Ever since Google launched its new social media platform, Google+, this past summer, people have been abuzz as to whether it will turn out to be Facebook's most serious competitor yet.

Google+ has many similar features to Facebook, but what is probably the most similar is its layout. Just as with Facebook, you can access a profile page and comment stream, and you have the ability to add and chat with friends.

There are, however, some key differences. Its "Circles" feature allows you to organize the people you interact with into groups. As Google puts it on the social network's site: "Circles make it easy to put your friends from Saturday night in one circle, your parents in another and your boss in a circle by himself, just like real life."

Google+ also features "Hangouts," which allows you to video chat with up to 10 people at once, and the ability to search within the site itself. For example, if you're looking for a local Virginia computer repair center that handles virus removal, you can search it, with results that will show any of your friend's posts that have mentioned "computer repair," so you can use your network for recommendations and other information.

While Google+ certainly brings a lot to the table, it just doesn't have the popularity of Facebook. That may change, and many people did join immediately after it launched, but it hasn't seen much in substantial growth since. In fact, a recent Nielsen study showed that the most popular application on an Android (which was developed by Google) is… Facebook.

But, many people are frustrated with some of Facebook's limitations, it's ever-changing privacy policies and it's spam. So, who knows: maybe Facebook has finally met its match.