RSSGoogle Downplays Microsoft Battle
By Ed Oswald | Published May 11, 2006, 1:27 PM
At its annual Press Day Wednesday, Google introduced three new services while attempting to kill the popular story in the media that it is involved in a fierce winner-take-all battle with Microsoft. Instead, Google CEO Eric Schmidt said that there would never be a single victor.
Schmidt said that having a single search engine would stagnate innovation. Competition, on the other hand, would support growth as well as advertising prices, and he added that there was room in the industry for more than one strategy.
Others downplayed Google's battle with Microsoft. While saying the Redmond giant has a history of "not playing fair," Google co-founder Sergey Brin said his company was just too busy with its own products and services to watch what Microsoft was doing. Fellow co-founder Larry Page added that they wanted to focus on innovation instead.
Executives introduced three new services as an example of their continuing work in search. Google Co-Op, the first of these, would allow the search giant to enter into the "social search" arena. By using special code, individuals and organizations could label pages to appear in topic areas that would then appear when searches are performed on those subjects.
Another service, called Google Trends, would be an extension of the Zeitgeist that is regularly published by the company.
"[It would allow] you to sort through several years of Google search queries from around the world to get a general idea of everything from user preferences on ice-cream flavors to the relative popularity of politicians in their respective cities or countries," search and user experience vice president Marissa Mayer said.
Google explained this could be especially useful for advertisers. Before selecting keywords to place their ads on, these companies could look at trends based on various keywords.
Finally, Google Notebook would act almost like Microsoft Office's Clipboard application, allowing the user to save text, images and links from pages they search through, and save them to an online notebook. The user could then share the notebook with others.
Additionally, the company has introduced Google Desktop 4, with improved "gadgets" and adds tools like a media player and Google Calendar. Desktop along with Trends are now available, with Notebook coming next week. Co-Op was referred to as a "work in progress" by executives.
"Our new products offer a pretty wide range of services and capabilities, but they have one thing in common: They all enhance and improve the search experience for our users," Mayer said.
Google's services have revolutionized the information service technology and have taken the reference service to the doors of those who lack it or who cannot retrieve it otherwise. Competition is a healthy sign of a progressive society and it is out of competition that innovations have been made. I expect an excellent future for the google. SUJAN SINGH A REGULAR READER.
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|Winner take all?... yeah right. It's so funny to think that google has anything on microsoft. Ok, so they have a good web search engine,... great... oh, and they have some "neat" apps, well that is great too.
Microsoft is so much more. I've worked for 3 entities which create all their applications based solely on the .net framework. 2 of them are government entities. In fact I make a living using the .net framework. Google's got a long way to go before they are "competing" with Microsoft. This article might be focusing on a search engine, but you guys know what I'm talking about, it just "irks" me.
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|I agree with Google's CEO s*** that there will never be a single winner ...
Competition is the food for innovation today in any high tech industry .
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|You got it.
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|Google is in a very unique situation, they have a revenue stream that MS can't really hurt in the traditional sense, they actually have to build something and compete fairly. I have never seen MS succeed in that position before. They will end up just trying to reinvent the wheel and well, the wheel has already been invented it's not new and MS can't make it new. So google will continue to let MS play catch up and in the mean time they will have a dozen new innovative services available. So now you can visit google.com for everything you need and while your at it why not do a search or two. Cha ching Google has the right idea, MS needs to concentrate on what it owns and is good at, that is the OS market and that's about it. Oh wait, they have let everything they actually make money from go to hell, good for them!
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|Google has never left my hardware in a state that a machine had to be power cycled.
Micro$haft OTOH.......
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|While we're comparing Apples and Oranges, Taco Bell has also never made it so that I have to power cycle. Linksys and D-Link were partially to blame at different times.
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|Google has also never written / distributed an Operating System that can make hardware run either.
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|Google's indexing is not working properly these days and the relevancy of search results are becoming less and less important. Also google supporting domain squatters to publish (google) ads only pages is a bad practice and will get more advertisers getting annoyed and filing suit against them.
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|"Google co-founder Sergey Brin said his company was just too busy with its own products and services to watch what Microsoft was doing. Fellow co-founder Larry Page added that they wanted to focus on innovation instead."
Right, except for the article about them wanting to stop Microsoft from having MSN as the Default Search engine in IE7.
:Rolleyes: Whatever!
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|Sorry to break the news, folks, but if you have half a brain you'd clearly notice MS IMMENSE progress in the past 2-3 years and, in contrast, Google's doodoo playing. GDS compared to WinFS? Give me a BREAK. GoogleTalk compared to Live Messenger? Oh puh-lease.
Google is currently (only VERY currently) better in very very few fields, namely search and potentially storage/distribution of content. Live Search is insanely better now than it was 6 months ago. It's still much worse than Google.. but guys... I'd sell my Google stock if I were you, and buy some sexy MS stock. MS is gonna shoot sky high in the next few years, admitedly thanks to google giving them a wake up call and letting them see the commercial value of the internet/online marketing.
I'd be shaking in my pants if I were Symantec, Amazon and eBay right now. MS is after you guys, and as ALWAYS, v1 is sh*t, v2 is sh*t, v3 is sh*t. But wow.. v4?? it's so much better than anything out there overall (bang for buck).
Buhbye now and let's revisit this post in 5 year time, k guys??
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|Except that the windows crap only works on windows, and I don't know anybody that uses windows by choice.
Oh wait, most of the google crap only works on windows too...
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|Google Earth works on macs.
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|I agree on the Symantec note. System Security providers exist because of flaws in Windows. Microsoft has ever right to 'fix' the flaws - or secure their OS.
I don't see MS taking on eBay successfully. eBay's biggest asset is how well established it is.
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|WinFS? When exactly are we going to see this? AFAIK, that's been turned into vapourware. It's certainly not part of Vista (although Vista does include an integrated 'desktop-style' search engine).
I agree no-one takes GoogleTalk seriously yet, but I think anyone using Live Messenger or MSN Messenger is rather foolish anyway. How can you put up with so much bloatware and ads in a simple communication system?!? It's scary, if you ask me.
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|"Sorry to break the news, folks, but if you have half a brain you'd clearly notice MS IMMENSE progress in the past 2-3 years and, in contrast, Google's doodoo playing"
Google Mail
Google Talk
Google Personalized HomePage
Google Maps
Google Earth
yeah...they've just been sitting on their assess, eh?
You also have to realize, that in the time it's taken Google to *match* or *exceed* MS in almost every area the two compete, MS has had DECADES, where Google has had only a few years.
Talk about being schooled. Google even showed 'em how to do it with NO RETAIL PRODUCTS.
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|Before Google filed for public listing, one of the co-founders (I forgot which one) says that Google will never do horoscopes, instant messaging and business advice.
Today, Google has already done two of those. Expect Google Horoscope Beta 0.01 to come within 1-2 years!
BTW, Google Personalize Home Page, Google Talk and Google Map/Earth are inferior to what Microsoft has (the latter only applies if you are Americans).
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|Live Messenger comes later than Google Talk but it still easily surpass the latter despite being a closed beta until recently.
Google Talk is not even the best Jabber client out there. How then it can compete with the Big 2 if it still can't beat the likes of Kopete, Miranda or GAIM in terms of features and resources? You think Google Talk is the leanest client out there?
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|You do know that Microsoft have PC games, Xbox consoles, PC applications, PC Operating Systems, Server applications and many many more to produce as well.
Considering Google only has the web/online industry to deal with, I'm thinking Microsoft isn't doing to bad compared to Google in the web/online industry.
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|And now look at thenumber of people and funds involved for each project.
Yes, MS has other things on the fire, but via entirely different groups.
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|Subjective.
Inferior, in *your* opinion.
But thanks anyway.
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|In response to the previous comment:
Microsoft is not doing too bad, but Google is doing great. Do not forget that Google has to overcome many of bugs and non-standards in Internet Explorer to write their applications, while MS own the programming environment. Google is glowing and growing inside Microsoft Jail. Just wait and see how more successful Google will be when they release their Operating System.
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|lmao...
Operating systems?
Those were *so* last decade.
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|Let me get this straight, Microsoft renames their products to their new monkier "Live" and everything old becomes brand new. They have you fooled! Live Messenger is the same bloated software and really essentially is MSN 8. But Live does give me a few excitement points as when I go to a friends house and have a chance to use Messenger (or Live) and have all those wonderful ads popup :) and don't get me started on those shared folders and other new (supposedly) ideas they are poorly done, period. Nice version for OSX and Linux too! Although, I will admit the interface in general is much prettier then G-Talk and others, but I can always change G-Talk to look like Live without the ads and bloat.
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|I think you haven't use Live Messenger extensively. It is quite different enough to earn a new version number, and all the bloat/ads can be stripped out with patchers like mess patch. I bet you don't hear about those nifty patchers before.
And voice between PC-to-PC is better than the ones in Google Talk.
And did I mention the largest userbase in the world? Even larger when the merger with Yahoo Messenger is complete this year. This is something that Google Talk will have to spend years to convince to switch.
Google Talk has to aim to become the best Jabber client first. After that, spend billions to convince people to switch from MSN/Yahoo/ICQ/AIM to thir Jabber network. Which is exactly not that much better than the ones MSN/Yahoo/ICQ/AIM has.
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|And so are yours.
Thank you.
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|You still use one right?
Or else how do you start your Firefox browser anyway?
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|*woooosh*
Aside from the fact it was not intended to be serious, why would Google even consider such a thing?
Why incur massive support costs on a product that is only there to support your existing product lines? Leave it to MS/Apple/OSS crowd.
They're products are aimed squarely at the desktop, they couldn't be less interested in what goes on beneath. (except as it applies to getting their apps to run)
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|You sure Google doesn't care about that? cough..cough IE7 cough..cough.
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|I don't think you looked into MS's new sexy betas.... Live Mail, Live Favorites, Live OneCare, Live Shopping, Live Local... If you did, you'd realize their popularity/commercial potential and the unimaginable progress they've made in short months.
I also don't think you could even think you could compare those lame-in-comparison (complexity-wise) online solutions-in-a-script to Visual Studio 2005, SQL 2005, Exchage, Vista, WinFS (again...), WinFX, XImage, FolderShare, Groove, Office 12, and numerous other amazing-quality products.
Google's strategy of giving away cheesy software to win the hearts of the common people is not gonna last. Picasa and GDS are a freakin' joke compared to WinFS BETA (not vaporware...go touch it, implement software solutions for it and become a billionaire by 2010).
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|Google is the devil.
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|"Foosball's the devil!"
"You're the devil, momma!"
Oh Great Google, smite this unbeliever with non-relevant searches and annoying picture ads! Your teachings are wise, and your knowledge immense. For this we thank you.
And yes, I am one of the many blind followers of the Great Google. And I am damn proud of it, 'cause google has never done me wrong. :-P
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|LOL. Great lines from "The Waterboy"
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|That is an important foot note to all of this...Google has yet to piss us off....
You Microsoft lemmings have short memories...WMA ownership control, IE Security, and OS disasters...
IMHO, the OEM agreement years ago for the desktop control INCLUDED superior quality promises...That is a commitment, not a chore...and no other entities responsiblility....
Google has taken a simple approach (freeware) and succeeded, showing just how much of a commercial company MIcrsoft is and NOT a technical compnay...
One other thing, someone mentioned all of the products M$ has (servers, gaming, console etc...) and I can tell you this, everyone in every M$ community has been TOTALLY pissed off at M$ at least one time for their B$ practices and support nightmares...and the Xbox, lol, that is money in the bank...a way to make massive money on blind lust of a nine year old childs mentality...money in the bank from parents of such children all the way to the 45 year old geek who cannont let go....
Go Google, break the mold, PLEASE..
IBM, where art tho, IBM?
VastOne
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|Google will do anything, including make an OS if they can support via ad revenue. Why wouldnt google release a FREE OS supported by ads? Granted it would be a pain in the a** but think about the hit that Microsoft would take.
Dually look at google providing a wireless network to San Fransico, uhh for free. Its only a matter of time before they blanket the earth with free broadband supported by ads.
Then its not only look out microsoft but say good bye to the TV networks as well.
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