Okay, so here's what's up. I just wrote a paper that started to be about Microsoft's bid for Yahoo and how Google is involved (which is actually quite a story). I'm going to post it here, because, well I think its actually pretty good (not to mention it is only two pages, I think that even I have the patience to read two pages of content). Anyways, I'll post it both here as well as upload it to my Pownce account. I'd appreciate some feedback, even though it is due tomorrow haha.


Microsoft……..Did You Mean: Google’s Rival

In the early to late Nineties, if you happened to go around and ask anybody what was the largest company of all time, you would inevitably get the same response: “Microsoft.” However, their domination of the market severely changed in around 2004, when a small search company, known as Google, went public on the stock market. Google helped Internet users search the web and soon became a household name. As Google become more and more popular, they developed useful and even fun applications for all to use.

Going back to Microsoft, the software company has been competing with Google for some time. Though, Google dominates the web search, there have been talks about Microsoft buying the struggling search company Yahoo (Reuters, 2008). Though Yahoo CEO has made a clear statement that there has been a bid, no transactions have been made. It is widely accepted throughout the Internet and in the media, that Yahoo is not doing so well. With the resignation of four CEOs in the past year, needless to say, Microsoft buying Yahoo would benefit both companies.
On the other side of the coin however, Google has turned the tables around as it also has decided to consider an alliance with Yahoo.com. Although Microsoft’s goal is to purchase Yahoo (which would deplete Microsoft’s cash reserves), Google’s is to help Yahoo “fend off” the cash bid and form a kind of stronghold against Microsoft. Google representatives have also contacted their friends at Time Warner (owners of AOL) to make a possible counter bid, thwarting Microsoft altogether. (Sorkin, 2008).


It seems as though Microsoft and Google are becoming bitter rivals, as Google’s plan seems to be delaying any kind of purchase Microsoft plans to make, concerning Yahoo. Microsoft has used this same tactic back when Google purchased the advertising company known as “DoubleClick,” for $3.1 billion (Labaton, 2008). Shortly thereafter, with the release of Windows Vista, Google filed an antitrust lawsuit after finding out the new OS discouraged the use of Google’s Desktop software. The software, developed by Google, is used to search your computer for files and other data, among other useful applications. Apparently Microsoft included that same feature, nullifying Google’s Desktop Search. The lawsuit claims that Microsoft has made it difficult for users to use anything other than the built in Live Search, violating the user’s ability to choose. Since then, Microsoft has been required to allow 3rd party applications to run smoothly on all Windows platforms (The Associated Press, 2007).


As the future unfolds, it is almost certain that these two Internet companies show no signs of slowing down. Though Microsoft has proven to be successful in the past, Google’s progress seems to be in its infancy, as more and more free applications are developed for all to use. Finally, I believe that as Google ups the competition, Microsoft will struggle to make new and innovative products. Microsoft’s most recent OS release, Windows Vista, proved to be a huge flop as it was considered to be the biggest tech disappointment of 2007 according PC World Magazine. Microsoft will continue to sell products, but will gradually become a significantly smaller company.

It is simply a matter of time.