[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW-nQqPK1Ho[/youtube]
Tonight Apple announced the launch of the Messages beta application along with the new one OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion. Returning to the application, Messages beta is basically the iChat application renamed but reconfigured to allow Mac/iDevice owners to communicate with each other through the iMessage system. Apple now allows us to talk to any other Mac/iDevice using iMessage and a phone number or an email address and if you have iOS 5 installed then you know how iMessage works and if you don't you will see in the video clip above everything you have need.
The Messages application allows us to send text messages plus pictures/video clips to our friends and if you have a Mac equipped with a web camera then you can also initiate a FaceTime call with anyone you want. I tested the beta version of Messages and I can say that everything works very well, very fast, without errors, but if you want to send messages to friends who have a phone number set in iMessage, then you must enter a number like +40 7xx xxx xxx otherwise Messages will tell you that phone number doesn't have iMessage active.
I think that the Messages application is a step in the right direction for Apple, it remains to be seen what else the company will implement for us. You can download Messages beta for Mac OS X available here.
