

[walkermamaof4]

If you have a cell phone that can have apps, another option is to download the free magicjack app. It doesn't use minutes of cell time and you can use it to make outgoing calls. It seems to allocate whatever # is available to you to make the call, not one # all of the time. So you can't give the # out to have others call you. But I use it when wifi is available so that I can call businesses without using my cell minutes.