Tech | July 14, 2009 | 23 comments

Google vs. Microsoft: What you need to know

source: http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2009/07/google-vs-microsoft-what-you-need-to-know/

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shocksopping
Information on the recent developments from both companies. What has been happening, what is going to happen, and where they are going from here.

Clipping from Article (Much more after the jump):

In less than a week, Google announced an operating system to compete with Windows, while Microsoft said that Office 10 will include free, online versions of its four most popular software programs — a shot at Google’s suite of web-based office applications.

And not more than a month and a half ago, Microsoft unveiled its new search engine, Bing, which it hopes will steal market share from Google and finally make it real money online.

From the news of it, it’s a full-blown tech battle, complete with behind-the-scenes machinations to sic government regulators on each other.

It is, however, not a death match — it’s more of a fight to see who will be the King of Technology, since both companies pull in their billions through completely different siphons and are unlikely to severely wound one another any time soon.

Google pulled in $22 billion in revenue in 2008, 97 percent of which came from tiny text ads bought by the keyword and placed next to search results or on pages around the web. Google makes a negligible amount of money bundling its online apps for businesses, charging $50 a head annually — but mostly it just gives its online text editor, e-mail and spreadsheet programs away.

By contrast, Microsoft sold $14.3 billion worth of Microsoft Word and PowerPoint and other business applications over the last nine months, making a profit of $9.3 billion. It made a further $16 billion in revenue in 2008 through sales of its operating systems, which range from XP installations on netbooks, to Vista, to Windows Mobile to its server software.
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23 comments // Google vs. Microsoft: What you need to know

  • remanns
  • Hoax_Productions
    • 0
      Hoax_Productions  

    • I think that Microsoft's moves against Google could also be with concern to Apple. Google Chrome isn't available on my Mac yet and one of the reasons may be because Google is more concentrated on stealing Microsoft's thunder.

    • 2 years ago
  • TentativeChaos
    • 0
      TentativeChaos  

    • The thing about Microsoft is that most games are for the PC. The only way I'll switch to Chrome, it if it can run windows games, or if game developers make the switch.

    • 2 years ago
  • Jsh1284
    • 0
      Jsh1284  

    • Yeah ... I'll just take my copy of Windows 7 and continue to use Openoffice, thanks. Windows 7 is amazing. I've been using the beta, then upgraded to the RC and have already ordered my upgrade version for the small price of $49.99. That old copy of XP will do me some good afterall! I can just make a complete system backup and won't have to worry about re-installing it with all the hassle that goes along with upgrade versions normally. Win 7 is as stable as Kubuntu .. my other OS .. it runs games better and faster than any other OS on the market (because it takes better advantage of my 3x core CPU and its 64 bit architecture) and wow .. it's just the best all-around OS I've had the pleasure of using. It beats XP and Vista with a stick and it's more functional than ANYTHING Mac has out there if you're a gamer or developer. Plus it's got the flexibility of available software over any unix based OS. So yeah .. Windows 7 is where it's at for a REAL computer enthusiast, developer, gamer, and even average user. That is unless you do absolutely nothing but send e-mails, edit videos, and browse the web with no entertainment whatsoever. Then go get your overpriced Mac and its inferior hardware and get outta here!

    • 2 years ago
  • opekktur
  • ApprenticeDentist
  • jfill
  • Viciouspike
    • 0
      Viciouspike  

    • It really seems like... What google can't buy they create their own version of it.... Youtube? Before youtube was very prominent google videos was around I never used it =\ They couldn't get Facebook from the jaws of Microsoft so now they are going to create one if they do not have one yet... Google is full of sad fat men who just want to stay in the race.... My view is go lay down google your reign is over....

    • 2 years ago
  • AARP
    • 0
      AARP  
    • Viciouspike:

      Google is not anywhere close to being old. You clearly know nothing of which you speak. Google is expanding faster than ever before, and doing a damned good job in the quality department. Google Chrome is eons faster than IE and Firefox (though Firefox has add ons), Google Wave is going to completely revolutionize social networking, and Google is going to become a serious competitor in the OS market (just like how Android has taken over as Mobile OS of choice). Google is innovating faster than any other company.

      And P.S., please try using grammar rather than "..." every other word. It makes it hard to read.

    • 2 years ago
  • TechnoNut
    • 0
      TechnoNut  
    • Viciouspike:

      Wow never bet against Google. They will crush you every time.

      As a software engineer very familiar and close to Google, I can tell you they have the best of the best of the best talent in the industry. Their corporate culture and employee motivation to make a difference is 2nd to none. This company as a whole has brilliant engineers working for them. This is a company you should NOT underestimate.

      Microsoft, on the other hand, is a different story. I am also quite close to MS in my business, and they have been on a steady but slow decline for years. Open source, competition, declining talent base, behind the curve in many areas.

      Google's story is far from over. They will be around and for many decades, and probably become the biggest market-cap company in the world in the foreseeable future.

    • 2 years ago
  • Viciouspike
    • 0
      Viciouspike  
    • Viciouspike:

      Don't get me wrong here... I am not supporting Microsoft in anyway. I only support MS's xbox just because the fact I am an avid gamer other than that MS has failed at a lot. Google might be expanding but, it is no good... Face it google has been around for a long time and is just boring in my views.... I am sick of google personally... It seems as though they just want to catch up with the competitors to say I can still do what you are doing...

    • 2 years ago
  • AARP
  • CarlosIsDown
  • akamaial
  • jfill
  • shocksopping
  • Hammerchop
  • thezoroaster
  • fernweher
    • 0
      fernweher  

    • Yea I don't buy Microsoft office software since I started using OpenOffice--its free and creates the same kind of files, looks almost identical.

    • 2 years ago
  • shrimptank
    • 0
      shrimptank  
    • Image

    • Or you could always use products owned by NEITHER of these companies...
      Here's a website analyzer that isn't owned by Microsoft or Google and it's still free...

    • 2 years ago
  • Pedroptz
  • akamaial
    • 0
      akamaial [removed]  

    • I've never used Apple's OS, have used Microsoft for about 8 years, tried Google's Chrome browser (didn't like it), use Firefox browser, grew weary of XP & Vista continually freezing up, dumped those and went to xubuntu & kubuntu OS's and found them to be stable & 'smoking fast' in comparison...
      A Google OS will have to be significantly better than Linux before I'll ever make another change.

    • 2 years ago
  • furryjenn
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