Google gets better. What's up with that?

Search giant unveils new version of desktop search and free IM program. How good are they?
Images: Google Talk
Images: Google moves onto the desktop

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[Mendz]

That sums it up...

... for now.

Obviously, Google is using their brand to get more user accounts to GMail. The user base is a tangible measure of success; statistics for their ads business. But it still seems like they're building a Google branded empire on the web.

If Microsoft dominates the OS market, Google wants to dominate the web market with web services and web enabled applications. Good for Google that they have all the time in the world to be ahead because Microsoft's often busy with their Windows, Office and server business. Plus, MSN is so tied up with Microsoft's un-ending technology changes it makes sense for MSN to wait most of the time.

The good thing with Google, they can please most users. They don't really have to worry about the Microsoft, Linux, *NIX, Mac, etc. lovers and haters. There is no divide. They have the biggest possible share of the market.

The next question is: can they keep up?

[BrandonLive]

Is this news or a Google ad?

"Microsoft plans something similar for the next version of Windows, due at the end of 2006."

Umm... what about Windows Desktop Search for Windows 2000/XP/2003? It's here today and according to most reviews, a much more refined experience than Google's offering.

You also don't mention Yahoo/X1, Copernic, or any other competitors. You make it sound like Google is the only option, when every review I've read puts them at the bottom behind Copernic and Windows DS.

[educateme]

I tried sidebar, Copernic, MSN etal, Google is better

For built in search capabilities I had been using Copernic since it
started years ago and was both a Windows and Mac app. It was
great how it hi-lites in yellow the search term results, and it
integrated into IE pretty good too. When I saw the Widgets in
Apple OS X made by the original widget makers Konfabulator, I
recalled they had one for slide show of pictures in a frame on
your Mac desktop. The new Google sidebar does this now too,
and many more things, I consider it a nice aggregation of many
of your frequently used OS needs and easy access to files,
folders, search, and these Photos if you like a randomly
changing assortment of interesting things floating on the
desktop. At least Googles features are based on several "human"
interface ease-of-use designs that Windows has sorely lacked
forever. It brings some nicer Mac like workflow improvements
that the rest of the world can enjoy, for free. We can only hope
as they evolve that they stay more true to form than the errant
empire Microsoft has turned into.