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Google, Microsoft Escalate Data Center Battle
miller60 writes "The race by Microsoft and Google to build next-generation data centers is intensifying. On Thursday Microsoft announced a $550 million San Antonio project, only to have Google confirm plans for a $600 million site in North Carolina. It appears Google may just be getting started, as it is apparently planning two more enormous data centers in South Carolina, which may cost another $950 million. These 'Death Star' data centers are emerging as a key assets in the competitive struggle between Microsoft and Google, which have both scaled up their spending (as previously discussed on Slashdot). Some pundits, like PBS' Robert X. Cringley, say the scope and cost of these projects reflect the immense scale of Google's ambitions."
On a serious note. While I don't care all that much if google uses an automated method to push advertising on me, I am more bothered by the fact that it's a single target that retains tons of information. A hacker can break into one person's home computer and get their info, or they can break into a google server and have 2 million people. Same reason that hackers target windows/ie over linux/firefox, they can accomplish/demolish a larger audience.
So which one are you going to trust. Microsoft or Google?
Compare Linux to Vista and try to imagine how many machine Microsoft needs to match Google. They are already losing big time in the bang for the buck category. However, it is even worse than that, because Microsoft can't spend their way out of this hole. Google has architected their Linux-based systems to scale well, and if there is one thing Microsoft OSes do not do, it is scale. Well, actually there's a whole bunch of other things they also can't do, but the point here is that Microsoft won't be able to catch up just be throwing more money at the problem. Nice to think that Microsoft may have finally met their match.
Unfortunately, if Google gets sufficient power, I expect it to corrupt them.
Freedom = (Meaningful - Coerced) Choice != (Speech | Beer^2), and sad sock puppets' bad mods avail them naught.