The rumored Gdrive is one step closer to reality. This will probably be a two-tiered service with a free version and a premium version for which users will have to pony up some money. Don't look for this to provide short-term meaningful revenues for search behemoth. Something more important, though, is happening.
As I've written about previously, Google is certainly gunning for Microsoft, though they are not taking on Mr. Softie straight-on. Instead, Google is trying to take over the desktop from the application-level, using search and other applications to gain control of the user experience. Desktop search allows users to search their computers with the same great functionality and usability as they search the web.
And that's really where Google's got game. The line that divides the hardware that sits on my desk (or my lap, for that matter) and the environment on the web where I spend most of my time is being blurred. Light, small applications run on my desktop but much of the computing processing is happening on Google servers.
My documents are hosted at Google, published online, and shared with my colleagues. Gmail enables me to open documents directly into Google Docs, without ever having to download a file. I can access most of this stuff when I'm at work, at home, or on the go via my mobile device.
This, in my humble opinion, strikes at the heart of Microsoft. The software powerhouse is a great software shop in its guts. It writes code, it builds software packages, and it distributes it via distribution channels. Google is becoming more and more a lifestyle product, giving me what I need/where I need it, via an Internet browser and tying it all together by helping me locate data I need and organize the information I possess.
Zack Miller is the Managing Editor of IsraelNewsletter.com and a former equity analyst for a leading multinational hedge fund. Author holds a long-term position in Google.
And that's really where Google's got game. The line that divides the hardware that sits on my desk (or my lap, for that matter) and the environment on the web where I spend most of my time is being blurred. Light, small applications run on my desktop but much of the computing processing is happening on Google servers.
My documents are hosted at Google, published online, and shared with my colleagues. Gmail enables me to open documents directly into Google Docs, without ever having to download a file. I can access most of this stuff when I'm at work, at home, or on the go via my mobile device.
This, in my humble opinion, strikes at the heart of Microsoft. The software powerhouse is a great software shop in its guts. It writes code, it builds software packages, and it distributes it via distribution channels. Google is becoming more and more a lifestyle product, giving me what I need/where I need it, via an Internet browser and tying it all together by helping me locate data I need and organize the information I possess.
Zack Miller is the Managing Editor of IsraelNewsletter.com and a former equity analyst for a leading multinational hedge fund. Author holds a long-term position in Google.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-20-2008 @ 11:36AM
nyit said...
Many people have blindly believed Google will dominate the Internet industry. which is not really the case. In fact, out of the search market, Google has not been successful. This doesn't hurt for Google to get a lot of media exposure. Taking for example, GDrive was rumored for years... but the real online storage king is always a small innovator, not a big behemoth like Google. I recommend everybody to try DriveHQ Online Storage and Online Backup service (www.drivehq.com). I feel the usability, the group and sub-group file sharing, the advanced folder synchronization features are really killer apps. Even if Google launches its online storage service, it will be too late to catch up.