Google Plus - First Impression

Its seen that many people have sent out Google+ invites to one another. Having logged into Google+ myself, I'm curious as to what everyone's review of the new social network is, and if you believe that it could rival Facebook at some point. But first, I thought I'd share my first impressions of Google+.

There are some similarities between Google+ and Facebook, such as the basic appearance of the user profile and stream, similar ways of placing photos (notice your profile has that horizontal bar of photos you can add next to your default picture much like Facebook's), etc. But there is much more to this. There are some trick which are already used in Facebook.

Information

While both Google plus and Facebook have options in the status window that allow you to post photos, videos, or links, but i prefer the Google+ layout. Both allow you to choose who you're sharing that particular post with, but Google+'s is much easier to navigate and seems pretty cut and dry. The best thing that I like in particular is the ability to jump right to YouTube on Google+'s "Add Video" option. In addition, I think the "Questions" button on Facebook's status box is completely useless, and prefer Google+'s "Add your Location." by syncing with Google Maps . Another cool feature is the ability to disable comments altogether on a particular post, where Facebook's privacy button for each post just allows you to share it with certain people, or just yourself.

Google+'s Circles is a feature is quite fool proof just because the drag and drop feature is so convenient and provides a perfectly categorized library of people you know. I like that I can separate what my family sees from what my friends see, and so on. While this is possible on Facebook as well through its Groups option, let's be honest...who really uses that? I feel that Facebook share bit more while Twitter shares bit less . But Google+ is right in the middle because you can categorize your information and content to a particular Circle

The +1 feature is somewhat like the "LIKE" button in Facebook and there not much special to write about it. They're the same to me, but what's cool is that there is a "+1's" tab on your user profile that allows you to store the posts/links you've +1'd on Google+. In case your friends has shared a good picture of a sports car and you +1 it , you will be having the same content in your profile even if your friend deletes it .

The chat is just a version of Google Talk standard with one-on-one, video, voice and multi-person chat (Facebook recently launched the latter). The better is the on/off the record option. If you choose to be "off the record," your conversation is not stored in Gmail chat history or your contact's history. It was really a neat idea.

Google+ also has a multi-person video chat called Hangouts.Its quite better than the Facebook Video Chat since you can have a hangout with multiple people unlike Facebook which has One-to-One.

Google+'s mobile app for Android seems very plain to me and still not yet released for all Android Smartphones .The Cellphone App is still in its initial phase and will develop for sure, but for now, the mobile version on the iPhone 4's Safari seems to have more. Also Google has linked your Plus account with Orkut, Gmail, Picasa,Documents etc . Which gives you all Google Apps under a single roof making everything quite simple.

Another good feature is "view Profile As" bar on your profile that allows you to look at your profile as any person in your Circles which respects your privacy. It's quick and easy confirmation that your family didn't see that crazy post about that party last weekend :)

The Google+ Sparks is just like Communities on Orkut or the various pages on Facebook where you can have a word with the people having same interests as you

This was my first impression about Google+ which will surely raise the bar for Facebook and Facebook people will have the same feeling that Orkut had on arrival of Facebook :)
Also Google+ has a "feedback" option which will help Google+ develop a lot with the users co-operation and right reviews.

I look forward to that day when Google+ will outrun Facebook starting a new era of Social Website, but until then, what do you think? What are your first impressions?