27 days and counting. That's how long it is until September 30th, when Google will start sending 100,000 invites for the early test of Google Wave.

The real-time communication platform has captured the imagination of countless communication, social media, and tech enthusiasts that want to get their hands on its game-changing features. It can import Twitter, provide real-time chat, play back past conversations, and even allows for drag-and-drop file uploads.

There are a lot of features, but it is unlike any other web product yet and thus takes time to learn. That's why in July we asked an important question: is the world ready for Google Wave? Will there be widespread adoption, or will the ambitious project fall short of expectations? Will developers jump on the Wave bandwagon and build apps for it like they do for Twitter and Facebook?

Wave Is Almost Ready for Primetime

We have been monitoring the progress of Wave with our developer accounts, and we have to say: it's come a long way. When I first used it, I experienced multiple crashes per session and the interface would bug out. And while these things still happen when I use Wave, the instances are far more sporadic.

Google has also been constantly informing developers of its updates to Wave. Today in fact, they just released a new update, codename "ChooChoo." Here's what was just added, according to the Wave team:

- Gadget insertion button in the editor toolbar (don't need to use the Debug menu anymore!) - Strikethrough button in the editor - The extension management system has been upgraded (meaning any extensions you had previously installed will need to be re-installed) - Minimized Waves will now flash green when new content is entered into the Wave (if you are curious, a lot of the current work is moving towards improving our OT infrastructure, it isn't something that will be obvious, other than the editor will be more robust)







Summary: Google is implementing a swath of minor back-end and UI improvements in rapid fashion in anticipation of the September 30th release. Things like small notifications, added formatting tools, and more efficient gadgets will all make the experience that much better when the end of the month rolls around.

So are you ready for Google Wave? Because ready or not, it's going to be making waves (pun intended) across the entire web very, very soon.

More Google Wave Resources from Mashable