“Living In The Google World” – The real answer for Microsoft

An article by Garett Rogers in his “Googling Google” blog on ZDNet inspired a response that I thought fit right into this “Living In The Google World Series”.

In his blog, Garett gives the suggest to Microsoft to partner with Google on their search results while secretly building their own new search engine.

That doesn’t make sense because it doesn’t address the real issue…Microsoft’s mindset.

Having lived most of their corporate lives with the growth of desktop computing, that’s the world they live in. Add to it that the company makes most of it’s revenues from OS’s and desktop apps and you can see how easily they can be stuck in the older “desktop world”.

I see one simple answer on how they can fix this:

Microsoft needs to form a division that lives, breathes, eats and sleeps only on the web.

This group needs to eschew any sort of desktop app, use only web apps and mobile devices. 

Doing so will clearly put them into the experience of what today’s advanced users and tomorrows regular users need and want. I think it will also put them into the experience that their competition (Google) is living every day.

It’s going to be annoying to them for a while, but they can start by using Chrome and the Google App suite in order to learn it inside and out. This will help knock them even further out of their “Microsoft dominate the world with desktop software 1990’s” mindset. 

The knowledge and experience Microsoft gains from this division will make it easy for then to know what to build. From there, they can put their muscle and $ behind building it.

As I mentioned, the nature of their company right now is that their revenues come from the OS and from their apps.

That’s the revenue that makes their company work, so they are compelled to “adapt” that software to work with the new paradigm with mediocre results. 

Better to start with a new “class” of thinking and get back into the game before their boat anchor OS’s and desktop apps pull them down any further.

There’s the answer. Easy to say, harder to do. Still, I bet Microsoft could easily do it if they just get out of their own way.

You can read all of Garett’s story here.

Enter the Matrix -or- “Living in the Google World” for 7 Days

NO PICTURE TODAY: READ BELOW TO HEAR THE REASONS WHY

Having written so much about Google’s Chrome browser, how it fits together with Gears, Android, Google Apps, and more, I decided it was time to try to totally “Living in the Google World” for a week.

By “Living in the Google World”, I mean that I’ll only use Chrome as my browser and only use online web apps (Google is the first preference) instead of desktop apps.

Beyond giving a great experience of the reality of current web apps, I think it will also open up some insights on the future of the web, applications and software in similar way to how being one of the first to get broadband access at home opened up my eyes to the real potential of the web back in 1998.

Sound tough? We’ll see. You get to watch it as it unfolds day by day.

I’ll list all the apps I run in Chrome and whatever else comes up.

For those who still have questions, here are the detailed rules:

1. All the work I normally do with desktop apps must be done with online apps, giving preferential treatment to the Google suite of products.
2. If there’s a critical desktop app I need that I can’t find an online equivalent to, I go without.
3. If it comes down to an emergency or a situation of “There’s no way I can’t skip doing this work”, I’ll make a note, get the work done and promise to share all the notes at the end of day 7.
4. There will be times where I need to upload/convert work in progress to be usable by the web application. If no online “import” software is available, I’ll revert to using the desktop software just until I get the work online.
5. Where possible, I won’t even use my hard drive as a temporary storage space. If I can’t find the proper online accessible storage, I’ll use a 32 meg memory key as a temporary holding space until I find one or 7 days are over.

One request, if you have a favorite Google app that is ultra useful for you or another web app that you find indispensible, please to post it as a comment. I think I’m going to need all the help I can get.

PS – No picture today because I’m still starting up by finding the right webapps for image editing.

Google Chrome Browser and 61 more gifts from Google

Google Chrome and the other apps, services and “things” Google gives away for free are like money in your bank account.

Some people don’t realize this because they confuse the word “free” with the words “no cost” or “no value’.

The phrase “A penny saved is a penny earned” clarifies that issue.

Here’s a quick list of things Google has given away free or charged a reasonable price to deliver. The list is incomplete. If your favorite is not listed, add it in a comment.

Display environment for your web app: Chrome

Platform/Server to run your web apps: Google app engine/Google’s cloud

Faster/easier app development: Google Web Toolkit

Add social network features to your application/web page: Friend Connect

Add functionality to your application/web page: Gadgets

Leverage your development efforts: Open Social

Run your web apps like they are desktop apps: Gears

Desktop like startup page: iGoogle

Tools for daily use:

1. Google Search
2. Google Apps
3. YouTube
4. Google Docs Template Gallery
5. Google Groups
6. Gmail
7. Google Chat
8. Lively
9. Picasa
10. Google Calendar
11. Google Reader
12. Google Maps/Google Earth/Street View
13. Knol expert articles
14. Google News
15. Google Finance
16. Google Desktop
17. Google Gadgets
18. Google SketchUp
19. Google Video
20. Google Health
21. Google Sites
22. Google Translation
23. Blogger

Business Related Apps

1. Google Apps Premier Edition
2. Salesforce for Google Apps
3. Google Video for Business
4. Google Search Appliance enterprise search solution
5. Google Site Search
6. Google Webmaster Tools
7. Google Analytics
8. Google Website Optimizer
9. Google Trends

Tools for promoting your business and generating revenue

1. Adwords
2. Adsense
3. TV/Radio Ads

Mobile Platform

1. Android
2. Chrome and all other Google Apps

Developer Education

1. Google Developer Days
2. Campfires
3. Google I/O
4. Scholarships
5. Computer Science Summer Institute
6. Open Source and API development

Initiatives

1. Cloud computing
2. Open standards and open source
3. Google Grants
4. Initiative to Scan Public Domain books
5. Wireless Satellite
6. High Speed Connectivity
7. Renewable Energy
8. Virgle  (human settlement on Mars)
9. Google for Non-profits
10. (Too many more to mention)