Google dumps Windows

Google dumps Windows; Is Microsoft's OS headed down a troubled path?

• No more Windows at Google: Just FUD?
• Google dumps Windows for Mac OS and Linux
• Google ditching Windows over security makes little sense

A Financial Times report late Monday cited “several Google employees,” who say the shift was accelerated by security concerns following the hacking attack that prompted Google to shut down its China site earlier this year. The report says that new hires are given the option of a Mac or Linux-based PC as their company-issued computer. It also quotes some employees who say that uproar at Google over the phase-out of Windows has been far less than it might have been if the company had pulled the plug on Apple products.
I realize that it’s only one company - a soon-to-be-competitor, no less - but I can’t help but wonder if this move by Google is a sign of worse things to come for Microsoft, as it relates to the future of the Windows operating system. I only raise the point because this FT report reminded me of a blog post by Forrester analyst Sarah Rotman Epps last week in which she explores Microsoft’s position in the tablet game and the company’s need for an answer to the iPad - from an OS point-of-view.
In it, she talks about the concept of “curated computing,” a style of personal computing where choice is limited but relevance is abundant. That, of course, is the iPad model, which she refers to as jukebox style computing. But, there’s no reason Microsoft can’t - and shouldn’t - also come up with a curated computing device to go head-to-head with the iPad, especially if it can tether with the Xbox to create a digital living room that the company has envisioned for years.
Back in April, Microsoft pulled the plug on Courier, a folding tablet/booklet device that was reportedly in “late prototype” last fall. That’s unfortunate, Rotman Epps writes, because the company needs to be in this ball game - for the sake of the OS. She writes:

At stake for Microsoft is no less than the future of the OS: For Microsoft to remain relevant to consumers, it needs to adapt its operating system to new form factors beyond the traditional PC. Forrester estimates that tablets will outsell netbooks in the US starting in 2013, and tablets will constitute 20% of all PC sales in the US in 2015. Microsoft needs its operating system on those tablets. Now it needs to convince its partners — and consumers — that they need Microsoft, too.

Certainly, I don’t think a decision by Google to pull the plug on internal use of Windows machines spells the end for the OS. After all, Windows is a security risk because it’s so deeply entrenched into the world of personal and business computing. Tech bad guys tend to target the biggest audience of users - and that’s Windows.
But the growing popularity of the Mac, as well as computers that are Linux-based, and now the upcoming launch of Chrome, does put some increased pressure on Microsoft. Investors are already feeling shaky about the company’s missteps on the mobile front and now the OS is coming under attack, as well.

Update: Microsoft’s corporate communications chief Frank X. Shaw has some fun with the FT story on his personal Twitter account. He notes that Google is going Google—nothing more nothing less. Among some of the more entertaining tweets:

• news flash: Google boards up all windows in its global HQ, citing security concerns. Must credit FT.
• News flash: Google bans ford cars using Sync from its parking lot, citing security issues. Must credit FT.
• News flash: Google bans Bing from its computers. Must credit FT. Picture on Bing home page is distracting to G engineers

Why blame OS for everything?

I think that Google will have some real issues if a Mac or a Linux machine gets hacked. Then what Google? Seems to me I would ask these China employee's of Google why they were using IE and not Chrome? Or a more secure browser. Were they using IE 6 ( cringe). Sorry to say its like blaming a car for a accident and not the driver. Maybe Google needs employee's that are more cautious?

respectfully

jeffreyobrien
SOURCE OF INFORMATION LINK:
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/google...12?tag=nl.e539

Thank God, I hope that Google goes their own way. If they prefer to go with less than 10% of the entire computing population, let them go. It will be their loss, not ours.

If you ask me Google is not making any sense with that decision. Personally I don't care what Google does or says. As soon as an OS takes more shares away from Microsoft, they will find out just how insecure they are as well as Microsoft products. It is easy for an OS that doesn't attract as much attention to seem more secure.

I just hope this is the "proverbial" wake up call for Microsoft.

Thanks for the very informative and excellent post! Jeffrey

The article did explain why I couldn't place Bing on Google's OS when I tried it out. Seems that they are going into a digging themselves a deep hole by going with Mac & Linux. Although some Linux OS's are on the rise, there is still a lot of room for improvement to replace Windows as a whole. I can see a Linux OS such as Ubuntu or Mint surpassing Mac, but not Windows. Without Windows, Google will fail, it's as simple as that.

And as Windows users, we'll take Bing and move forward. Those "gimmick" items may look good to some, but they are fads, and replacing the PC will prove to be a very difficult task to accomplish. M$ will come out smelling like a rose on this deal.

Yahoo Yipee I agree Google can well and truely eat my dust.I never liked it & it's always had some security issues.Let them Go it will be their loss & our gain.Its like they said "its a MAC ATTACK"

thanks catilley for your input

regards
jeffrey

A "MAC ATTACK"! Now that's a good one, considering that Mac's weaknesses are being exposed. Combine Google with them, what a one-two punch of insecurity. Fortunately, with Mint (and FF in 7), I can simply remove their search engine from the list. I don't know if you can do that with Safari.

Does not really matter if you can actually 'remove' safari (I don't think you can on a Mac, I've never tried with mine) just don't use it. On my Mac I have FF and also Camino as alternatives.
I've noticed FF on my Minty machine does not seem to have all the tweaks it did under Windows, still works ok though.

Just re-read your post Cat. you were meaning the search engine weren't you? I was thinking browsers.

Okay...so a massive company switches employees' machines from using Windows to other operating systems...and you think this is great for Microsoft how exactly? Because anything that Google does to move farther away from Microsoft is good?

No. For one thing, there's the loss of revenue when a massive international corporation like Google stops purchasing volume licenses. If they stop using Windows, then they likely aren't using Office either, or Windows Server, or any other products which Microsoft sells. Yes, MS undoubtedly can afford the hit, but it's still just that, a hit.

Furthermore, it does not matter one iota whether Google's employees use Windows or not, in terms of there being a wedge between these companies. Google's Chrome OS is not a threat to Windows as a desktop OS, which is where most of MS's Windows-related income comes in anyway. What Google is doing with its Chrome OS is kind of like what Microsoft did with Office Live or whatever they call it; Office Live Or Whatever does not replace Office, but it does expand on what can already be done on Microsoft software. Similarly, while I don't think Chrome OS looks like something I'd seriously use as a main OS, it does have the advantage of being the first of its kind. From the early beta I tried, it seemed more like an OS-turned-web-interface, which may not be your cup of tea any more than it is mine, but it's still innovative, and I appreciate innovation, regardless of where it's coming from.

meh!

10 char