Google brings Gmail, Docs, Calendar, and Talk out of beta (updated)

Guess what, internoodle? Google Apps is officially out of beta. Do you know what that means? It means that Gmail, Docs, Calendar, and Talk are losing that "beta" signage / language you've come to know and loathe. It also seems to mean that Google will be taking a much more direct and serious approach to courting businesses for its Apps suite. At first blush, it looks like the company has all but squashed the "Standard Edition" free hosted Apps package that many now use, though that isn't the case (yet). We say "all but" because while it looks like the pro bono package has been zapped out of existence by the magic raygun of capitalism, a tiny link to the service still exists on an arcane page buried deep in the casefiles of one T. Google Merryweather III. Or just Google. To be completely clear, however, regular old Gmail will still be freely available to anyone and everyone who wants a crack at it. At any rate, you'll be happy to know that the beta tag will be scuttled later today, and you can start getting righteously mad at Google for not taking care of their proper, released products immediately. Now maybe they can get to coding up nice native versions of Gmail for the iPhone and webOS... eh?

Update: The folks at Google, bless 'em, have posted a quick note on their blog stating explicitly that the Standard version of Apps isn't going anywhere. In their words, "We have no intention of eliminating Standard Edition, and we apologize for any confusion." Nice!

[Hellios @ Jul 7th 2009 11:51AM]

Gmail out of beta?
That only took 5 years.
Five wonderful years though.

[Smart People Play Tuba @ Jul 7th 2009 11:52AM]

What's the record for "Number of years in beta?" Guinness? Anyone?

(Speaking of which, is 11:51am too early in the day for a Guinness?)

[j_g_puff @ Jul 7th 2009 11:55AM]

Well, i've been in beta since about '93, and Duke Nukem Forever was pre-beta for almost eternity.

[Erb @ Jul 7th 2009 11:59AM]

Brix were shat.

[Orinjz @ Jul 7th 2009 12:00PM]

@ Smart People Play Tuba

I went outside our office to ask the guy on the corner that smells like vodka and dog piss; he said anything after 8.00 am is fine.

[Smart People Play Tuba @ Jul 7th 2009 12:00PM]

@ Erb

English, mother$@%#er! Do you speak it?

love,

Jules Winfield

[Smart People Play Tuba @ Jul 7th 2009 12:10PM]

Roger that, Orinjz.

*** heads to fridge ***

[Look_Around_You @ Jul 7th 2009 12:27PM]

"What's the record for "Number of years in beta?" Guinness? Anyone?"

Humans have been there for a few years now.

[James @ Jul 7th 2009 6:43PM]

Im getting errors when trying to open documents saved on their servers. Anyone else getting the same?

[Bryan C @ Jul 8th 2009 12:53AM]

Christ, seriously!

[Chris @ Jul 7th 2009 11:51AM]

Not my google for apps/domains/whatever it's called!!

I use it/love it and have recommended clients to use it. Lovely, now they're going to kick me in the junk when they have to pay for it!

[NeoJew @ Jul 7th 2009 1:19PM]

I just registered a client on it a couple days ago, took me an hour to find the free version, thought that I was confused with a trial or something when I couldn't find it.
Google is holier than god imo, so hopefully it'll stay free for everyone, if not hopefully we can get grandfathered in :P

[j_g_puff @ Jul 7th 2009 11:51AM]

Before anyone else says it, let me reaffirm that DR DRE OCCUPIES THE APEX OF HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT.

[Smart People Play Tuba @ Jul 7th 2009 11:54AM]

I know you're bobbing your head.












. . . 'cause I can see ya.

[Smart People Play Tuba @ Jul 7th 2009 11:59AM]

Much love to Dre, but he seems like a bit of a sell-out after seeing him that (admittedly hip) Dr. Pepper commercial.

That does not, however, make a mother%$@#er that acts like he forgot about Dre.

w0rd

[j_g_puff @ Jul 7th 2009 11:59AM]

How many 'sips coffee' were supposed to be in that space, then?

[Smart People Play Tuba @ Jul 7th 2009 12:02PM]

Dude, that was the OPPO post. You're cross-posting is confusing people.

But to answer your question, it was supposed to go:

*** sips coffee ***


Oh . . . there it is. Sorry.

[Smart People Play Tuba @ Jul 7th 2009 12:03PM]

HOLY SHIV, I just said "you're" when I mean "your." -1 to me for not proof-reading.

Smart People indeed. I need to go practice my pedal tones.

[j_g_puff @ Jul 7th 2009 12:04PM]

I assure you i'm not confused, m****rfucker.

[Smart People Play Tuba @ Jul 7th 2009 12:10PM]

Okay, riddle me this: All Dre-lovin' aside, what's this Google article got to do with Dre anyway? I've had my coffee (and a Guinness, though not simultaneously- see above) so I'm really paying attention this time.

[SpydaKat 17 @ Jul 7th 2009 12:35PM]

???

[PedoJokerBear (aka Deeznuts) @ Jul 7th 2009 12:40PM]

coffee flavored guiness? BRILLIANT!

[jdotuk @ Jul 7th 2009 3:46PM]

Monster Cable Sucks.

[Josh @ Jul 7th 2009 11:52AM]

So what does this mean for the average user of their free stuff? What will be lost/gained?

[Saad Rabia @ Jul 7th 2009 11:53AM]

Yep, I just had a look out of my window. I confirm, pigs are flying. :)

[earlycj5 @ Jul 7th 2009 11:58AM]

How appropriate that I'd be listening to Pink Floyd's "Animals" today.

[Smart People Play Tuba @ Jul 7th 2009 12:28PM]

Pigs have been flying in the U.S. since November.

[russlar @ Jul 7th 2009 1:04PM]

While wearing lipstick.

[Heath @ Jul 7th 2009 1:16PM]

PMSL!!!!!

[TMPRIDE @ Jul 7th 2009 2:53PM]

@Smart People Play Tuba

Swine Flew!

[John Doe @ Jul 7th 2009 11:54AM]

Whatttt???

[dtakias @ Jul 7th 2009 11:55AM]

It was about time!!! Now lets see how much they will start charging for those services! Maybe a Gmail Plus paid subscription is coming??

[weg @ Jul 7th 2009 1:43PM]

GNA. (Google is not Apple)

[sk8ordie @ Jul 7th 2009 2:36PM]

Took you 4 whole minutes to write that? Wow, epic fail

[KillaChaos @ Jul 7th 2009 4:43PM]

@sk8ordie

it went right over your head

[Martin @ Jul 7th 2009 11:55AM]

Glad you added the "to be completely clear" part, as the post up until that point was pretty convoluted.

[John Doe @ Jul 7th 2009 11:56AM]

My Gmail page was still showing 'Beta' but it was gone once I refreshed the page after reading this article.

[roole @ Jul 7th 2009 2:54PM]

I just tried it, and it's true. Creepy.

[Nick @ Jul 7th 2009 11:57AM]

Does anyone have that link to the fee version of Google Apps that the article says is still around (but buried)

Thanks a bunch

[Joshua Topolsky @ Jul 7th 2009 11:58AM]

http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/group/index.html

[qwack @ Jul 7th 2009 12:12PM]

Joshsky Topolua. hehe

[Nick @ Jul 7th 2009 12:12PM]

Thank you,

You are an officer and a gentleman sir. :)

[Steven K @ Jul 7th 2009 11:57AM]

Fail

[RantingPenguin @ Jul 7th 2009 11:59AM]

I guess Google could not be out done by VLC pulling into version 1.0.0.

[Valicore @ Jul 7th 2009 5:52PM]

+1 Epic, I totally didn't know that, I'm downloading it now lol.

[Galactor963 @ Jul 7th 2009 12:01PM]

Today's word of the day is "internoodle".

[W00ter @ Jul 7th 2009 1:44PM]

This gets the award for the most convoluted post on engadget. Seriously, go back and read that Josh and tell me it's understandable.

[smak @ Jul 7th 2009 1:43PM]

Agreed. Most poorly written post ever. I had to read it twice just to try to extrapolate actual information buried in the inarticulate bullshit, but then my brain melted.

[Joshua Topolsky @ Jul 7th 2009 2:09PM]

I don't understand what you're saying.

[John @ Jul 7th 2009 2:31PM]

It made sense to me.