Submitted by Bungled branding of the new Windows Live Internet services has hurt Microsoft and could affect its chance to play catch-up with Google, analysts said on Friday. On Thursday, Microsoft lowered its sales forecast for its Internet services business for the full year from 11 percent to between 3 percent and 8 percent. It also acknowledged that its search market share has dropped. Windows Live Search saw its searches drop nearly 10 percent from a year ago, while Google’s rose more than 22 percent, according to figures released this week from Nielsen/NetRatings. Google has 50.8 percent market share, followed by Yahoo at 23.6 percent and Microsoft with only 8.4 percent.
We’re getting dangerously close to the point where Google has no competition. This is one case where we better hope Microsoft, Yahoo, and others gain ground.
Google has 50.8%, approx. the double of Yahoo. Yahoo has almost 25%. No reason to worry. It’s not like Windows which has approx. 85% of the market and approx. 95% if we’re talking standard x86.
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We’re getting dangerously close to the point where Google has no competition
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I disagree. Microsoft is more dangerous than Google. Google has to continue doing their best. Unlike an OS, it’s trivial to change one’s default search engine. You don’t even need a guru. You just do it.
Online office apps are harder. But it remains to be seen just how important that market really will be. I’m guessing not very.
There are just too many reasons *not* to use such a service. (Most businesses have too many secrets to trust such a service, and Aunt Martha’s not going to be comfortable trusting her Secret Recipe For Marble Fudge to it either.)
Besides, MS has a history of coming from way behind and then crushing the opponent that once had such a head start on them.
But to be fair, I should give the Google guys credit for being smarter than, for example, the Netscape guys.
Edited 2007-01-28 18:31
Microsoft HAD the history. But when is the last time that happened. They did take the Video Game market only to have their butts getting kicked by the likes of the Wii.
Microsoft took over computers by doing what linux does now. Give away or low price their products to take out the comp. Remember Netscape was a paid product. If it was free like Firefox IE would have never caught up cause everyone knew Netscape. But why pay $30 for something that you can get in the PC for free?
But they will never beat google, cause google gives you the better product that everyone knows for free! Plus MS is bias. you will find that sometimes searches for products that compete against MS products come up funny in searches. (like Linux products)
So I hope MS stays just the way they are. I will keep using FF and the Google search box.
…will have to set the default search engine as Microsoft’s in Internet Explorer.
or Buy out another search engine provider with all its Billions.
Edited 2007-01-28 18:23
I think the Windows Live image search is better than Google Image in some instances..I like how you just keep scrolling to see new pictures.
Ever tried http://www.searchmash.com?
It’s Google’s testbed for improving their search services. You might be pleased with their image results/behavior.
What is it? I never heard of it.
The new name for MSN.
On older computers and old browsers MSN and Live AJAX take forever to load. Google is simple and loads instantly. I think that has a considerable amount to do with the situation.
I think the point here is that who cares what the UI of a search service is if it cant find what you are looking for? MSN/Windows Live is far behind for a reason and it isn’t branding.
There seems to be a level of quality in Google services (and even Yahoo to some degree) that is not found in the MSN services.
I still can’t get over how much better Google Desktop is at searching and organizing my Outlook folders than any feature or tool within MS Office.
Windows Mail, included in Microsoft’s new flagship operating system (that’s Vista, for those not paying attention), doesn’t work with the Windows Live Mail service.
That pretty much sums up Microsoft’s strategy.
Google has its problems: a multitude of them, in fact, but they manage to not be quite as brain-dead as Microsoft, and that’s why they’re doing well.
Google has better content search results for some people thats why they use it. I use to love http://www.altavista.com/ in till it was full of junk then I dropped it like a wet fish. Google will be the same if it starts to consistently give poor results. Search engines is a technology that becomes a fad remember ask jeves?
That MS is pitching Live.com as their search service when they also own Start.com (which is similar to the Google homepage).
IMO (and I’m no marketing genius) they should’ve done the reverse…use Live.com as the personal landing page, and Start.com as their barebones search page seeing as their Windows start menu has enormous brand recognition as the “gateway” to a Windows machine.
But maybe that’s just me.
It’s worth mentioning that I personally prefer Start.com over Google homepage from an aesthetic and usability standpoint, but since I already have Google configured the way I want it, I don’t see myself switching.
Edited 2007-01-28 21:37
When I first saw the skin for Windows Live Messenger, I thought that this would be what the interface for Vista was going to look like. I think that would’ve been sweet! It’s really nice. I was wrong, of course. Microsoft is really odd in that respect, coming up with two seperate shiny interfaces. Ah well.
I haven’t really tried Live Search. Honestly, Google is perfect for me. I don’t even have an account or a homepage. All I need from a search engine… is a search engine. Is that just me?
In my opinion, Microsoft just can’t catch up to Google. Google has become an amazing thing. I mean, adults and teachers and professionals and all sorts of people use the world ‘Google’ to refer to searching for something on the internet. How can anyoneone compete with that sort of branding?