Comments on: Is Microsoft bidding up acquisitions on purpose? http://scobleizer.com/2007/04/15/is-microsoft-bidding-up-acquisitions-on-purpose/ Exploring the 2010 Web Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:01:23 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: wreck http://scobleizer.com/2007/04/15/is-microsoft-bidding-up-acquisitions-on-purpose/comment-page-1/#comment-64875 wreck Tue, 17 Apr 2007 00:11:50 +0000 http://scobleizer.com/2007/04/15/is-microsoft-bidding-up-acquisitions-on-purpose/#comment-64875 @44, It was a knee-jerk reaction IMO, but Google is far less evil than MS. MS loves to embrace and extend its technologies for lock-in. Since they have 95% of the desktops already, they've achived it, but they've started to bleed loyalty with customers. Vista sucks. Full stop. Google is beatable. I just don't have to use them or their services. I block ads anyway, so I don't have to see their tripe or anyone elses while online. Personal battle won. Very few players really innovate anymore. Opera ASA is an innovater. Apple is an innovator. BSD innovates with networking, the open source crowd innovates quite a bit with kernelspace coding. Most stuff is just a rehash of something else with a few twists and new gizmos. I'm patiently waiting for the new players in the search arena; someone who's search stuff is better than Google's. It's only a matter of time. @44,

It was a knee-jerk reaction IMO, but Google is far less evil than MS. MS loves to embrace and extend its technologies for lock-in. Since they have 95% of the desktops already, they’ve achived it, but they’ve started to bleed loyalty with customers. Vista sucks. Full stop.

Google is beatable. I just don’t have to use them or their services. I block ads anyway, so I don’t have to see their tripe or anyone elses while online. Personal battle won.

Very few players really innovate anymore. Opera ASA is an innovater. Apple is an innovator. BSD innovates with networking, the open source crowd innovates quite a bit with kernelspace coding.

Most stuff is just a rehash of something else with a few twists and new gizmos.

I’m patiently waiting for the new players in the search arena; someone who’s search stuff is better than Google’s. It’s only a matter of time.

]]> By: Mr. Robinson http://scobleizer.com/2007/04/15/is-microsoft-bidding-up-acquisitions-on-purpose/comment-page-1/#comment-64876 Mr. Robinson Mon, 16 Apr 2007 22:03:44 +0000 http://scobleizer.com/2007/04/15/is-microsoft-bidding-up-acquisitions-on-purpose/#comment-64876 I thought it was pathetic when Microsoft goes into reactive mode wrt Google (spending 2 billion to try to compete in ad/search/etc). I still do. But lately, it seems that Google is constantly in reactive mode wrt Microsoft. Microsoft floats the idea that they're interested in DoubleClick, and Google panics, and breaks the bank, not because they give a damn about DoubltClick, but just to keep it out of Microsoft's hands. Same thing happened regarding other Google acquistions. Pretty pathetic. Google doesn't innovate much "in house" either. Seems all they do is buy, buy, buy. I thought it was pathetic when Microsoft goes into reactive mode wrt Google (spending 2 billion to try to compete in ad/search/etc). I still do.

But lately, it seems that Google is constantly in reactive mode wrt Microsoft. Microsoft floats the idea that they’re interested in DoubleClick, and Google panics, and breaks the bank, not because they give a damn about DoubltClick, but just to keep it out of Microsoft’s hands. Same thing happened regarding other Google acquistions. Pretty pathetic.

Google doesn’t innovate much “in house” either. Seems all they do is buy, buy, buy.

]]> By: Brian http://scobleizer.com/2007/04/15/is-microsoft-bidding-up-acquisitions-on-purpose/comment-page-1/#comment-64877 Brian Mon, 16 Apr 2007 16:59:20 +0000 http://scobleizer.com/2007/04/15/is-microsoft-bidding-up-acquisitions-on-purpose/#comment-64877 The fact that Robert's question about *business strategy* in the online space devolves into a hoary OS war is more than a little indicative of the main challenge Google faces: they are a tech company still run for the most part by propeller heads with grand ambitions trying to evolve into a diversified business with more than a single revenue stream. Can the suits win the internal war? Their business strategy has been scattershot to this point (YouTube being the most expensive example). DoubleClick makes much more sense, though the pricetag suggests panic to me -- keep out of MS hands at all costs and make a deal now because once the Dems take over in 2008 the regulatory environment might not be as friendly to such consolidation in the ad business. The fact that Robert’s question about *business strategy* in the online space devolves into a hoary OS war is more than a little indicative of the main challenge Google faces: they are a tech company still run for the most part by propeller heads with grand ambitions trying to evolve into a diversified business with more than a single revenue stream. Can the suits win the internal war?

Their business strategy has been scattershot to this point (YouTube being the most expensive example). DoubleClick makes much more sense, though the pricetag suggests panic to me — keep out of MS hands at all costs and make a deal now because once the Dems take over in 2008 the regulatory environment might not be as friendly to such consolidation in the ad business.

]]> By: Google-DoubleClick Deal Raising Lots of Questions | Marketing Pilgrim http://scobleizer.com/2007/04/15/is-microsoft-bidding-up-acquisitions-on-purpose/comment-page-1/#comment-64881 Google-DoubleClick Deal Raising Lots of Questions | Marketing Pilgrim Mon, 16 Apr 2007 14:58:51 +0000 http://scobleizer.com/2007/04/15/is-microsoft-bidding-up-acquisitions-on-purpose/#comment-64881 [...] or was this an attemp to make Google spend more? Does their dropping out signal that perhaps they’re not that serious about building an advertising unit after [...] [...] or was this an attemp to make Google spend more? Does their dropping out signal that perhaps they’re not that serious about building an advertising unit after [...]

]]> By: Robert Scoble http://scobleizer.com/2007/04/15/is-microsoft-bidding-up-acquisitions-on-purpose/comment-page-1/#comment-64878 Robert Scoble Mon, 16 Apr 2007 14:33:47 +0000 http://scobleizer.com/2007/04/15/is-microsoft-bidding-up-acquisitions-on-purpose/#comment-64878 Ken: I agree with you but so far Web offerings are pretty meek when compared with Office 2007. Also getting people to switch to a new brand and a new approach is going to be more difficult than expected. I still see a lot of people using Windows 2000 and Office 2000. Ken: I agree with you but so far Web offerings are pretty meek when compared with Office 2007. Also getting people to switch to a new brand and a new approach is going to be more difficult than expected. I still see a lot of people using Windows 2000 and Office 2000.

]]> By: Ken Gardner http://scobleizer.com/2007/04/15/is-microsoft-bidding-up-acquisitions-on-purpose/comment-page-1/#comment-64879 Ken Gardner Mon, 16 Apr 2007 14:11:36 +0000 http://scobleizer.com/2007/04/15/is-microsoft-bidding-up-acquisitions-on-purpose/#comment-64879 Robert, I want to question the "moat" around Microsoft Office. MSFT should be very worried about the web based office products. Products like Jotspot (now Google), editgrid and Zoho have some work left to catch up on features but they are getting close. It may seem funny but information woker products (spreadsheets, documents, presentations should be "web native". Products like RSSbus, Yahoo Pipes and Plagger make sharing and collaborating very easy. It is easier and far cheaper to use an online spreadsheet for reporting on the web than it is to use Excel. This is the Office of the future and MSFT isn't playing. They should be very worried but I don't think they are. BIG companies never worry. -Ken Gardner Robert,

I want to question the “moat” around Microsoft Office. MSFT should be very worried about the web based office products. Products like Jotspot (now Google), editgrid and Zoho have some work left to catch up on features but they are getting close.

It may seem funny but information woker products (spreadsheets, documents, presentations should be “web native”. Products like RSSbus, Yahoo Pipes and Plagger make sharing and collaborating very easy. It is easier and far cheaper to use an online spreadsheet for reporting on the web than it is to use Excel.

This is the Office of the future and MSFT isn’t playing. They should be very worried but I don’t think they are. BIG companies never worry.

-Ken Gardner

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