Comment Re:Only-a-decade-behind-dept (Score 1) 468
This requires the person you are messaging to not only have gmail chat etc, but that they are also running it currently. Its is much more likely that they will have their phone on that them having their phone on and having the required program open. The advantage of text messaging is that its pretty much ubiquitous amongst mobile phone owners.
The one thing this discssion has shown is the effect that the stupid plans and pricing that is common in the us has had on people opinions of SMS. Over here in the UK text messaging is usually cheap enough to be considered free. I have unlimited texts on my prepay phone with no contract and so use them when i want to quickly send somone some infomation which i dont need an immediate response on or that im sending from somewhere that would make a voice call difficult (or irritating to the people around me)