Microsoft aims at Google

[Fritzo]

I heard their new search engine was going to be called GOOHOO.

 

[LordPhoenix]

MS wont beat google.

They will just imitate it and try to.

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: LordPhoenix
MS wont beat google.

They will just imitate it and try to.

It will proper give higher page ranking to IIS servers and pages with the Front Page meta tags.

 

[dr150]

You guys should take some business classes.

Micro$oft will bundle their search technology with their next OS. Then it's GAME OVER (relegated to niche player)for Google--like every other company that tries to share some space with MS.

If I was a Google employee, I'd be selling my stock when it vests asap.

 

[Rainsford]

Originally posted by: dr150
You guys should take some business classes.

Micro$oft will bundle their search technology with their next OS. Then it's GAME OVER (relegated to niche player)for Google--like every other company that tries to share some space with MS.

If I was a Google employee, I'd be selling my stock when it vests asap.

I may not be a business expert, but I see something you might want to keep in mind. While it's true that MS has a habit of doing those things, there are two big things working against them here.

A) Google has very positive brand recognition, MS has negative brand recognition. Google is in movies and your grandmother knows how to use it and is comfortable with it. That sort of image CAN be overcome, but unlike with other bundled technology, MS isn't on a level playing field here. They are competing against the search king, and if they can't give people a reason to switch, bundling the search with the OS isn't going to do as much as you might think. And how do you bundle a web search program into the OS anyways? You need to open SOMETHING to search, why not a web browser? People don't use the file search enough or like it enough to use it for searching the internet, even if that's built in.

B) Look at Firefox as a case study. They came from nowhere and are gaining ground against IE every day. And not just with geeks either. They have better technology and a better image, and that helps. IE is still bundled with Windows, but Firefox is easy to download, setup and use, and it's catching on.

I know popular business wisdom is that bundle your crap with your popular product and you can't lose. But that applies less when alternatives are just as easy to get and use, and they are far better.

 

[Gibson486]

Originally posted by: Rainsford

Originally posted by: dr150
You guys should take some business classes.

Micro$oft will bundle their search technology with their next OS. Then it's GAME OVER (relegated to niche player)for Google--like every other company that tries to share some space with MS.

If I was a Google employee, I'd be selling my stock when it vests asap.

I may not be a business expert, but I see something you might want to keep in mind. While it's true that MS has a habit of doing those things, there are two big things working against them here.

A) Google has very positive brand recognition, MS has negative brand recognition. Google is in movies and your grandmother knows how to use it and is comfortable with it. That sort of image CAN be overcome, but unlike with other bundled technology, MS isn't on a level playing field here. They are competing against the search king, and if they can't give people a reason to switch, bundling the search with the OS isn't going to do as much as you might think. And how do you bundle a web search program into the OS anyways? You need to open SOMETHING to search, why not a web browser? People don't use the file search enough or like it enough to use it for searching the internet, even if that's built in.

B) Look at Firefox as a case study. They came from nowhere and are gaining ground against IE every day. And not just with geeks either. They have better technology and a better image, and that helps. IE is still bundled with Windows, but Firefox is easy to download, setup and use, and it's catching on.

I know popular business wisdom is that bundle your crap with your popular product and you can't lose. But that applies less when alternatives are just as easy to get and use, and they are far better.

MS may be negative to the geek community, but not to the masses.

Also, i never was charged to use Netscape Navigator, when did that happen?

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: dr150
You guys should take some business classes.

Micro$oft will bundle their search technology with their next OS. Then it's GAME OVER (relegated to niche player)for Google--like every other company that tries to share some space with MS.

If I was a Google employee, I'd be selling my stock when it vests asap.

IE defaults to msn.com after install.

MSN Search is already integrated into the Search on XP's start menu.

I don't understand how another MS search engine will be any more successful at winning the hearts of people?

 

People are paying 165 a share for google?

This economy is going to hell in a handbasket.

 

[JaakRandmets]

Originally posted by: DougK62
M$ will eventually beat down Google. Just look at all the stuff they've gobbled up already. This'll be a Netscape/IE type of situation all over again.

imho...
IE became more popular than netscape mainly because it was shiped with windows, and there really is TONS of computer users who don't even know what browser is and are unknown of any alternatives.
This is unlikely to happen with google / msn search, because... google simply is so popular (hence... 'to google', 'google'), why on earth should we move to m$ search? It doesnt do anything better than google, and it lacks features, like I simply love froogle, image search, gmail and even google calculator for fun.

i think m$ search dominating over googles can only happen in longer time perspective, and i still find it quite unlikely

 

[sygyzy]

Originally posted by: Lonyo
2 choices:
g o o g l e Ctrl+enter - 7 key presses (8, but ctrl + enter at the same time)

s e a r c h . m s n . c o m enter - 15 key presses, or about double.

I know which I would rather do. (hint, less is better).

Plus google looks cleaner. Unless MSN are changing the site for search, and have a new colour scheme/interface ready.
And where is image search?

That's the dumbest thing I've read all day. The second would be Czar's comment about how search.msn.com sucking. What part of NEW search engine didn't you guys understand? And you are going to knock MS for having a longer url to type? What if they bought a new domain at a.com? Then you'd jump ship?

 

[paruhd0x]

One can only hope this forces Microsoft to make better webserver software.

 

[shilala]

I've been using msn search for years and have just started using google.
Didn't know what I was missing.

 

[slydecix]

Microsoft Suspected of Copying Parts of Google's Index

Also, Yahoo! Search Beta > Google

 

[Parrotheader]

Originally posted by: LordSnailz
It's never too late to enter in the search game, if M$ comes with a better algorigth than google then it can really give google a run for it's money. There have been a few smaller sites that are already claiming to have a better algorithm than google. I agree that they're pretty much part of our culture but with everything people will gravitate to the better product.

I agree. Most people are so infatuated with Google because it used to be heads and shoulders better than the rest. But the fact of the matter is that many search engines have caught up to (and arguably even surpassed) it in terms of relevancy. I use Yahoo's new engine quite a bit these days as well as Clusty.

Google's basically following Yahoo's formula: diversify into other online market segments such as custom content, email, personalization, etc to help ensure you're spread far enough to survive any encroachment. Google knows full well that if another search engine were to gain grassroots support like Google did back at the turn of the century that they currently don't have much of anything unique to keep people coming back to them. In spite of the dominance of Google in the current search world Yahoo has still been able to thrive thanks to their e-mail, personalization services and content.

 

[Daishiki]

like msn would ever put up a search page like google did

 

[thegimp03]

"We will catch up, we will surpass," Ballmer said.

That just makes me hate microsoft even more. Stuck up bastards. :|

 

[Balt]

Will they require that I have a passport like with everything else?

 

[Lonyo]

Originally posted by: sygyzy

Originally posted by: Lonyo
2 choices:
g o o g l e Ctrl+enter - 7 key presses (8, but ctrl + enter at the same time)

s e a r c h . m s n . c o m enter - 15 key presses, or about double.

I know which I would rather do. (hint, less is better).

Plus google looks cleaner. Unless MSN are changing the site for search, and have a new colour scheme/interface ready.
And where is image search?

That's the dumbest thing I've read all day. The second would be Czar's comment about how search.msn.com sucking. What part of NEW search engine didn't you guys understand? And you are going to knock MS for having a longer url to type? What if they bought a new domain at a.com? Then you'd jump ship?

I go to the easiest place I can if I want to search, that's the whole goddamned point.
Google is quicker to get to, and cleaner.
If MS did buy a new domain, yes, I may "jump ship", and no, it's not a stupid reason.
If I want to quickly search for something, I want to do it QUICKLY.
Saving seconds on a URL achieves this.
Then with Google you save a few more seconds, because IMO it's easier to read the results than with the MS search results page.

Searching = something which should be as quick as possible.
This includes getting to the page, getting results, rendering results page and main page, and being able to read results.

 

[screw3d]

Originally posted by: xUCIxDaiSHi
like msn would ever put up a search page like google did

fecking sweetness!

 

[simms]

a9.com is pretty good too. sometimes better than google imo.

 

[mobobuff]

Originally posted by: thegimp03

"We will catch up, we will surpass," Ballmer said.

That just makes me hate microsoft even more. Stuck up bastards. :|

How is "We will catch up, we will surpass" different from the attitude of Firefox and all of its fanboys? It's not. When any of them climb on their horse and preach about overcoming the evil giant corporation and its software, their attitude is just the same. It's competetiveness, and if you think Microsoft would just sit back and let it go, then you're an idiot with no grasp on business ethics. Claiming that "we will catch up" insinuates that they are aware they are behind, "stuck up bastards" would completely ignore the fact that they need to get their sh!t together.

I have yet to see any good reasons supporting all this MS angsty bullshit, that don't use less than 4 words, 2 of which usually being "suck" and "evil".

 

[Freejack2]

I wonder what parodies they'll have of Microsoft's search engine and how actively M$ will chase after the parody sites. I recall something like some site called booble got in trouble with google over their parody.

 

[ultimatebob]

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
Google has become ingrained into our culture. We have the noun "Google" and the verb "to google". How can M$ expect to compete? All M$ is synonymous with is "evil empire".

Don't forget... people used to say "Look it up on Netscape" back in the early days of the web. How many people do you know that still use Netscape now?

Not that I'll all that worried, though. Microsoft products usually don't start to dominate the market until the third version.

 

[manly]

Originally posted by: screw3d

Originally posted by: xUCIxDaiSHi
like msn would ever put up a search page like google did

fecking sweetness!

What's significant about the FireFox search page at Google?

 

[Ornery]

Pffft, I still remember the entrenched Word Perfect and Lotus 123. Do any of you even remember them at all? That will also be Google's fate, and I couldn't care less...