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No Secret Plan at Google?

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the what's-he-building-in-there dept.

daltonlp writes "A number of smart folks have speculated that Google might leverage its computational resources to create some kind of massive online application delivery platform. Here's why they are probably wrong." One of more intelligent insights into Google, and it's pleasantly devoid of theories of Google taking over the world.

10 of 223 comments (clear)

  1. Google's usefulness by episodic · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What amazes me is that google constantly comes out with USEFUL and credible apps.
    Google Search = has long been the standard
    Google Groups = complete usenet archive
    Google Mail = arguably the best free email service now.
    Google Local = returns excellent results even for my small town!
    Google Maps = it is all I use to plan a trip now
    Google Search = it is all I use to search my 1/2 terrabyte of storage.
    Picasa = one heck of an image manipulation/retrieval program.
    I for one welcome an innovative company that provides me with excellent apps. If they wanna design an OS - I'm yelling to GO FOR IT!
    It will take someone with google's clout to do this.

    1. Re:Google's usefulness by WIAKywbfatw · · Score: 4, Insightful

      There's a world of difference between designing a few good applications and designing a viable alternative to the OSes that we have today.

      Two words for you: driver support. Do you know how much effort is involved in getting just that relatively minor part of an OS right?

      --

      "Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue." - David Brent, Wernham Hogg
    2. Re:Google's usefulness by tdhillman · · Score: 4, Insightful

      That of course is predicated on the idea that losing your internet connection is going to be a part of the picture as the technology grows.

      Given that as recently as fifteeen years ago no one knew what the internet was beyond a select few, it's not out of the question that the coming fifteen will give birth to a ubiquitous internet presence.

      Current technology will die and be replaced by another paradigm- it is just a matter of time. Heck, reasonably usefu GUIs are merely 20 something. There's a lot of change to come and many folks will argue that online app delivery will be the norm in the future- giving Apple and other companies a chance to reap the benefits.

      --
      befuddled (noun) 1. Unable to create a pithy sig
    3. Re:Google's usefulness by King+Babar · · Score: 4, Insightful
      So lose your internet connection and your PC becomes just a heavy paperweight? Gee, thanks but no thanks.

      And this is so much different than what happens if Google didn't host your files?

      More seriously, I think arguments about how screwed you are when you lose your internet connection sound a bit like arguments That Crazy Old Man used to make about electricity, and why those new-fangled electric gadgets were never going to catch on.

      --

      Babar

  2. Why is this news? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Mods, this isn't flame bait but why the fuck is this news? This hasn't been posted numerous times. "A number of smart folks have speculated..." Which smart folks? Why the fuck can't you link to them? "..Here's why they are probably wrong.." One view of why they're wrong. Oh and from TFA "But this theory could be wrong." You know, I know I'm bitchin' and moaning, but I've been a long time reader of /. but this site is really going down hill. We need to do something to make this site back on top again and it starts with appropriate articles, not loosely written blogger tripe.

  3. Until Google charges me... by jmcmunn · · Score: 5, Insightful


    I don't care what they do or how many sites they have that are trying to "control my online experience". Right now, I use their search engine and their email. Their maps look pretty, but it is still easier to use mapquest for me.

    It's nice to read things like this article, because until Google is "selling" me something, and it comes preloaded (or pre-bookmarked) on my computer, I am not concerned in the least bit. Why do we have to hear about why or why not they have a consipracy to take over the world? They write good stuff for the web, and people use their stuff by choice. I've never heard someone outside of Slashdot say "Man, that company Google is taking over my life. I can't do anything online without being forced into using Google."

    I do like the part at the end of the article about MS having to test their new browser against Gmail, Google Maps, and Google itself. It does add a bit of irony that finally MS and IE have to worry about being compatible instead of the other way around.

  4. If... by caluml · · Score: 4, Insightful
    But this theory could be wrong. If Google creates some kind of OS of the gods, I'll happily admit my error :)

    They don't need to reinvent the wheel.

    --
    Get your own free personal location tracker
  5. Google... by wpiman · · Score: 5, Insightful
    I read the article by Molly Wood- and I think she may be a little off as well.

    She predicts a world where all the apps are central and we simply connect to them in a server/client mode. This way- things are portable to us. Our PC at home and our PCs are world no longer become unsynched- they are one. Goto your neighbors house- and it is just like your home environment cause it is portable.

    Well- right now many of us carry memory stick key fobs on our keychains. I current carry a gig USB stick. How long time someone puts a bluetooth device inside it? How long until they can add a processor die and some RAM? In ten year- you may be carrying your entire PC on your keychain. Put your keys into your monitor at work- and there is your environment- no network needed. No fees to pay to a central server. If you could carry your PC as you would a keyfob- would you care about having a centralized server?

  6. Parent is right and look who submitted article... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The guy who wrote the link submitted the article. Way to go for self-promotion.

  7. questionable insight by khallow · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Here's the problems I have with this article. First, the guy who wrote the article and notified slashdot, wasn't able to keep his site up. What insight can he possibly have when he apparently lacked that kind of obvious foresight? Second, he's beating up on the weak. I have less respect for people who can't chose difficult targets.

    Thinking that Google is going to enter the OS business or that if they did, they would have a chance is not the sign of a sound, rational mind. It's like taking candy from babies. And dealing with that conspiracy theory doesn't address the other conspiracy theories.

    Third, he ignores that Google is highly overvalued for a "search" company. Google's market cap is $49 billion. If they are really just a "search" company, then maybe their P/E should be more in line with high growth companies at around 40 instead of 124. Yes, that means dropping the value of the company by a factor of three. I base this on that their search advertising looks relatively saturated to me. I don't see where the huge growth in value is going to come from.

    Fourth, he ignores that this looks exactly like a dotcom moment. Google is making a sizeable profit (which is vastly better than all but a handful of dotcoms past or present), but they aren't exhibiting the kind of growth potential (IMHO, of course) that justifies 124 times P/E.

    Finally, he places way too much emphasis on getting Microsoft to play good doggie. Being able to force Microsoft to make their sites compatible with yours isn't that interesting. The New York Times or Amazon gets that as well. And after all, Microsoft has by far the largest army of programmers in the world. It's not going to have a measurable impact.