Do you hear that buzz?! It’s not a bird…no! It’s not a plane, no, NO, it’s GOOGLE!!!!  That’s right Google does it again, this time with their latest product launch Google Buzz. Giving us all yet ANOTHER way to share with our networks online, this tool is rumored to potentially threaten Facebook and Twitter as it combines email, photo sharing, video, status updates and more through Google’s very own GMail platform. Since Google Buzz is limited to GMail users only, I wonder how popular this tool can really become?

Luckily GMail users don’t have to wait for an invite like they did with Google Wave to try it out. Instead, Google is rolling out this feature to all of its GMail customers in the next few days.  It is available under the Inbox once you login to your GMail account.  If you don’t have a Gmail account, you can easily get one for free by visiting http://mail.google.com.

Initial Impression
As I experiment with Buzz, Google’s ambition to monopolize its users’ attention with a variety of web services is palpable. Clearly Google wants to be the one-stop location for communicating on the web via email, social networking, photo sharing, etc.  Unfortunately, so far the user experience has been confusing and difficult to figure out at first glance.

Once Google Buzz launched on Tuesday, everyone here in our office (and we’re pretty savvy folks) tried to figure out just what to do with this new tool. When I first logged on, I could not tell who I was following and vice a versa. Apparently Google automatically follows people you email or chat with the most. It took way too long to figure out how to manually add other people that I want to follow. Eventually I managed to follow a few people and was not surprised to see many comments from them stating that they were also confused about how to use even the simplest functions.  It may be that we all need to spend some time with Google Buzz and get used to how it works, but it’s a shame that it’s not more clear and intuitive from the beginning.

Threat to Facebook and Twitter?
As an avid user of Twitter, Facebook and GMail, I am excited by the idea of using this tool in conjunction with my email, Google Reader, Picassa, etc, however I just don’t get why I should use this tool over the ones I am already using.

There is no doubt that I will continue to tinker around with Google Buzz because I am curious, however I think it’s too soon to consider it a threat to Twitter and Facebook. It seems that Google is banking on converting Twitter and Facebook users by combining the key functions from both services and integrating that experience into the interface of their email account. The sub-text is convenience and simplification. Before that value proposition resonates with users though, they’ll need to smooth out some of the usability issues. I definitely don’t see people like my mom or technically challenged folks understanding it in the foreseeable future.  Just think of all those people out there who can’t stand it when Facebook changes its interface? With a new, experimental product like Google Buzz, there are bound to be frequent ongoing changes to this platform, which often make average users uncomfortable.

As I examine Google Buzz as a newbie, here are a few things I have noticed:

• It’s located right under your Inbox. If yours isn’t showing up yet, Google says it may take a few days for the roll out to reach everyone.

• You can pull in your current Twitter, Flickr, Picassa, Blogspot, Blogger.com, Google Reader accounts (no Facebook) with Google Buzz. I was bummed to see that there was no API available (no way to update your status) yet for Twitter, so I see no point for me to have it included in Buzz at this point.

• Once logged in, next to your name, click on ”connected sites” to determine which accounts you want to integrate with Google Buzz.

• You can choose to share privately or with the world, but I would really like to see a way to create lists which would be a helpful way of sorting through the clutter.

• The mobile application looks promising however it is only available to iPhone, Android, Nokia560, and Windows Mobile. Google Buzz is also spotlighting its check-in tool feature similar to Foursquare’s popular Twitter app.

From my initial impression, Google Buzz is not a tool that will replace my frequent visits to Facebook and Twitter as both platforms are used for different purposes and are extremely simple, easy to navigate and also where ALL my friends are, not just my friends using GMail.

So far I have noticed many people providing negative comments about Google Buzz resenting Google for its wide reach and for crossing into the social networking territory again where they have no business being in (remember Orkut?). I agree to some extent, but will try to keep up with this new tool and be patient. So far only a few of my friends are on it and have sort of figured it out, so for me it has been a lonely place to socialize up to this point.

The best thing to do is to log in or sign up and see for yourself. When you do, we’d love to hear your thoughts by commenting on this post.

More info on Google Buzz:

Here’s a helpful article from Fast Company: How to Do Everything in Google Buzz (Including Turn It Off)

Watch this video to learn more about Buzz on your mobile