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Google growing larger than Microsoft?

shamel.blogspot.com — Some prediction state that at the current rate, Google will have a market cap larger than Microsoft within about 4 years. I say that based on the "Economy of Attention", Google have already crossed the "tipping point" and WILL be larger than Microsoft. Check-out why.

Who dugg this? Made popular Nov 6, 2006

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  • unloud, on 10/12/2007, -3/+25Either way, Microsoft is more stable than Google because it's revenue streams come from multiple places while Google is and has always been solely Ad revenue....something that could be damaged easily by a fad in ad-blocking software among the populous or something similar.
  • cecret, on 10/12/2007, -1/+16Seriously check out the numbers. It's all about revenue and cash flow. Google's pipeline is speculative.
  • valona, on 10/12/2007, -0/+14They dugg you down my good man, for actually spouting facts. You can't do that around here, it must always be hyperbole, fanboyism and chair throwing jokes. You'll learn.
  • wideawakewesley, on 10/12/2007, -3/+18Guess the irrational Google hating will start sometime soon.
  • cybercrak, on 10/12/2007, -5/+18echo cecret. 12.6 billion in net income vs. 1.4 billion , 44 billion in revenue vs. 6.1 billion. 4 years is suspect.
  • wideawakewesley, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12And Google Earth copied Nasa World Wind...who really gives a sh*t who copied who. Just use the software you like the most and get a life!
  • bevanl, on 10/12/2007, -7/+14Google will always remain a threat to Microsoft no matter what size it is, as Google is innovative and flexible and moves into different areas of Business, Microsoft find it hard to get ideas so they simply copy ideas from other companies, such as Windows Live Local is a copy of Google Earth/Maps.
  • paulmdx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Not to mention Microsoft are a massively more mature company. Whether you believe Google is getting more 'harmful' or not, it's pretty inevitable more companies will start trying to get money out of Google. Microsoft have been used to that for two decades!
  • jackspade, on 10/12/2007, -5/+13Windows Live Local may be a blatant ripoff of Google Maps, but their birds eye views of cities is definitely superior to the resolution offered by google but not as user friendly.
  • SportBilly, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9Name one original idea by google? They have simply put existing ideas online. It's hardly innovative stuff. They are good at what they do though. Safe, sound software is hard to come by these days.
  • tjt5002, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9Many of google's "innovated technologies" started by buying small companies
  • joeuttaro, on 06/06/2008, -2/+8Because we can really count on a Blogger blog to deliver the news of one of the largest turning points in history.
  • Opteron, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Sue people for blocking ads? Right...
  • idonthack, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8If he cites his sources, I don't see why not.
  • sick_spd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I disagree with this article. Microsoft has more programmers to develop code for applications. They have a larger product base which requires a larger sales force. And let’s not forget MCS and all the consultants that create Microsoft solutions, design the implementation for Microsoft programs, implement the design and support the architecture. Google doesn't have any of that. They have a fair share of developers but nothing like Microsoft. I totally see that they could be worth more then Microsoft one day but I don't think the workforce would be larger.

    Also, it should be pointed out that the data from Google trends shows how many times someone searched for Microsoft or Google ON GOOGLE SERVERS. I think it would be better to compare how many searches each one does on a daily basis, over time.
  • Zipp425, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Probably the reason they are starting to get into web based app development...

    Still haven't seen them charging for that stuff yet (Yay!), but it maybe in the future?
  • wedderburn, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6The web/web browser is Google's os, everyones happy with what they run no drivers to support, no head aches.
    And best of all theres room for innovation no backwards compatibility.
  • r00tus3r, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6what you're doing is wrong, no matter the cause. Modded down!
  • NyteStarNyne, on 10/12/2007, -7/+11Maybe a Google OS isn't such a bad idea after all.
  • Escamillo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Um, who really gives a damn?

    Look, at the time of the AOL/TimeWarner merger, AOL had much higher market cap than TimeWarner did (which is why the "merger" was actually AOL buying TW). But in terms of real world assets, TW was much larger. TW had a higher revenue stream, TV networks, movie studio, magzines, books, music, etc. All AOL had was an online service. True, wild speculation did give AOL higher market cap at the time, but look a few years later and you see that the AOL portion of TW is now a relatively small division within TW. Why? Because TW's real world assets were indeed "real world" assets rather than just paper. Market cap has never interested me in the slightest when trying to compare one company with another.

    (I do care about the value of stock that I own, but bragging about one company's market size vs another is stupid).
  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Like Bill Gates said about Google, they are in their HONEY MOON stage right now. When the honey moon is over reality hits you. M$ has been through through a lot, like law suits, and even Government trying to divide them and so on. Google hasnt been through that kind of stuff yet. But it is sure coming.

    Google has a much bigger chance of collapsing just because they are only a search engine and they are exploitable.
  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I suggest you take a look at the irony of the AdBlock guy not being able to pay for the server hosting to support his software. There is a lesson in there somewhere.
  • fastsix, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3"google just took the existing search engine and made it better.
    google can take anything you can do and do it 10x better."

    Well except for online video (YouTube)
    And sattelite imagery (Keyhole)
    And Photo Organization (Picasa)
    And Online Word Processing (Writely)
    And 3D Models (SketchUp)
    And Blogging (Blogger)

    .....and? Well, I'm not sure what else, but at least if Google can't do it 10x better than you they can buy it from you for 10x more than it's worth.
  • chriskzoo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Google is an advertising company, Microsoft is not (at least it is not their primary revenue generator). I fail to see the parallel at this point.
  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Spam...
  • Troopy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Hey screw you man, ive been affected by breast cancer badly but it doesnt change the fact that you are spamming this article!
  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Settle down. I'm on the verge of pronouncing your post blog spam. There is just barely enough content...don't push your luck.
  • Kazimieras, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2When/If the day comes unless google is able to keep its flexibility intact they will become a bloated corperation like Microsoft. Even if you hate M$, you have to give them credit to be so big and so uncontrollable and still able to do something useful.
  • bioskope, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2most people in here dont as a matter of fact. its just the google fanboyism thats making people write articles like this, post articles like this, digg articles like this and post asinine comments like the ones you see above you my good man.

  • ThirdPrize, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2So, an advertising firm is getting bigger than a software firm. I am sure you could even pick two companies that are in the same field/market and say the same thing.
  • elamr, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"Some geeks needs to start a new search engine where search results rankings can't be bought or whored out. Maybe it will be me."

    Good luck with that.
  • itisme, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3In the authors fairly simplistic graph of shifting emphasis of companies
    he goes IBM>Msft>Google>?
    and then states he can't see who next
    I'd put forward gnu Floss/wikipedia

    google have indexed the worlds data with a view to making revenue off of it.

    wikipedia and other free end user participation systems will index data but without the goal of increased revenue to subvert their objectivity, this will prove increasingly appealing.

    Not to say anything against any of those companies making their living, I just believe in the long run free information will prove increasingly popular!
  • fraggle35, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4this is a bloggers opinion,
    it is not news,
    the big choice, lame or inaccurate?
  • Retuobak, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4"Google innovates, and makes their innovation profitable. They are vastly superior in their technology than Microsoft. I think that Microsoft is like China, and Google like the US. The US comes up with the good ideas, and China comes along behind to make the same thing cheaper (but not better). Google comes up with good ideas, and Microsoft comes along and copies it, and drops it into their portfolio of products. Weasels."

    China invests massively in creating it's own brands, supporting it's own R&D programs etc. They know that as soon as the wages rise too much, which will happen one day, that they'll need such things to stay ahead. Therefore your comparison is faulty. China does want to innovate, and will in the future enter markets not proven yet. As you said, Microsoft doesn't appear to have the intention of doing so.
  • diggguru, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2http://www.alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details?site0=www.google.com&site1=www.msn.com&site2=www.yahoo.com&site3=www.ask.com&site4=&y=r&z=1&h=300&w=500&range=6m&size=Medium&url=www.google.com
  • fastsix, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"Windows Live Local is a copy of Google Earth/Maps."

    Ummmm, Microsoft's Terra Server was around in '97
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TerraServer-USA

    Google Earth isn't even a Google product, they bought Keyhole Earth Viewer and slapped their brand on it. This was in 2004, which if I'm not mistaken is well after 1997. I'm not really sure when Earth Viewer came out, but regardless Microsoft is not copying Google by providing Satellite mapping, they've had it since 1997.
  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1It is suspect because they will top out on ad revenue long before they reach 44B in revenue. The question is what product or service is going to be worth billions and billions of dollars?
  • itisme, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I think the wikimedia foundation is a not for profit organisation.


  • dguedo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1"Microsoft decided long ago (I think about the time Bob flopped) that they could not innovate. They never enter a market that has not been proven. There is ABSOLUTELY no innovation at Microsoft. They steal (or buy), package and market better than anyone else. That is the strength of Microsoft."

    Every good company does this, I work for a fortune 500 company and our company like any other big company, only innovates and what will give them a direct return on investment. This usually means tweaking existing products or services. When you try to pioneer a new business area, you invest a lot of money and take a lot of risk. Companies do not like to spend there money on high risk ventures. That’s why, when you get big enough, you wait for emerging markets to develop then buy the biggest market share you can. All good companies do this, because they do not want to waste their investors money. Google does this as well as anyone, (Blogger, YouTube to name a few). Innovation is for startups that’s where it belongs.
  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Did you just talk about Google's innovation by comparing Google Maps to MS Live Local?

    Google innovation is to buy an existing product?
    And as they move into other areas of business? Like what?

    NOTHING that Google has done other than search and ads have made Google a penny. Everything else has LOST money.
  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Where are these "some prediction"? Just some stupid ***** diary writer claiming that others think this does not make it true.
  • ronaldst, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4I still can't find new innovations. People throw that word around hoping it would stick but I never see the goodies.
  • Troopy, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goobuntu

    I really hope Google does release something like that ^. They do everything well so I anticipate if they did release an OS it would a good one.
  • diggguru, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3Think about all the free services that you are getting from google. There should be a way for them to make money so that they can pay off for keeping those services alive.

    2GB of Gmail is free VS $19.95 of yahoo mail(2GB)
    Google Docs & Spreadsheets are free VS MS Office 2003 ($150? or more)
    Many others.....
  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1"Windows Live Local may be a blatant ripoff of Google Maps, but their birds eye views of cities is definitely superior to the resolution offered by google but not as user friendly."

    Definitely superior resolution? they use the exact same resolution, and they use the exact same friggin pictures. i took this screen shot of the same locations, and on MSN Live and Google Maps, they have the same cars in the same places. when are they gonna update these maps, anyone know?

    msn Live shot of hollywood:

    http://img65.imageshack.us/img65/3767/livehollywoodts1.jpg

    google maps shot of hollywood:

    http://img160.imageshack.us/img160/1103/googlehollywoodnd4.jpg

    anyone wanna tell me which is superior?
  • JacNet, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2I prefer all google products to microsoft alternatives.
  • doodlebumm, on 10/12/2007, -13/+12Microsoft decided long ago (I think about the time Bob flopped) that they could not innovate. They never enter a market that has not been proven. There is ABSOLUTELY no innovation at Microsoft. They steal (or buy), package and market better than anyone else. That is the strength of Microsoft.

    Google innovates, and makes their innovation profitable. They are vastly superior in their technology than Microsoft. I think that Microsoft is like China, and Google like the US. The US comes up with the good ideas, and China comes along behind to make the same thing cheaper (but not better). Google comes up with good ideas, and Microsoft comes along and copies it, and drops it into their portfolio of products. Weasels.
  • Xeviar, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0Can everyone say "Goobuntu" ! ! !
  • seweso, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1@fastsix, yes but those company's already where Google-like ;)
  • shamel67, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0When I say "attention" I'm thinking in terms of Thomas Davenport's "Economy of attention" (check his book on Amazon), not traffic to my blog. In fact, this subject is off topic to my main blog subject, which is about web analytics.
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