The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Google (San Francisco, CA) in Feb 2012
Interview
I was recommended by a Google employee. The procedure consisted of two back to back phone interviews. Questions were pretty standard. Nothing too fancy. But I was asked to to use Lists in Java with which I was not well versed. So, I ended up Googling during the interview : Not Good. The interviewers were not as friendly as I had heard, but also not harsh. A week after the interview, the recruiter told me over the phone that they were not going to go forward with the process : Bummer. But they did not disclose any reason as to why.
I applied online. The process took 2 months. I interviewed at Google (Mountain View, CA) in Mar 2012
Interview
Long process, but interviewers were friendly. I can't compare, as this is my first internship, but it's a relatively smooth process throughout despite what some other folks have said.
The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Google (New York, NY) in Jan 2012
Interview
Hiring process was very fluid. I applied online and was contacted by a recruiter to set up a phone interview. First interview consisted of standard algorithms questions and a creative prices question. I passed the first round and was set up with a second phone interview. This one was less broad than the first but the difficulty was greater. Overall a good experience. Recruiters were friendly and prompt in following up after my interviews. Overall very happy with the process.