The Clash of the Titans…
Each time we sit down at our computers, many of us are working with a Microsoft program called the Windows operating system. It is no secret that Google and Microsoft aren’t exactly good friends as companies go. Well, last week, Google has announced that they are developing their own operating system and that it will be free. This move hits Microsoft in the gut and hard. Ouch.
Microsoft is reported to hold 90% of the market and sells about 400 million copies of its operating system each year for around $45 a pop. Did I mention that Google will give theirs away? When we buy a new computer that is made by Dell or HP or many others, it comes with the Windows operating system. Now, Google is meeting with computer manufacturers regarding offering their operating system in addition to or instead.
Google is targeting a release of their system in the second half of 2010 and will initially focus on an offering for Netbooks. A Netbook is a small computer that is built to work with the internet specifically and these little pint sized computers don’t have many of the additional offerings (e.g., DVD player) you would find in a typical laptop. Netbooks are very popular these days and carry a very small price tag.
Why is Google taking on Microsoft again? Well, Google thinks that they can build a better mousetrap. They believe that their new operating system will be faster, easier to use and have fewer lines of code. Google’s goal is to offer a simple operating system that is not weighed down with all the issues that continue to plaque Microsoft regarding performance and security. Google is starting with a blank sheet of paper and Microsoft has to deal with legacy code that was written in the past.
Converting most people away from Microsoft will be a daunting challenge as people tend to resist change, and especially so when it involves something that they don’t truly understand like the inner workings of their computer. Most people just want it to work, so Google will face the challenge of getting people to care enough to want to change. Some folks will switch immediately, however getting the majority of the market to move will be difficult.
In case you have missed it, Google and Microsoft have been battling for years. Prior to this latest salvo from Google, Microsoft released a new search engine called Bing in an effort to take market share from Google. Google, which by the way is the most visited website in the world, released Chrome last year as a replacement for Internet Explorer.
For those Mac-o-philes that are reading this, I am sure you are wondering what happens to Apple in all of this? Well, analysts see Apple getting hurt by Google as well. A Google Netbook could be sold for as little as $300 and this will hurt Apple’s entry level machine that is priced around $999.
Regardless of what happens, this should be good for the consumer as all three companies… Google, Microsoft and Apple are going to need to up their game a little as consumers get more choices on what to buy.
Tags: Baltimore, computer, Dell, G.1440 News, Google, HP, it, Larry Fiorino, Mac, Microsoft, Netbook, Operating system, Tech Topics
July 15th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Apple beats Microsoft in the “user experience” space.
A PC running Windows is a computer, and you know it. While Microsoft has made improvements, there are still bits of computery geekiness showing: the need for virus-scan software, security updates, and activation codes.
An Apple Macintosh is a computer and it comes with a very nice user interface. Apple has done a better job of hiding the geekiness.
The iPhone, while in reality a small hand-held computer, is perceived as a phone with lots of nifty apps. It is an even better job of hiding the geekiness.
I think Google has enough savvy (and chops) to create a pleasant user experience, one that keeps the computer stuff hidden.