Comments on: Google vs. Microsoft

By: Google Base and The Googlenet - The Lime Blog

Google Base and The Googlenet - The Lime Blog — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 05:06:42 +0000

[…] Google is using shock and awe—their last few moves have been so aggressive and so impressive as to make my earlier vision of Google’s plan seem simple and closed-minded. […]

By: Michael Ebert

Michael Ebert — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 22:18:09 +0000

CoolDude,

I’m not sure exactly what you meant by “coming from MS”—I don’t and haven’t worked at Microsoft. Did you mean “coming from the MS (Marriott School)”?

You do make a relevant point about a very clever tactic that Microsoft can use against Google. It’s the same tactic that MS used against most of its other rivals—rely on its stranglehold on the operating system market. This will work only so long as operating systems are relevant.

When would an operating system become irrelevant!?!?

As soon as applications are pulled off your PC. It doesn’t matter where you store your data, it matters where you use your data. When you use your cell phone or other devices to manipulate or access data, when you are working using applications hosted online (even if your data is stored locally), when your devices take care of things behind the scenes (think smart appliances, cars, etc.), the operating system becomes irrelevant and the argument shifts back to who provides the best services and who has their search box embedded in the most places. That’s why Google is partnering, often for free, with anyone who will allow them to place a search box on their site or in their app.

As you can see, there are ways around the OS chokehold, even if the browser gets bypassed. I wonder if the shift away from OS dependence is going to happen soon enough for Google. I wonder if it’s already too late for Microsoft. It is certainly a battle that is interesting to watch and ultimately good for consumers (we get to choose the best of the different solutions).

By: CoolDude

CoolDude — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 11:59:42 +0000

What can Microsoft do to hurt Google. I’m surprised, coming from MS, that you don’t acknowledge the obvious: 95% of Google’s customers come to them via Windows. By making search integrated into the Vista OS, defaulting to Live.com and bypassing the browser, MS — just by providing search results that are “good enough” for most customers — can put a big dent in Google’s revenue. Could be why Google is trying so desperately to diversify their product offerings beyond browser-based search.

People make such a big deal about Google Office taking aim at Microsoft’s major source of income, while never acknowledging just how vulnerable Google’s single source of income is.The concept of storing my sensitive excel data in the web scares me. The google docs which they have given so much hype is not better than an average HTML Editor.

By: Google Docs & Spreadsheets - Google Office? - The Lime Blog

Google Docs & Spreadsheets - Google Office? - The Lime Blog — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 21:26:33 +0000

[…] Actually, the question about whether Google will create a Google Office is nearly moot—Google has been moving in the Office direction for at least a year and Google Docs & Spreadsheets is a major step in that direction. Google Docs & Spreadsheets is an integrated spreadsheet and word processor solution. Google also offers email, calendaring, and templated (PowerPoint-esque) Google Pages. Google has a few steps left to bring these services up to full horsepower, and then integrating them and managing users’ data is all (!) that’s left. Google could have an online office suite in a year. […]

By: dorna!

dorna! — Fri, 24 Feb 2006 03:31:58 +0000

Ah yes, but power corrupts and absolute power, well - you catch my drift.

By: Ara Pehlivanian

Ara Pehlivanian — Wed, 08 Feb 2006 08:00:55 +0000

Googlezon! Googlezon! Googlezon!