If you listen to Google, the Web browser is becoming everything when it comes to how people use their computers. With the Chrome OS hitting the market soon, Google is ramping up its efforts to convince consumers that the need for desktop applications is disappearing because anything you want to do with a computer can happen online. This quote from Linus Upson, Google’s v.p. of engineering, makes this belief clear as a bell:

“Everything’s happening on the Web. All of the companies and all of the services that people are using — Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, eBay — all of the applications and services that people are using are Web-based. The desktop ecosystem has basically stopped.”

If you’re Google, this is a no-brainer approach given the major growth of the Chrome browser and Google’s the number of online services such as Google Docs, Picasa, Google Calendar and GMail. In the Google world, there are fewer reasons to use desktop applications and, of course, reduced need for Microsoft’s operating system.

The question is whether the desktop is actually dying amid the tsumani of cloud computing. As more applications going to be online will there be little use for desktop applications, or has the enthusiasm about cloud computing become over-heated and frothy?

There is little doubt that cloud computing is becoming more common but I don’t think it means desktop applications are going to disappear.

There may, in fact, be some users who can and will rely exclusively on online services but, at the same time, there will be many people who will continue to rely on using software that is off the grid. Yes, Virginia, there are people who aren’t online all the time and/or don’t want to use an application that stores all their data in the cloud.

Personally, I continue to use desktop applications. This includes Microsoft Office, Tweetdeck, DayLite, iTunes and 1Password. At the same time, I’m an enthusiastic user of Google Docs, GMail, Dropbox and WordPress.

What it means is I marry the best of what both worlds – the cloud and the desktop – have to offer. For some activities such as working with clients, cloud computing makes a lot of sense. For other activities, a desktop application works really well. It’s just a matter of picking the right application for the right job.

Are you still using desktop applications? Could use see giving them up completely?

Judge Leonard Davis, of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, ordered a permanent injunction that “prohibits Microsoft from selling or importing to the United States any Microsoft Word products that have the capability of opening .XML, .DOCX or DOCM files (XML files) containing custom XML.”

In addition to the injunction, which takes affect in 60 days, Judge Davis also awarded i4i damages of $290-million.

So, who’s i4i?

According to its Web site, i4i is a ” world leader in the design and development of collaborative content solutions and technologies” that was founded in 1993 by Michel Vulpe.

If you’ve never heard of i4i, you’re probably not alone.

That said, i4i was thrust into the spotlight in May when it received a $200-million patent verdict from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Tyler Division.

After an eight?day trial, the jury agreed with i4i that certain versions of Microsoft’s Word 2003 and Word 2007 products use “extensible mark?up language”, or XML, in a way that infringes i4i’s U.S. Patent No. 5,787,449.

i4i filed the lawsuit in March 2007, seeking an injunction and damages. The Eastern District of Texas is known for being a haven for patent litigation.

More: CNet did an interview with i4i chairman Loudon Owen, who notes that the injunction only affects Word that features the company’s customer XML technology.

In mentally considering other possibilities, one thing that I didn’t thing about was an operating system. So, it was interesting to wake up this morning to discover Google has unveiled plans to launch a new (and free) operating system, Google Chrome OS, next year.

My thoughts:

1. If the battle between Google and Microsoft was heated before, it’s even more intense now. Instead of politely jabbing at Microsoft, Google has taken off the gloves and intent on punching Microsoft where it hurts.

2. It was really only a matter of time before Google launched an OS given it’s been moving into Microsoft’s turf with a Web browser, e-mail service and productivity tools.

3. For consumers, another OS is only a good thing to encourage Microsoft and Apple to continue to innovate. Given Google Chrome OS is an open-source project, it should be good news for Linux by validating the viability of an open-source OS.

Here’s what Google had to say about Google Chrome OS:

Google Chrome OS is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks. Later this year we will open-source its code, and netbooks running Google Chrome OS will be available for consumers in the second half of 2010. Because we’re already talking to partners about the project, and we’ll soon be working with the open source community, we wanted to share our vision now so everyone understands what we are trying to achieve.

Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS. We’re designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds. The user interface is minimal to stay out of your way, and most of the user experience takes place on the web. And as we did for the Google Chrome browser, we are going back to the basics and completely redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don’t have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates. It should just work.

So, would you abandon Windows or Mac to use Google Chrome OS?

More: Here’s what TechCrunch has to say about Google Chrome OS.

It was apparently going be launched last Thursday before Google pulled the rug out from Microsoft by unveiling Wave. Then, Bing was going to be launched on June 3. But, today, Bing is live.

First impressions are that Bing has some interesting features that could make it an interesting proposition. I don’t think anyone is going to blown away enough to declare Bing a Google-killer but Bing shows enough potential that you’ll probably give it the benefit of the doubt.

Bing shows particularly intriguing potential when it comes to product searches by providing a variety of options. For example, a search for digital cameras provides links to the top-10 cameras, types of cameras, accessaries, brands and images.

Another really nice feature is the ability to get a snapshot of a blog’s content through a new mini-window that pops up when hover over it. Here’s what you would see if you did a search on “Mark Evans”, and then hovered over the link for my blog.

More: Mike Arrington gives Bing the thumb’s up – “I like it. And I would consider using it as my search engine”, while FastCompany’s Kit Eaton was also impressed. It’s been a long time since a Microsoft product received this kind of reception.

Technorati Tags: bing, google, microsoft

This thesis is based on a few developments:

1. On the day Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer was apparently scheduled to unveil Bing at the All Things D conference, Google unleashed its eye-catching Wave, a new real-time communications platform that will be unveiled later this year. (See TechCrunch for details on what Google did last Thursday.)

When it comes to new product announcements, there’s usually an unofficial code of conduct in which companies respect each other’s launch days – similar to guys agreeing to not mow each other’s lawns when socializing with the fairer sex. So Google’s decision to break the code is eye-catching.

2. There seems to be people impressed with Bing. Apple founder Steve Wozniak, for example, had some glowing things to say about Bing after seeing the demo at All Things Do.

“I don’t normally come to these business presentations and all that, but I thought it was one of the most astounding software demos I’ve ever seen,” Wozniak said. “It was so well thought out, the algorithms, the intelligence of it, really impressed me.”

If you’re Wozniak, there’s an element of risk by publicly praising a new search engine taking on Google. If Bing falls flat on its face, Wozniak’s words could come back to haunt him.

Then again, maybe Wozniak is on to something. Maybe Bing is pretty good.

If Bing starts to attract accolades from a growing number high-profile users, it could – and I stress could – give Bing’s some much-needed momentum that would never get from an expensive advertising campaign.

In search, success depends on two things: a service that works as well if not better than Google, and people excited about using it. It’s the formula that propelled Google, and allowed it to quickly leap over Excite, HotBot, Lycos, et al for supremacy in the search engine wars.

If Bing can catch catch lighting in a bottle, the phrase Ba da bing could take on a whole new meaning.

Technorati Tags: bing, google, microsoft, search engines, wave

But stepping back from the fray, the thing about Google that’s even more impressive than the power of its search engine is the portfolio of services it continues to roll out.

Google’s services meet specific needs so well that it’s easy to forget you’re using a growing number of them. Before you know it, GMail, Google Reader, Google Blog Search, Google Docs, Google Maps, YouTube and Google News have become regular parts of your daily digital world.

This is probably the biggest threat facing Microsoft. If you think about it, people are very aware they’re using Microsoft products – be it Windows, Internet Explorer or Office. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing but I think it’s more of a challenge for Microsoft when it comes to convincing people to embrace new products and services.

A good example is Live Writer, which is probably one of the leading blog publishing tools even thought it doesn’t get anywhere near the love and respect it deserves (Note: Having a Mac version would be a nice touch!). Live Writer’s is clearly a Microsoft product so there may be a small hurdle when it comes to bloggers embracing it – a hurdle that I don’t think Google faces.

You could also argue that Internet Explorer suffers from the same problem. Even though it is still the world’s leading browser, it gets nowhere the same amount of respect or buzz as Firefox. The world loves Firefox for obvious reasons but IE has been getting better.

What do you think? Does this thesis hold water at all?

Technorati Tags: google, microsoft

When most people think of buying an MP3 player, for example, they immediately think about an iPod. It’s not that other products aren’t as good and/or better value, it’s just that the iPod has become so ubiquitous, it’s difficult for other products to attract the spotlight.

Apple has maintained its dominance by continually pushing innovative, even if it means cannibalizing its existing portfolio. By continually introducing new iPods, Apple has kept its rivals on their heels while, in the process, slaying players such as Dell.

Given this competition environment, it will be interesting to see if the Microsoft Zune can establish a foothold and establish itself as a viable alternative to the iPod.

Most of your are probably saying “You’ve got to be joking!” but the Zune seems to be gaining some traction as it evolves from its roots as a clunky brick with little design appeal into a slick product with some cool features.

The question is whether it’s too little, too late. The iPod is so established and iTunes has become such a behemoth (>5 billion songs sold), you have to wonder if there’s still room in the market for a strong number two.

For the Zune to succeed, Microsoft not only needs to create cool products with consumer appeal but also become a music retailer or, at least, make it easy for Zune owners to buy the music they want to make the device useful.

The other challenge is perception. The Zune is probably still plagued by its debut in 2006. It’s difficult to have sizzle if your first product was called a “brick”. Nevertheless, if any company has the marketing muscle to change its image, it’s Microsoft. Of course, that’s a lot easier said than done.

If Zune has any chance of seeing more success, there’s no silver bullet. Microsoft has to keep on creating cool devices, push forward as a music distributor, and try to do the best job it can convincing people the Zune can Zoom.

More: For what it’s worth, Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster believes Apple will sell 11 million iPods in the fourth-quarter – along with 2.8 million Macs and five million iPhones. For more on what Apple, Microsoft and others are offering these days, check out SiliconValley.com.

Technorati Tags: iPod, microsoft, zune

After two memorable, quirky and definitely different television ads, Microsoft has decided to pull the plug on Gates and Seinfeld.

It’s a strange decision because you have to wonder how many layers within Microsoft had to approve the concept before it was finally allowed to see the light of day? Sure, the ads weren’t unanimously embraced but they attracted a lot of attention. And who’s to say they weren’t going to get better?

I’ll give Microsoft credit for trying something new and, to be honest, the ads had potential. Seinfeld was Seinfeld but he was outshone by Gates, whose stole the show as his sidekick. If the series had been given more time to evolve, it would have been fascinating to see Gates’ persona and public personality evolve.

So, I guess it’s back to the drawing board for Microsoft, which is spending $300-million on an advertising campaign to give itself a new image. And what of Seinfeld? If they’ve committed to paying him 10 million smackers, what’s he going to do now?

For more on the story of “Not that there’s anything wrong that that”, check out Wikipedia. For one last view of the Gates-Seinfeld show, here’s the first episode:

Technorati Tags: Advertising, bill gates, Microsoft

I kind of get that Microsoft hired Jerry Seinfeld to jump-start it.

I sort of get they’re paying him $10-million.

I do not get the videos featuring Seinfield and Bill Gates, particularly this one. That said, I do find them funny, especially Gates, who may have found a new post-Microsoft career.

I’d like to get it but I can’t. Am I missing something? TechCrunchh has questions as well.

Technorati Tags: Advertising, Microsoft

Now what, Mr. Jerry Yang? Surely, you’ve got something up your strategic sleeve that somehow convinced the Yahoo board to walk away from a $40-billion offer. Maybe as Dan Farber suggests, Yahoo is betting its future of Y!Open that will make Yahoo an open and social platform.

Yahoo and Yang are getting all kinds of suggestions about what to do now: Henry Blodget encourages Yahoo to do the outsourcing deal with Google while Howard Lindzon suggests Yang stop blogging and focus on increasing shareholder value.

Perhaps another strategic issue Yahoo should seriously explore is whether is needs to be all things to all people. As Monster co-founder Jeff Taylor put it last week during a conversation the Communitech conference, Yahoo has an extensive service portfolio. He describes it as having “100 children”. As any parent with more than one child would appreciate, trying to manage multiple children is challenging let alone 100.

For a sense of what Yahoo is bringing to the table, check out a directory ironically called Yahoo! Everything. It features pretty much everything within the Yahoo empire that has been launched organically over the past 14 years or been acquired. The list is impressive but also daunting given Yahoo is everywhere and anywhere.

The question is whether trying to be all-things-to-all-people makes sense or works. Is it possible to effectively manage a business with so many tentacles? How do you nurture the ones with more growth potential while still keeping your other children happy?

If you want to illustrate Yahoo’s strategic challenges, let’s take a look at del.icio.us, the popular bookmarking that Yahoo acquired in 2005 for $20-million. Since then, del.icio.us hasn’t changed that much, although a major upgrade has apparently been in the works for months, and it hasn’t been extensively integrated that much within the Yahoo empire.

So, why did Yahoo buy del.icio.us other than wanting access to its millions of users? What was the strategic fit? This is just one example but I’m sure you could go through Yahoo Everything, and ask the same question for dozens of organically-created services and acquisitions.

As Yang scrambles to create YAM (Yahoo After Microsoft) maybe he needs to look at the company’s service smorgasbord to determine what Yahoo really needs to be successful. Maybe kicking a few children out of the house (e.g. closing, selling or spinning off business units) would be a good move to give everyone else more room to grow.

More: ReadWriteWeb’s Marshall Kirkpatrick has a good post looking at how your favorite Yahoo services are safe for now.

Technorati Tags: Jerry Yang, Microsoft, Yahoo