PCB layout by itself is hardly "development". These days the actual layout work is very often outsourced to layout houses. ASIC design is also not a requirement for "hardware development". What did people do before ASICs were invented? There are a lot of advanced systems that don't require ASICs, because the designers are smart enough to work around with cheap commodity components, while they could have used ASICs to waste money.
We in fact also do a lot of research more advanced than these. More advanced than most things in my Ph.D. study.
Nevertheless, even to your point specifically -- didn't I say "server motherboard"? What do you think that involves, if not including PCB layout?
The original poster misunderstood what transpired in that interview. The journalist asked "access to you is mediated through other technologies. Is there any research ambition towards hardware?" Peter replied: "I don't think so. You know we want to work everywhere and be neutral. That neutrality is important." The journalist herself admitted that it's not very clear: "This agreeable but inscrutable response..."
It meant that we have no intention to bind users to hardware that works only with Google. Generalizing it to "Google doesn't do hardware research" is a little hasty.
Other than the Google Search Appliance, we also develop the hardware used in our server farms. We have a group called "Platforms", whose tasks include:
Hardware design: server motherboard, memory module.
Networking gear: switches, routers, soft/firmware running on top of them.
Power engineering: power supply and large-scale power systems.
Mechanical engineering: chassis, thermal.
OS: kernel patches, system monitoring and diagnosis.
Compilers and programming tools.
Performance: library and (distributed) application profiling and optimization.
Manufacturing: supply chain, machine build, repair and inventory.
Project and program management.
Last but not least: green power.
We have a significant staff in this Platforms group. If you are an expert in any of these areas, you are welcome to apply for a job with us. Look for openings listed under http://www.google.com/intl/en/jobs/index.html and use "platforms" (don't forget the 's') to search for the Platforms-specific ones.
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PCB layout by itself is hardly "development". These days the actual layout work is very often outsourced to layout houses. ASIC design is also not a requirement for "hardware development". What did people do before ASICs were invented? There are a lot of advanced systems that don't require ASICs, because the designers are smart enough to work around with cheap commodity components, while they could have used ASICs to waste money.
We in fact also do a lot of research more advanced than these. More advanced than most things in my Ph.D. study.
Nevertheless, even to your point specifically -- didn't I say "server motherboard"? What do you think that involves, if not including PCB layout?
The original poster misunderstood what transpired in that interview. The journalist asked "access to you is mediated through other technologies. Is there any research ambition towards hardware?" Peter replied: "I don't think so. You know we want to work everywhere and be neutral. That neutrality is important." The journalist herself admitted that it's not very clear: "This agreeable but inscrutable response ..."
It meant that we have no intention to bind users to hardware that works only with Google. Generalizing it to "Google doesn't do hardware research" is a little hasty.
Other than the Google Search Appliance, we also develop the hardware used in our server farms. We have a group called "Platforms", whose tasks include:
- Hardware design: server motherboard, memory module.
- Quality assurance, compliance, component qualification.
- Firmware: BIOS, embedded controllers.
- Networking gear: switches, routers, soft/firmware running on top of them.
- Power engineering: power supply and large-scale power systems.
- Mechanical engineering: chassis, thermal.
- OS: kernel patches, system monitoring and diagnosis.
- Compilers and programming tools.
- Performance: library and (distributed) application profiling and optimization.
- Manufacturing: supply chain, machine build, repair and inventory.
- Project and program management.
- Last but not least: green power.
We have a significant staff in this Platforms group. If you are an expert in any of these areas, you are welcome to apply for a job with us. Look for openings listed under http://www.google.com/intl/en/jobs/index.html and use "platforms" (don't forget the 's') to search for the Platforms-specific ones.