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Google, Microsoft Escalate Data Center Battle

Posted by Zonk on from the when-megacorps-fight dept.

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."

21 of 190 comments (clear)

  1. Hmm... It's Slashdot so... by gQuigs · · Score: 5, Funny

    Microsoft's is to run Vista. While Google's is to save the world.

    1. Re:Hmm... It's Slashdot so... by DJCacophony · · Score: 4, Funny

      I knew Vista's hardware requirements were high, but a $550,000,000 data center?

      --
      Slow Down, Cowboy! It's been 60 minutes since you last successfully posted a comment.
    2. Re:Hmm... It's Slashdot so... by Stephen+Samuel · · Score: 4, Funny

      Don't worry. You don't need to spend that much if you turn down the quality settings.

      --
      Free Software: Like love, it grows best when given away.
    3. Re:Hmm... It's Slashdot so... by dangitman · · Score: 4, Funny

      This is Windows, so the only quality setting available would be zero.

      --
      ... and then they built the supercollider.
    4. Re:Hmm... It's Slashdot so... by SkyDude · · Score: 2, Funny
      I knew Vista's hardware requirements were high, but a $550,000,000 data center?

      That's just to run the video subsystem
      --
      == First cross river, then insult alligator.
  2. and i quote by macadamia_harold · · Score: 5, Funny

    These 'Death Star' data centers are emerging as a key assets in the competitive struggle between Microsoft and Google

    That's no zune...

    --
    Push Button, Receive Bacon
    1. Re:and i quote by andytrevino · · Score: 2, Funny

      With this many Death Stars around, the Rebellion doesn't stand a chance! **evil cackle**

  3. Re:Non-local computing by zCyl · · Score: 4, Funny
    I don't like that myself, since it hurts reliability and autonomy in computing.

    Don't worry, you can trust skynet. What could go wrong?
  4. Death Star independent contractors by MillionthMonkey · · Score: 4, Funny

    A construction of a real Death Star data center would require a lot more manpower than Google or Microsoft has to offer. I bet there are independent contractors working all over these things: plumbers, carpenters, electricians, DBAs, MBAs, roofers, etc. In order to get one built quickly and quietly they'd have to hire anybody who could do the job. Do you think the average Google employee knows how to install a toilet main? All he knows is JavaScript and Knuth.

    All these independent contractors in each Death Star data center are getting involved in a war between Microsoft and Google- a war they had nothing to do with.

    1. Re:Death Star independent contractors by meme+lies · · Score: 2, Funny

      Do you think the average Google employee knows how to install a toilet main?

      I know how they could find out fast:

      http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=installing+a+ toilet+main&btnG=Google+Search

  5. No they both need those data centers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Google needs a $600 million data center to serve its 300 million daily users, while Microsoft needs its $550 million data center to serve both of it's MSN Live Search users.

    1. Re:No they both need those data centers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      How the hell are we supposed to keep track of Microsoft Marketing's latest brand dilution?

    2. Re:No they both need those data centers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Tomorrow you'll both be wrong. And the day after, so will I.

  6. ObStarWars by OldManAndTheC++ · · Score: 4, Funny

    These 'Death Star' data centers are emerging as a key assets...

    Better make sure to protect the plans for that data center...one well placed shot in an exhaust vent could take out the whole thing. Not much harder then hitting a womp rat with a T-16, from what I hear...

    --
    Soylent Green is peoplicious!
  7. Speaking as an independent contractor myself by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'm an engineer, and I can tell you that an engineer's politics come heavily into play when choosing jobs. Just three months ago I was offered a job building a huge data center in the valley, in a vast facility. And then I learned how screwed up the company's financials were. The money was right, but the risk was too big. So I passed the job onto a friend of mine.

    They just laid his ass off and shut down the entire outfit, but they still have to run the air conditioning because of a few third party servers left over. He wasn't even finished running his CREATE TABLE scripts. I'm still employed because I recognized the risks involved in working in a Death Star. Anyone working in a Death Star data center for Google or Microsoft is aware of the risks involved in that war. Whatever happens to them is their own fault.

    1. Re:Speaking as an independent contractor myself by JoeCommodore · · Score: 4, Funny



      This needs a rewrite:

      I'm an engineer, and I can tell you that an engineer's politics come heavily into play when choosing jobs. Just three months ago I was offered a job working at one of the big information companies data centers, in a vast facility. And then I learned how screwed up the company's plans were. The money was right, but the risk was too big. So I passed the job onto a friend of mine.

      While writing a C# script for some part of thier web portal my friend was hit by a flying chair, it was a leathal blow, and he died instantly. I'm still employed because I recognized the risks involved in working in a Death Star. Anyone working in a Death Star data center for Google or Microsoft is aware of the risks involved in that war. Whatever happens to them is their own fault.

      --
      "Enjoy what you're doing! If it becomes drudgery, you're doing it wrong!" - Jim Butterfield
  8. Death Stars by clickclickdrone · · Score: 3, Funny

    FX: Guard on gate waves hand mysteriously 'This isn't the Data Complex you're looking for'

    --
    I want a list of atrocities done in your name - Recoil
  9. Telling name by edwardpickman · · Score: 2, Funny

    With the doomsday clock at 11:55 they decided to code name the sites Ground Zero One, Two and Three. Helpful GPS coordinates can be found at their competitors websites. Google has nice aerial shots of the Microsoft location with coordinates in Russian, Farsi and Korean. Microsoft is offering a special GPS Zune with preloaded coordinates to the Googel sites. Ain't competition grand!

  10. Re:It's a trap. by dangitman · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm looking forward to buying one of these datacenters cheap on the used market, so I can run emacs with all the eye-candy switched on.

    --
    ... and then they built the supercollider.
  11. Re:As long as it doesn't violate GPL by bmo · · Score: 2, Funny

    "You ignore the great unwashed hackish masses at your own grave peril, O Googole."

    I don't know about you, but maybe the "unwashed" part may have something to do with it.

    --
    BMO

  12. Re:Non-local computing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    100000++(1): error: expression must be an lvalue or a function designator