Will Google Take Over More And More Of Your Desktop?
from the control-everything... dept
Last year, we wrote that Google was trying to become the user interface to the internet. However, Danny Sullivan is taking that idea and going in a slightly different direction with it. Considering Google’s move into email, he wonders if it doesn’t make sense for them to take over more of your desktop functionality. Sure, they’re giving you 1 gig for your email now, but how long will it be until they can give you 10 gigs (or 100 gigs), and can store all your documents and spreadsheets as well? Why store anything on your home machine if Google can reliably store it for you – while offering you quick and extremely powerful personalized search of all of your data? Well, there’s the whole privacy problem and the question of just how much you trust Google, but it certainly makes sense as a direction they might head in. And, as the article points out, this is why Microsoft should be scared. The more stuff that’s done away from the desktop, the less need there is for Microsoft. Of course, I’m reminded of the claims during Netscape’s heyday about how they were going to turn the browser into the operating system and destroy Microsoft, and look who won that war. Still, it’s important to realize that Google has many directions they can go in – and seeing them as a “search” company is not particularly accurate any more. The other thought on this, was that for years, folks like Larry Ellison kept pushing the concept of the “network computer” where all your data would be stored online and you would just use a dumb terminal to reach it. Wouldn’t it be amusing if Google basically backed into that reality?
Comments on “Will Google Take Over More And More Of Your Desktop?”
I want them to go the other way
Why can’t the toolbar search on my desktop intermix results from searching local files with results from the same query on the web? The MS and Apple ‘find’ tools are lame.
Gmail Users... Anyone?
The “About Gmail” page says “We’re currently only offering Gmail as part of a preview release and limited test.”
So does anyone here know anyone who has a Gmail account? What’s the scoop?
Re: Gmail Users... Anyone?
No scoops yet, but here’s a screenshot.
Google spoogle
Google has no lock in to their product/service. They have no way of preventing users from switching to alternatives easily. There is no ‘network’ effect working to Googles benefit. There is no cost involved for users to switch search engines.
Google had a small chance of becoming the face of the web, they could have become so good at searching they could have put everyone else out of running, and from there imposed themselves into every other aspect of the web. Instead they became overwhelmed with spam and bad search results.
Yahoo and Google are about 50/50 with search results now, Google better with some, Yahoo with others, it’s not so clear cut anymore. MS will also buy themselves back into the game and give Google real problems. About the only positive thing Google has going for it is the name ‘Google’, and frankly I don’t think that’s worth a billionth what some people believe it to be.
Google had its window of opportunity. In all seriousness, I would not be surprised if in 5 years Google had the same market share Netscape has today.
Re: Google spoogle
I think you’re missing the point by focusing on them as being a search engine. They’re a targeted advertising network now, and they’re doing everything possible to figure out more places where they can target advertising.
interesting drama
Hmmm, yeah I wonder if M$ will be able to trump Google as we’ve seen in the past with many, many, many companies … I think M$ will start hardcoding “MSN Search” as a toolbar in IE for starters … just real interesting drama in the tech world …
Why google wont be effective past a search engine
Well According to some basic marketing studies i’ve done on branding, the only way google can break into another market is to create a new brand name for their entry into it so that they dont water down their current number 1 slot in their current market. And the only way for them to beat out the current market leader, is for the leaders above google to screw up enough for the public not to care about them as the market leader anymore. Microsofts main advantage in their efforts is that they make a new brand for each venture they pursue while slowling increasing the hold of their current brands. IE was below netscape till netscape screwed up and microsoft branded it with their product. The xbox is another venture that they are venturing into, and they have a new branding for that market as well. With new branding comes a kind of success. Market leaders remain leaders untill the market share gap shifts from the leader becoming lax in their feild and allowing the 2nd place to become better than they are. Google will become the next netscape if they dont stick to search engine stuff for the google name and dont rebrand elsewhere. At least this is what i’ve been drivin to believe.
my dear asshole son.
you have been fooled badly
https://gmail.google.com/gmail/html/april.html
its april son!
stop using your kidneys and use your brain.
Re: my dear asshole son.
I don’t understand. What does that link prove? Did it used to say that Gmail was an April Fool’s act? Because it doesn’t now.
No Subject Given
Could someone please explain to me what kind of computer Google have at their end? If they are offering usesr 1G of storage . . let’s say they manage in the end to get 2Million users … that’s 2 Million Gigabytes. Rumour has it that they have ‘a few thousand Linux boxes ‘ in a network. Let’s imagine each box has a 100GB drive. So they’ll need 20.000 of them just for this application alone . . .
I can only understand Google in one way. Notwithstanding all the talk about super efficient algorithms etc etc – they must have one hell of a big machine stored ( in a bunker ) somewhere . . .
Don’t they ?
Re: No Subject Given
Read this page for more details on how Google does all this.
No Subject Given
Kabir Sehgal of Dartmouth College writes of the oncoming Google Wars:
“Every so often a war arises. No, I don’t mean a military conflict like Vietnam or Iraq but a business one. A business war is similar to a military one with fewer casualties?the winner becomes the (industry) leader for years to come. In years past we’ve had a host of business wars. Decades ago it was the big three automobile companies. In the 1980s, the cola companies were wrestling with each other. In the mid 1990s there were the browser wars: Microsoft’s Internet Explorer versus Netscape Navigator. We all know who won. This time around it’s the search wars. And in less than six months, the battle between Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft will be won. And if you write papers or “research” Paris Hilton, the result will likely affect you. Google ought to win because it represents a potent cocktail of market dominance, innovative solutions, and anti-Microsoft-ness.”
Kabir Sehgal on the Google Wars
Kabir Sehgal of Dartmouth College writes of the oncoming Google Wars:
“Every so often a war arises. No, I don’t mean a military conflict like Vietnam or Iraq but a business one. A business war is similar to a military one with fewer casualties?the winner becomes the (industry) leader for years to come. In years past we’ve had a host of business wars. Decades ago it was the big three automobile companies. In the 1980s, the cola companies were wrestling with each other. In the mid 1990s there were the browser wars: Microsoft’s Internet Explorer versus Netscape Navigator.”