"Talking" at the speed of typing

Setting up Google Talk was the most straightforward (i.e., enjoyable) Thing yet, thanks in large part to my IM buddy, Ms. X, who is always ready with witty textual repartee. Instant messaging can be fun, but I don't tend to use it much. I'd usually rather phone than trade lines of text, unless I'm contacting a friend in, say, Antarctica. Maybe it's a generational Thing.