The Google/Microsoft Rivalry has started another round with Google release of Google Chrome O/S. It is another page the historic battle between these two companies. The Google Chrome O/S has been release to take aim at the ever expanding Netbook market. Will Google make major in rounds time will tell. Let’s take a look back at the historical battle between these two companies and my take on them.
1. Google Vs Bing
On the Internet search is king. This makes Google king on the Internet since they dominate search. Google has the majority of the search business. Microsoft’s bing is picking up shares in search but slowly. It will take them time. But for now this battle is to Google.
2. Windows Live Offerings vs Google Online Offerings.
Personally I believe Google wins this battle at this point. Google Docs, Gmail, Picasa Web Albums are all easier to use then their Microsoft counterparts. These services integrate well with each other as well. Microsoft has been a good attempt with Live Mesh, Movie Maker, Live Mail and Windows Photo Gallery but in my opinion it is a little too late. Ironic when you think Bill Gate’s vision was for the Internet to be an extension of the desktop. This battle goes to Google.
3. Android vs Windows Mobile
Anything is better than Window’s Mobile. I had a Windows Mobile Device for over a year and hated it. Android device’s have many applications available for it and the phone’s are much more reliable. Windows Mobile is hard to use – no cut and paste and really slow. – This one to Google.
4. Google Chrome vs Internet Explorer.
Google Chrome is a much faster and easier browser to use than Internet Explorer. Since Chrome does not use Active X it is prone to the same security exploits as Internet Explorer. Internet Explorer has most of the market but that is because it is bundled with Windows. If it were not bundled with Windows, it would never do as well as it has.
Winner: Tie
5. Office vs Google Docs
Microsoft Office is a far more powerful desktop suite then the cloud based Google Docs. Microsoft Office, despite it’s hefty price tag is still king in the business environment for now. The product is far superior and more robust to Google Docs. If I was looking for an alternative based on price alone I would look at Open Office before I looked at Google Docs. Google Docs needs major work on all front’s if it is going to content especially with Microsoft Office moving to the cloud in 2010.
The winner here is Microsoft.
6. Google Chrome OS Vs Windows.
Last week Google released it’s Chrome O/S. My first looks clearly show that this operating system is not ready for prime time. The operating system comes with all kinds of promises claiming it is the Windows killer. If I was looking for a Linix based Operating system (I do run one), I would turn to the stable Ubuntu. Chrome is really a badly repacked Linux distribution for now. It remains to be seen if the developer’s will latch on the Chrome – Time will tell.
Windows 7 is the best operating system which Microsoft has ever put out. It is stable, mature and complete. The public will soon forget about Windows Vista and realize how good Windows 7 really is.
The Winner here is Microsoft.
Conclusions
If you look at the above 6 categories, their is a trend between these two heavyweights in the industry. Google dominates the cloud based services, Microsoft dominates the PC and Desktop. Microsoft needs to shift it’s strategy toward’s more cloud based application and I believe has started to do this with the release of Office 2010 next year.
