The New York Times is running an article titled “Relax, Bill Gates; It’s Google’s Turn as the Villain.” In the article they claim Google has become arrogant, brain drains the tech industry, caused a 25% to 50% hike in salaries and made it difficult for startups to get funding. While that’s all true, nothing justifies the New York Times comparison to Microsoft and frankly it’s a bid to gain hits. This bid apparantly has worked since slashdot.org is carrying the article.
On another note. Cringley, who I am not convinced is an actual person, believes I won’t be all that surprised if they don’t.[pull off a couple more spectacular product feats] It will take the company another five years just to mature the businesses they already have.
So it could be that Google isn’t the Microsoft-killer many people — including Gates and Ballmer — fear the company is. Going a step further, it is even possible that Gates’s conviction that he’ll eventually be taken down by a startup is wrong, too.
Here’s where I go out on a limb, but I think Microsoft’s clearest threat still comes from Apple, though not the way most people expect. Yes, Apple is about to take Microsoft to the woodshed when it comes to Internet movie distribution. Yes, Apple already super-dominates the music player market where Microsoft doesn’t even really exist. But the real jewel is one Microsoft has to lose, not gain — the PC platform, itself.
Post a Comment