“WhatsApp, the massively popular smartphone messaging app owned by Facebook Inc., is now available in a familiar place: your computer’s desktop,” Nathan Olivarez-Giles reports for MarketWatch.
“On Tuesday, WhatsApp released apps for Apple Inc.’s OS X for Mac computers, and Microsoft Corp.’s Windows,” Olivarez-Giles reports. “The app experience mimics what you get on the phone: You can send text, photos, video and audio files to friends and family. The reason people will download the app is that it brings over a key smartphone feature: live notifications, crucial for real-time chat.”
“WhatsApp is now present on every major OS,” Olivarez-Giles reports. “A fully cross-platform messaging service with more than 1 billion users worldwide could pose a threat to competitors, especially Apple’s iMessage and Microsoft’s Skype.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple should bring their iMessage service to more platforms by releasing their Messages app for Android and Windows. We’re looking forward to WWDC next month.
SEE ALSO:
WhatsApp outpaces iMessage on verification and forward secrecy – April 11, 2016
Apple mulls iMessage port to Android; move would send encrypted messaging mainstream – February 8, 2016
Apple refused to give iMessages to the U.S. government – September 8, 2015
Don’t let it fool you. Whatsapp for Mac and Windows is just a web wrapper loading a web version of whatsapp web. Just like any other unofficial, 3rd party whatsapp desktop client, such as Franz and ChitChat.
Also you need to make your whatsapp on your phone to be online for it to work.
Really? Ugh. I’ll just stick to using my phone then. I have my phone with me most of the time. Not so with my laptop.
Only 2 advantages:
1. Typing using your desktop keyboard, which is faster.
2. Opening images, videos, links on dekstop. Transferring them manually from whatsapp phone to your computer is a pain.