Is Microsoft Gaining Ground In The Search Wars?
from the maybe-a-little dept
A new report makes the surprising assertion that Microsoft is actually gaining ground in the search race and that in just the last couple of months it's significantly closed the gap with Yahoo for the #2 slot. Assuming the numbers are legitimate, this would be the first sign of life out of this business in quite a while. Still, it's hard to say whether Microsoft's momentum is real. The company is probably getting a moderate boost from the adoption of Vista and the new IE7, which has Live search set as a default. If you'll recall, this setting prompted Google to make an antitrust complaint against the company. The company has also been using other lures to get users, such as awarding points to certain searchers, which can be redeemed to purchase stuff from the company. None of this suggests that users are really switching from one site to another in significant numbers (which is what would be significant), though perhaps Microsoft is picking up a few marginal users that aren't particularly attached to one service or another. If true, Microsoft will probably hit a ceiling pretty quickly.
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LOL
OK, so Google isn't PERFECT, but really, they've created a whole industry off what they do best. Why is Microsoft trying to outdo them? We don't see Google releasing its own OS anytime soon.
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Re: LOL
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Re: Re: LOL
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If you think Google doesnt want into the OS market you have not been paying very close attention.
America needs a google firewall.
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Re: Mitch the GOP Bitch
what are you talking about???
I'll play along and pretend that made sense, then I'll hit myself in the head with a hammer a few times and say:
I guess the Dems need something to try to counteract the political arm of the Scumbag Corporations, opps, I mean Scumbag Republicans...The Whitehouse!
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thats funny cause i always thought the world needs a MS firewall.
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Then my brain shut down in order to protect itself from the most uninformed response i have ever heard. (well not ever)
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No monopolies
Neither Google nor Microsoft needs to be firewalled, they just need viable competition so they are kept in line with the public interest.
THe scariest thing to me is that MS is stil using the same weapon -- their OS monopoly -- to crush competition in other areas. Judge Jackson had the correct remedy, but with enough money you can buy the verdict you want.
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Re: No monopolies
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Re: Re: No monopolies
The existance of Linux, UNIX, MAC, or whatever does not mean MS does not have monoply power over the desktop OS market. THere is more competition in the server OS market, but MS continues to employ the same tactics that have been held illegal in the past.
They use the leverage of the overwhelmingly dominant desktop OS to compete in unrelated fields. This lverage is applied in two ways: ISVs are discouraged from writing or porting apps to other platforms by the excellent MS support system and implied threats of loss of status the MS Developer Network. Also, PC manufacturers also get the carrot-and-stick treatment via licensing arrangements. THe recent Dell offer of Unbuntu is astonishing -- unless MS has re-evaluated and decided that 80-85% market share is 'enough' and trying to get the rest will simply stir up trouble.
You mention porting applications to non-MS OS platforms. Breaking MS into an OS company and an application company would have provided the incentive to do that. We would have had Office for Linux in short order. Intuit would have followed shortly with Quicken and Turbo Tax, and all the Office dependent ISVs racing to stay up.
At the same time, a Windows OS company would have been busy publishing ALL the API calls and getting serious about security and stability, since they could no longer count on sales brought in by the captive productivity apps.
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LMAO....
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Re: LMAO....
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Re: Re: LMAO....
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Set as default?
WTF are they talking about? When you first launch IE7 after install it forces you to CHOOSE a default search. There is no "default." Google are a bunch of crybabies who want MS to cripple the native Vista search to make their desktop search more attractive. Nevermind the fact that the search has been in place for a LONG time just never implemented properly until Vista. What a load of crap.
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I'm Impressed
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Re: I'm Impressed
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Makes you wonder if it was a bug or they did it on purpose. I'm betting it was intentional.
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Agree w/ Comment above
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Re: Agree w/ Comment above
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Nasty Old Geezer
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The Real Reason
There are games there that utilize microsoft's search engine. If you accumulate enough points you will get decent prizes. There is also a macro that can aid you in solving the puzzles.
Each puzzle uses the search engine at least 10 times. Using the macro you can play many times in a short about of time.
if you play 100 games then 100 * 10 = 10000 uses of search engine per 100 games per person
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