Google admits it’s going directly after Microsoft
Popular search engine Google has officially announced that its going into the software market in direct competition with Microsoft. Reflecting the company’s explosive growth, Google’s new tagline will be "Search, Ads and Apps".
Last year Google launched a package of online applications such as browser-based word processing and spreadsheet software that look much like Microsoft’s bread and butter Word and Excel programs. Google’s CEO, Eric Schmidt, noted that users losing data thanks to computer crashes could become a thing of the past if they used Google’s Internet-based applications.
When asked how they would avoid becoming known as "the new Microsoft, and not in flattering terms", co-founder Larry Page said that, "It’s natural to be concerned about it… We’re not the same kind of company … our engineers all run Linux. It’s free. You can hack on it. It’s deep in our DNA".
