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Google+ vs. Facebook: A comparison between the two social network giants
Posted on July 5th, 2011 No commentsIn Google+, the search giant offers a serious competitor to Facebook. Here’s how the two social networks stack up.
By Jared Newman , PCWorld Jul 1, 2011 9:30 am
How Does Google+ Stack Up Against Facebook?
With Google+, the behemoth of Web search may have finally figured out social networking. Demand for Google+ invites is reportedly through the roof, and critics are generally pleased with how the service works.
But do we really need another social network? Can Google+ offer a service that Facebook does not? While you wait for the chance to see for yourself, take a look at this slideshow to learn how Facebook and Google+ compare.
Look and Feel: Google+
Facebook users should be quite comfortable with Google+, because the layout is nearly identical. Comment streams run down the center of the page, flanked by groups on the left and friend suggestions on the right. Chat windows appear in the bottom-right corner, just as on Facebook.
Look and Feel: Facebook
Yup, Google isn’t hiding its design inspirations, as UXBoy points out in a side-by-side comparison. Facebook has a few extra bells and whistles, though, in the form of events and games.
Creating Groups in Google+
A big draw of Google+ is the way it forces users to separate family, friends, and acquaintances into separate groups, called “circles.” Users can create their own custom circles and add people
Creating Groups in Facebook
Unlike Google+, Facebook is not designed around the group dynamic, but users can make public or private groups, with the option to allow all members to invite other people into the fold. It’s more of an optional feature–family members can have a little pow-wow, for instance–than a way of sifting out who sees what.
Profiles in Google+
I’m using the page for my colleague Daniel as an example here. You can see that Google+ profiles resemble a layout that Facebook previously used, separating status updates, information, and photos into separate tabs. One nice touch in Google+: When a user has multiple profile images, you can click the image to swap the thumbnail. (Try it on the page of Vic Gundotra, Google’s senior vice president of engineering.)
Profiles in Facebook
Facebook’s recently redesigned profile pages condense everything into a single view. Brief biographical tidbits and a strip of recent photos float above the user’s wall and recent activity. In a column to the left, Facebook still offers separate tabs for photos and other information.
Photos Compared
Photos on Google+ have a neat-looking staggered layout (but at least in my circle, there isn’t much to see right now). Facebook’s almighty album view makes for a superior friend-stalking environment. (I’ve blurred their faces for privacy here.)
Mobile Apps Compared
For now, the Google+ mobile app (left) is available only on Android, but it comes with a unique group-chat feature called Huddle. The Google+ iPhone Web app offers more-basic functions, including status updates, check-ins, and photo viewing. Facebook’s app has more features, including events and private chat, and it’s available on more platforms.
Bonus Google+ Feature: Hangouts
I haven’t spent much time with Hangouts, which allows as many as ten Google+ users to video-chat simultaneously, but it has lots of potential. The ability to watch YouTube videos live with friends, as shown here, could make for hilarious time-wasting.
Bonus Google+ Feature: Sparks
Can’t figure out what to do on Google+? A section of the site called “Sparks” serves up news articles based on your interests. The feature is kind of bland right now, as it lacks any sort of social interaction, but perhaps that will change.
Facebook’s Secret Weapon: Games
What Facebook lacks in simplicity, it makes up for with heaps of time-sucking diversions, such as FarmVille. There have been some indications that Google+ may become a gaming hub–the company has been looking for a gaming product manager–but for now Facebook dominates social games, which are a big reason that people spend so much time on the site. If Google decides to integrate Web-based apps, especially games, via its Chrome Web Store, Google+ would be able to compete more squarely with Facebook on the entertainment front.
See Also:
Google+ Invite Process Shut Down Amid ‘Insane Demand’
Google launches Google+ for Social Network as a blockbuster challenge to Facebook
Google+ Hangouts Video Chat Could Challenge Skype
Can Google+ Dethrone Facebook?
Sources from:
Useful readings:
How to convert DVD to HTC Flyer to freely watch DVD on HTC Flyer
How to convert Blu-ray to HTC Flyer tablet to watch HD Blu-ray on HTC Flyer
How to Convert Video to Flyer for Any Video Playback on HTC Flyer
How to Rip DVD Movies for Mac and then Play on HTC Legend/Hero
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Google launches Google+ for Social Network as a blockbuster challenge to Facebook
Posted on June 30th, 2011 No commentsGoogle has recently launched the so called field-trial-period Google+ Project for invitation-only users to smooth out the rough edges of this project. The Google+ project is the latest attempt of Google to get involved in the social network right after its frustrated Google Buzz, and has been considered as a big blockbuster challenge to Facebook.
Currently, this new service is only available to a limited number of people selected. Yet once it opens to public, it would be proved to be a popular and challenging rival to Facebook. Ever since the trial Google+ project launched on Tuesday, the Google+ has received both positive and negative critics from public. You can find the related critics in the end of this post. Before that, let’s get to know what this new service provide for us or the important features included to challenge Facebook.
1. Circles
From the Google+ Project home page, “You share different things with different people. But sharing the right stuff with the right people shouldn’t be a hassle. Circles makes it easy to put your friends from Saturday night in one circle, your parents in another, and your boss in a circle by himself, just like real life”. You only need to drag the proper people from the recommended list, either from your Gmail or your Google Contacts, to corresponding circles. The interface is quite simple and visible, yet somewhat interesting.
2. Sparks
Via Sparks, you can just input one thing you are interested in, and then Google would help you find out various related things you might be fond of in different aspects. Sparks would find as many related featured interests as possible for you to watch in your spare time.
3. Hangouts
This is an interesting feature that may really threaten Facebook with its capability of up to 10 people’s mashup of video chatting through Gmail. The operation for this is also quite simple and easy: firstly start a hangout and then invite friends from your circles or individual ones.
4. Instant Upload
For Android phone users, this is a really great feature to save time of uploading your pictures or videos recorded with your Android phones. Instant Upload feature would automatically help you upload your recorded pictures and videos to Google+ and save in a private album. You could choose to share with your friends or not.
5. Huddles
The Huddles is in fact a group messaging app which could be used among Android phones, iPhone, and SMS with your circles.
Still, there are many other features on Google+ Project, like Stream, Notification, etc. Gundotra, one of the Google+ project engineers, said “It’s a social circle. We don’t believe it’s a social network.”
Related readings:
Google+ Social Network: Hands-On First Impressions
Google+: What the Critics Are Saying About the New Social Network
Useful tools and guides for Google Android devices
How to convert DVD to HTC Flyer to freely watch DVD on HTC Flyer
How to convert Blu-ray to HTC Flyer tablet to watch HD Blu-ray on HTC Flyer
How to Convert Video to Flyer for Any Video Playback on HTC Flyer
How to Rip DVD Movies for Mac and then Play on HTC Legend/Hero
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