Comments on: Gates: Microsoft will keep Google honest

He concedes mistakes, but Bill Gates promises that Redmond's investments will enable it to catch its rival.
Photo: Gates, Jay-Z share a smile

[JuggerNaut]

Microsoft needs to keep itself honest first!

Once you can accomplish that feat, then worry about keeping Google honest!

[jasonemanuelson1]

Exactly...

Why have one insecure service when you can have many

[jmmejzz]

The Microsoft Bubble

is shrinking around Redmond.

[FutureGuy]

ya sure..

..I have been hearing that oh well for the last 5 years, and MS has averaged around 15% growth, if you meant a growing stable bubble, you are on the mark.

[Da Coyote]

Microsoft and Google

Let's see. The Yugo of the software world thinks that they are
going to keep Google honest? Microsoft never has, and never will
create anything. Their only approach is to copy, cheapen, and ruin.
If Gates bought Intel, they'd announce a two transistor CPU for next
year, delay the introduction four more years, and then have to
recall it due to defects (we hardware folks wouldn't tolerate the
crap that goes into software).

[microsoft slayer]

microsoft shrinking

eventually google will buy out microsoft and axe it.

[microsoft slayer]

I will beat Microsoft

with my awesome open source project...how's that?

[microsoft slayer]

MSN search is still pathetic...

Using MSN is like being imprisoned within the microsoft campus. The goal is find an outbound url that takes you away from MSN Hell!!!

[scott_c]

honest? LOL

Honest? That's the funniest statement I've read in a long time.

MicroSoft faced major legal battles in both the US and Europe over dishonesty in how they marketed their products...they forced computer manufacturers to buy Windows licenses for machines on which it was never installed...they insisted that certain features could not be removed from their OS without breaking it and then proceeded to do so when forced to by a judge...

The list probably goes on but that's all I can recall at the moment. Honest was a really poor choice of a word for what Mr. Gates was trying to say (and I do hope they keep Google competitive because that will be good for us all.)

Scott

[Maccess]

Hahahahaha

Pinch me. I just can't stop laughing.

This has got to be the most blatant use of "psychological projection" we've ever seen from a company that has made a marketing strategy out of the technique.

Perhaps its Google that helping to keep Microsoft "honest!"

[Ian Joyner]

Honest?

"For Microsoft, we always want to be in the lead, making the
breakthroughs," Gates said. Well that's a dishonest statement isn't
it. Well MS may as well become the industry policeman on keeping
companies hones, because the DoJ sure failed in their case.

[UntoldDreams]

Hahaha... Honest?

Hahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahaha

[itispals]

All The Best...Win if you can

If MSN LIVE delivers better results than Google, then it is definitely a good thing for customers.This is what competition can do. All the Best Microsoft...The first right thing that Microsoft has done is to have accepted that it has lost enough ground to Google and Yahoo. Only when it is realised then the next positive step can be taken...In this sense.....Win If you Can....Its good for all of us.....for we would have more choices...
http://www.buckleupnow.com

[Maccess]

only problem is...

Competing in terms of delivering a better product is totally alien to Microsoft.

The company's idea of competing is by creating compelling products, products that consumers are "compelled" to use it because its the unchangeable default, it's locked in, it creates incompatibilities with competing products, and so on.

But, yes, I would like to see Microsoft create a better product that wins in the market because its better and not because consumers are compelled to use it.

[pythonhacker]

No chance

The web war is alredy won by Google. Apart from the market share, Google already has something which Microsoft do not - mind share; of customers, of web developers, of geeks, of the average surfer.

Google has already become of Internet, what Microsoft has been of desktop. This is a war Microsoft is deemed to lose, coming from behind.

Stop talking high Mr.Gates and focus on your desktop goals. Get the ever-slipping-never-shipping Vista out of the door and then go and blow your bugle. Otherwise, just shut up.

[baddata]

arrogance and stupidity of Bill

It?s hard for me to understand why the board of directors at Microsoft allow Bill to open his mouth. He makes the entire company look stupid just about every time he speaks. Why would Microsoft the one company that has made a habit of copying and cheating other innovative companies, make a statement like this? Is this just the arrogance and stupidity of Bill?

Beware Microsoft, more and more people are getting wise to you. Someone just might come along and keep you honest.

[mortis9]

think about it

Why didn't the board shut him up? Perhaps because he's both the chairman and the single largest shareholder. Perhaps?

[kamwmail-cnet1]

Gates' so stupid, he's worth billions, and you?

Yeah, Bill Gates is so stupid that he created a multi-billion dollar company from scratch. And what did a ****-ant like you accomplished?

But keep on posting as if what you have to say or do might have an impact. It makes for good comic relief.

[df561]

i think u misunderstand

"Keep Google honest" is more a figure of speech...and actually it's use here suggests to me that Microsoft has conceded defeat to Google. They are content to come in second. So I'm more shocked about that.

[welcomnetworks]

stupidity?

Stupidity of who? well, he must know something do ya think...accepted in to Harvard....lets not forget being one of the richest in the world. Yeah I wish I had his "stupidity".

[welcomnetworks]

stupidity?

Stupidity of who? well, he must know something do ya think...accepted in to Harvard....lets not forget being one of the richest in the world. Yeah I wish I had his "stupidity".


As for the Arrogance, I would have to say if I was Bill Gates I would be pretty arrogant too.

[mathue_tax]

Honest?!

MS keeping Google honest? What . . is everyone smoking crack this
week or something? First Bob Johnson's UFUD <http://
news.com.com/2102-7349_3-6067167.html?tag=st.util.print> on
May 2nd, then this?

[mortis9]

say what you like

To argue in any fashion that Microsoft is out of the game at this, or any, point would be to ignore the simple and obvious industry power of the Redmond giant. The largest software company in the world, with cash reserves in excess of the GDP of half the world's countries, has more power to affect the market than people are giving it credit for. Let us not forget that Microsoft also has some of the world's best and brightest people (a few defected Executives isn't shouldn't be construed as a significant loss of personel).

Essentially I'm saying this: the ability to toss 70 billion dollars at a given problem, in this case internet search, shouldn't be forgotten. Call me a fanboy, say what you like, I don't care. The fact can't be ignored that Microsoft still retains the resources needed to make a comeback.

[freemarket--2008]

For the most part

Microsoft has been unsuccessful outside of the OS and office software categories. When it can't leverage a package using it's desktop monopoly and has to actually compete, it comes up short.

[Bill Dautrive]

They lack the talent.

70 billion dollars won't help you if all you have to peddle is crap.

People are finally starting to realize what garbage MS offers.

The only thing that will save them is to do the one thing they have never done: create innovative, useful software that reasonably secure.

[Bob Brinkman]

I used to be a big fan of google

I still use it, but two websites I manage haven't been cached by Google in months, where as MSN and Yahoo crawl them reguraly.

It makes me wonder what else I am missing when I do a google search.

Oh well, my the best billionare win.

[naterandrews]

$70 billion.....

Sure they COULD do that. But what would the shareholders say? Gates is only a pawn. The shareholders hold the largest power. Just look at how sharply the stock fell after MSFT announced a "mere" couple billion dollar increase in spending than expected. Sure, Microsoft COULD spend billions to eradicate Google- but they would have po'ed shareholders, and loss of market capitalization. Would it all be worth it to win over search? A market with lower margins than Windows or Office. I dont think so.

As a side note, I would just LOVE it if Microsoft became the next advertising giant. And we know how they are once they become drunk with power. Am I the only one that can imagine MSFT becoming the next Gator-like intrusive advertising company? I hope they alienate all their customers and drive themselves to the poor house.

[i_made_this]

Mr Ballmer Throws A Chair at GOOG

All I wanna know is did the guy do it or not??? The press reported he did. George Walker Ballmer denied denied denied. Hmph.

Youth wants 2 know!

[Bill Dautrive]

You want the truth from MS?

Never going to happen. Honesty come more naturally to a con then it does to MS.

Did he do it? Who knows, but it is certainly within his 'character'. The man is a hot-headed, retarded clown.

[monarch2]

it's apparently obvious

take a look @ the prices of their stocks over the last 5 years, oh yeah, with google better make it only the last 18 months

[Ted Miller]

Ah yes...

Our baby imperfect brother has become a teenager. Soon he will be a man. Ah yes our BIG BROTHER who will help us better our lives and protect us from our selves. He has entered our homes viewed our naked wives and checked the contents of our tolits with the eye in the sky. Thank you Mr.Bill for your concern for us. It is good that you are expanded you perfect and wonderful windows operating systems in all aspects of our lives. Yes Bill you can do better then anybody, you are the best nothing like the rest. You borrow their code and do it one better. Thank you Mr. Bill for taking the position of God after all you are the richest and all I can say is I am glad that man lives apx. 70 years and by special mightyness 80 years.
Bill? How many years do you have left? I mean we have left? To think all your money will not buy you one minute more. Happy times Bill in your VAIN pursuits. Cast your eyes on the rich forgotton men in cemetaries with crumbling tombstones only to be dug up by a future archeologist and placed into a museum with the wrong iterpetation of who you where. In othere words Bill do some good with your money like investing in Google and others and let them finish the work the are doing and concentrate on making your windows software into something more perfect then what it is. Do good to your neighbor. You may find them liking you more.

[welcomnetworks]

Uhhh bill is god?

You borrow their code and do it one better. Thank you Mr. Bill for taking the position of God after all you are the richest and all I can say is I am glad that man lives apx. 70 years and by special mightyness 80 years...

How did you get taking the place of god out of that?

[OneWithTech]

What..Microsoft the NEW...

..Frick'n browser police. Keep Google Honest! Coming from one of the most dishonest corporations next to ENRON!

Here, take this prediction to hart Microsoft, by the end of 2006 Google will have produced a browser of all browsers. Notice I didnt' just call it a web browser because Google has already proven that I can browse anything, it just doesn't use it's own BROWSER yet! YET!

~Justin

[dosts]

It is never going to happen. IE will be the leader.

It is never going to happen. IE will be the leader.

[welcomnetworks]

Windows is key

that would be kinda funny if Microsoft made googel products non compatible with Windows Vista...just a thought

[gerard rotonda]

Google Finance gives the competition a run for the money

As quoted "Google is apparently unique in the industry in that they're treating recruiting as a network effect, similar to auctions or operating systems. Smart people go where smart people are, which enables them to launch cool stuff, which attracts more attention, and suddenly you have a feedback loop. At some point, enough smart people want to work there that it's not simply enough to be smart; you have to market yourself.

That kind of feedback loop is happening here too, but not at the same scale, because Google is being far bolder, cleverer, and more overt about setting up the feedback than we are (or anyone else is, for that matter.)

If you think about it, marketing ourselves as programmers isn't really something we've had to do in a very long time. When I was in school, worried about job interviews, a more senior guy in my class told me not to worry ? he said that your first interview is you marketing yourself, but after you have some experience, the companies are all competing to hire you. You get to pick and choose. I felt a rather awed disbelief at the time, but experience bore his assertion out, for the most part. In the 1990s, as long as you weren't a complete idiot, interviews tended to start and end with "when can you start?"

But not at Google. Now even some of the smartest people wonder whether they'd get a job there. Rumor has it that if you don't have a Ph.D. or equivalent, don't bother applying. Regardless of whether that rumor is true, it's contributing to the marketing hype.

So Google has no trouble finding good people, because through careful maneuvering, they've convinced most of the world that Google is where the smartest people work. By doing so, they've begun to create a network effect that's leaving many of their competitors to scrabble for "leftovers". "

As quoted


Gerard Rotonda

[dosts]

M & G

All comments below are from only people who support G it seems and loyal to them. Just Search is not everything in this Computer world. I am wondering why so much one sidedness. We have seen M all these days. G will show its true colors in coming yrs and then let us see some x will emerge.