Gates Vs. Google

Although it has a slightly over exaggerated title, Gates Vs. Google, this Fortune article has some interesting info. It's clear that Google has now really gotten under the skin of Gates (and Microsoft in general)… and for good reason. Google has hired a huge amount of Microsoft employees, including some very big names, and has even opened up an office in Redmond. They continue to be first to market on many non-search apps and not only are they first, but often better. The article contains much more info and is a suggested read. One thing is clear – we're in for quite a battle here. This is definitely not going to be Netscape all over again. As one ex-Microsoft employee put it, Microsoft has to play Google's game to compete with Google. That's not something they are used to. Between Google on one end and Linux/Open Source on the other end, Microsoft has not seen competition this fierce in a long long time. Should be interesting to watch and see how they react.
–jeremy