Google to go public, Microsoft eyes takeover

Google, the highflying Silicon Valley Web search company, recently began holding meetings with bankers in preparation for its highly anticipated initial public offering as it was still engaged in meetings of another kind: exploring a partnership or even a merger with Microsoft.

According to company executives and others briefed on the discussions, Microsoft - desperate to capture a slice of the popular and ad-generating search business - approached Google within the last two months to discuss options, including the possibility of a takeover...

Microsoft as a search competitor could change the market's assessment of Google's value. Moreover, if Microsoft attempts to integrate Web search features directly into its coming Longhorn operating system, it could restart the bitter feud that led to the government antitrust case that grew out of Netscape's failure.

NYT article

Holy beejeezus..I think Billy boy wants to integrate Google into Longhorn. What a horrible idea. I really hope Google's founders decide with the auction route.

this is very interesting. microsoft is going to get sued again. why would it be a horrible idea to incorporate google into Longhorn? unless you mean its a bad idea because google shouldnt go to microsoft cause they are an evil company. mechh i say go to microsoft, give me the product with the most features i say. microsoft uses standard business techniques and people get mad. i dont understand.

So you think that "standard business practices" should include the unethical use of deliberately hidden spyware?...Exactly like what Microsoft currently uses? Would you like to have your Google searches tracked & saved into hidden places on your own harddrive (or worse, Microsoft servers or government computers) that you can't access or delete? Microsoft already does that.


[Edited on 31-10-2003 by MidnightDStroyer]

This is an interesting dilemma.

A good business case study.

What would you do if your were Microsoft?

They can take down Google if they want to but it will cost money and take time.

If they buy Google people will whine about it.

They could be satisfied to run a lesser service and just get part of the pie, but that is not the way the MS does anything.

What will they do?

Depends on the selling price of Google I think.

I hope MS leaves Google alone. MS will totally ruin what it is that makes Google the best search engine. What is it you ask?
"Simplicity of Design, with Superiority of Function."

Microsoft can be a bit shady in some business practices. Although so is every other Big Business, Sell Out Software Co. What makes MS stand out so much though is because they're so damn BIG!! But hey, did MS not provide a super compatible OS that just about anyone could use and head the movement to getting personal computers in every home and school?? Yes, of course they did. So I'll cut em' some slack now and then I guess. (As if the Virus Software Co. don't occasionally write up a new Virus now and then too, when business is slow!! I have no proof, but think about it :puz

If they take over Google it will suck though cause they'll fill it full of all their bad code and bloated useless features! It will just become another MSN Search engine. Shamefull Microsoft!! Leave a good thing alone!!

The people from Google will just come out with another new design anyway....maybe?!?!

let em have their spyware. i dont care if they track where i am going. its not like i'm viewing stuff i am ashamed of. or if i'm viewing stuff i dont need to be looking at like how to make bombs and #.

This is disgusting. If you're all so damned scared of a NWO appearing from somewhere, keep your eye on microsoft.

Let me put it to you like this.

Have you ever heard of a company that MS was interested in doing anything but either going under or being integrated? Sounds an awful lot like something we don't want to tangle with.

Microsoft has profiteered from injustice, ever since it's inception. Which was QUITE shady (I hear reports that MSDOS was purchased from a seattle programmer for the low low price of a thousand bones. Originally called QDOS, or quick and dirty operating system, it was the foundation for the empire that is Microsoft.)

IF google manages to steer clear of MS for the time being, I'll be surprised. Keep an eye on the technology industry...I have a bad feeling it's going to be our downfall.

That's it. Keep aware.

how shady is that? they bought the program from that dude. BOUGHT. they didnt force him to sell it for that amount. plus you hear? so you just hear something and assume the company is bad. its not like any other company is a "good" company. they are all the same tehy just want your money. your talking as if ms is actually itself evil and all other companies that oppose them are godlike. while in actuality they are all alike.

hmmm, is correct, he did buy it after all. It's not like he stole it. The previous owners didn't have the vision to do with it what Gates did. I learned all about this years ago. The whole fall out with Gates and Jobs and the splitting of the Super Geeks of the time. Gates basically just had the business sense and balls to make it happen. There was some bad blood between those who made it big and those left behind. When it comes to that, only they really know for sure, as it's always a 2 sided story. The thing that made MS so rich was the fact that he didn't sell the lisense to his OS he Leased it out to the people who made computers. So he piggy-backed off the Computer builders who then all used his OS. Since he owned it though it didn't matter who was building PC's and the competition since they all used his OS. He always came out on top!

OMG, that's uber crap. I hope MS stay away from Google, I don't how that could happen, but I'm sure it's almost impossible. When MS wants something, they usually get it.

I guy from a local town here coded a great web-search application called Coppernic. Guess what happenned when it became popular? Yer right, MS bought it. Sure, they must have gaved him some nice amount of cash. But what if the guy had any reason to refuse, do you think he could have afforded it? No way. You can't say no to MS. Even the U.S. laws and courts have trouble to say no to MS.

Sorry to interupt the conversation... But someone said something about MS-DOS... I also know that MS-DOS originaly consisted of thousands of lines of UNIX code.

Just a random comment

Looks like the Microsoft Empire is about to rise!

Next they will conquer the Empire of Sony, then the United Federation of Apple, then the rest of the universe!

The discussion on Slashdot.org reveals this to be silghtly over the top. I think Google is considering an offer of 18% of its stock, so whoever got it wouldn't own the company out right. There is a problem with buying an IPO company cause its up to the FTC and/or shareholders (not quite sure) to approve the merger. Since M$ was declared to be a monopoly the FTC shouldn't approve such a merger.

Now what I would do is just license Google Page Rank and other patents they acquire and incorporate it into Windows. Ironically, though, it might be cheaper to buy the damn company

Originally posted by MetalHead
Sorry to interupt the conversation... But someone said something about MS-DOS... I also know that MS-DOS originaly consisted of thousands of lines of UNIX code.

Just a random comment

Ya, but that's just usual business method from microsoft. They also stole stuff from Apple at the very very beginning.

If they can't buy it, they'll stole it, or find a way to destroy it.

Lol yea m0rbif...

That's Micro$oft all right.
I hope they don't take over Google, or even buy part of them.

I don't like Micro$oft personally... But if they do rise up furthor, then I know where to buy shares in

IF Microsoft were to aquire google, or begin to aquire google, it would only open the door to a new search engine's success, as the clickers would flock in droves to get away from the reach of MS.

As a note, google does source many of their links to DMOZ, as many other engines do, but they do spyder many site's well above that level also, and have a great rank system alogrythm.



[Edited on 31-10-2003 by smirkley]

Lol yea good point... Didn't think about that.

I actually use AltaVista more than Google.

.

www.web-friend.com...

Originally posted by eagle
Looks like the Microsoft Empire is about to rise!(...)

Microsoft is strong today. But development is not just simple extrapolation of potential growth of what we have today. Self organizing distributed biochip based �computers� will require less programming, almost no code � only imagination and skills to request data processing.
One day, quite soon new technology will erase today computing model. We will use windows / Linux as we ride horses today.
By the way � technology of Google is much closer to the future data processing model than almost anyone on the market today except of state of the art military systems. No-MS-code inside.

Less programming?

Oh dear... Maybe in close years to come there won't be a need for us programmers? Better make use of myself up till then, then, lol.