Is Google the new Netscape?

[Kremlar]

I still remember reading the pompus interviews with Marc Andreessen talking trash on Microsoft and how antiquated they were, I remember all the geeks rallying behind Netscape to squash Microsoft. Then Microsoft kicked their butts.

I'm getting the same vibes from Google lately.

 

[mzkhadir]

they are going after everything microsoft.

 

[PHiuR]

except, google might actually succeed.

 

[david46675]

Originally posted by: PHiuR
except, google might actually succeed.

QFT

 

[stan394]

my guess is history won't repeat itself in such a simple way

 

[mzkhadir]

but people never know what microsoft has up their sleeves

 

[ironcrotch]

Originally posted by: mzkhadir
but people never know what microsoft has up their sleeves

microsoft has whatever someone else has done up their sleeves

 

[aircooled]

They need a GoogleOS

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Google has the same kind of virtual monopoly on internt searching that Microsoft has on OS deployment. So they have a guaranteed profit structure unlike Netscape/Real.....for now. They're wise in leveraging that much like Microsoft leveraged their OS installed base.

The key with Google is that they can afford to fail which, ironically, gives them a higher chance of sucess.

 

[Kremlar]

Google has the same kind of virtual monopoly on internt searching that Microsoft has on OS deployment. So they have a guaranteed profit structure unlike Netscape/Real.....for now. They're wise in leveraging that much like Microsoft leveraged their OS installed base.

That's not true at all.

While Google may have the best search technology out there, that does not make them a monopoly.

 

[acemcmac]

Microsoft had to build a better core product than Netscape could. IE5 on the mac and browser integration on windows killed netscape. Microsoft's search engine will NEVER beat google because google has such a superior buisness model.

 

[Shawn]

Google will NOT go the way of Netscape.

 

[Kremlar]

Microsoft's search engine will NEVER beat google because google has such a superior buisness model.

What is that business model?

 

[ironcrotch]

Originally posted by: Kremlar

Microsoft's search engine will NEVER beat google because google has such a superior buisness model.

What is that business model?

to PWN Microsoft

 

[mzkhadir]

Originally posted by: Kremlar

Microsoft's search engine will NEVER beat google because google has such a superior buisness model.

What is that business model?

ads to generate money
ads to sell with personal information
ads to generate more money
profit

 

[Kremlar]

to PWN Microsoft

lol

 

[TankGuys]

Originally posted by: acemcmac
Microsoft had to build a better core product than Netscape could. IE5 on the mac and browser integration on windows killed netscape. Microsoft's search engine will NEVER beat google because google has such a superior buisness model.

I don't think they have a much better business model... the overwhelming majority of thier reveune/profit comes from ads... that lack of diversification is fine right now when the money is rolling in, but what happens go Google's bottom line when ad spending drops for some reason, or advertisers adopt a new platform?

Microsoft has a pretty diverse product line, so if OS sales suffer, productivity programs, ad revenue, Xbox sales, etc can make up for it.

 

[Parrotheader]

Originally posted by: mzkhadir

Originally posted by: Kremlar

Microsoft's search engine will NEVER beat google because google has such a superior buisness model.

What is that business model?

ads to generate money
ads to sell with personal information
ads to generate more money
profit

Google is hardly unique in that aspect though. Other companies have been doing that for years. Overture (which Yahoo now owns) really brought search advertising to the forefront. Google was the biggest player who took that to the next step with syndicated ads on non-search sites via AdSense but other players are entering that market now as well.

The biggest thing that makes me uncomfortable about Google is that their revenue is almost entirely advertising dependent. That's a double-edged sword. So long as your market position is dominant (like Google currently is and looks to be for the foreseeable future) you're ok. But if another player comes out and people start to leave Google for the new source your revenue can errode quickly. You have to diversify if you want to survive. Web mainstays like Yahoo and Amazon know that and Google has learned that well which explains all their branching out.

Another thing people here in the US lose sight of is that Google's following (while still very strong in certain parts of the globe) is nowhere near as strong internationally as it is here in the States. They can (and likely will) certainly make a lot of headway globally, but they've got a much more uphill battle there.

 

[BillyBatson]

there was a recent article online suggesting google is a lot like MS lately with being over confident and thinking it can not only do well but beat the competition in anythign it decides to take on especially since anythign it decides to take on it doesn't create from scratch but rather purchase other established companies (such as picasa and keyhole) and if they can't do that they buy out the key "heads" from that company expanding to theirs and effectively killing the competitiion

 

[Kremlar]

The other source of income for Google is their over-inflated stock price, which I'm concerned will eventually drop to a more reasonable level.

 

[Lorax]

google doesn't have as large of a search engine share as most people think. it is the leader, but not a monopoly.

 

[Kremlar]

I wonder at some point if Google will be able to start charging consumers for their products. That would be a tough transition to make.

 

[hans007]

Originally posted by: david46675

Originally posted by: PHiuR
except, google might actually succeed.

QFT

i have no idea what QFT means, but i'm going to say google damn well might succeed. its not like AOL can buy them and ruin them. and MS cant monopoly power google in some free bundle with vista

 

[illusion88]

Originally posted by: Kremlar

to PWN Microsoft

lol

haha
"Gentlemen, our goal for the next quarter is to pwn microsoft. Pwn them right into the ground!"

 

[sandmanwake]

Do online ads work though? Me, personally, I pretty much ignore online ads automatically much like I would delete spam emails automatically. I guess what I'm asking is how many people here actually look at or click online ads?