Microsoft vs. Google

For me, a fascinating struggle is taking place for the future of the Internet and computing, and while with that type of opening comment can be linked to many different aspect of the IT world, in this instance I am speaking of the Microsoft and Google tug-of-war.

There was a point in time when Microsoft undoubtedly and for the foreseeable future ruled the computing roost, today that dominance is less pronounced. Some would say on a marked decline, and the supplanter of that position of power is search giant, and uber Internet company Google.

To be sure, Google has learned a lot from its adversary. On the climb up the ladder, Microsoft coupled in house innovation with a ferocious appetite for acquiring small companies that had a twist on existing products or innovations that promised great market segments. Netscape was perhaps the most famous of victims, as they lost the famed "Browser Wars" during the 1990's. But they were not alone.

Today, Google, flush from a spectacular IPO and billions in search/ad dollars is mimicking Microsoft rise to the top, but with a decided Internet slant. They even place a priority on cherry picking Microsoft employees.

There was a time when I was a Microsoft proponent, I wanted to follow the leader, and acquire the skills to program in their newest platforms.

Today however, I've changed allegiance. The reasoning is simple. Its a hell of a lot more simple to accomplish my modest goals by using the plethora of free tools available to me from Google. Why deal with frameworks, classes, compilers and all that jazz, when all I have to do is log onto my Google account and copy and paste a few lines of code, at most.

Keep an eye out, this battle is yet to climax, and when it does, its going to be epic.