"If google goes down, something else will come up"

Last night, a friend and me had a discussion on why google is better than any other search engine. And also why the Yahoo! and Microsft deal, if it came through, wouldn't do much for the. Note, Shash is a hard core google admirer and the following converstaion could be biased. If anybody has an alternative opinion kindly feel free to add on. I've also added a few links to stories regarding the deal which I personally think is a must read to understand the complexity of it. There again I thought I did write a lone blog on the deal, but thought this conversation sets a good ground for it.


IMJ: Have u read the story in New York Times on Google's (G) take on the bid?
Shash: Yes I read G's take on it.
IMJ: They are definitely thinking if that’s their response. No matter what any one says about the deal, G is definitely shuddering.
Shash: They're playing smooth. Thing is, they can't be challenged that easily
IMJ: Yea. Smooth on de surface chaos inside.
Shash: Too much permission capital with everyone. We all lap up google services and don't care one whit about MS or yahoo search engines.
IMJ: Well think of it this way Micro and Yahoo engineers together working to improve the search engine. It is definitely something to think about
Shash: Lol don't blame you, but that's not how it works. The google databanks account for about 60% of the world's big iron machines, the ones that are publicly connected, anyway.I doubt anyone can beat the raw power of google's systems anytime soon
IMJ: What do you mean by “The google databanks account for about 60% of the world's big iron machines the ones that are publicly connected, anyway.”?
Shash: Simple raw computing power. The google servers are not really single systems. Rather, they're these enormous complexes of networked machines that work together and split the loads between themselves. One could consider the databank to be one huge supercomputer if they do; it's the single largest entity on the internet. You've seen the "(0.13 seconds)" bit on each google search, right?
IMJ: Yes
Shash: Now imagine that each request goes through like maybe 5000 computers in that span of time. The thing is, google makes their own servers - they customize the OS and build their own machines from off-the-shelf components. At the scale they operate at, this is so bloody cheap that they can afford give away things for free even if 99.99% of us never click on the ads.
Shash: Also, they've got this huge amount of advertising capital. You don't yahoo for something - you google it and with blogger, they practically own the word blog and google earth, picasa. Nobody goes to hotmail or even yahoo mail anymore.
IMJ: Then isn’t it unfair for them to say that micro is going to manipulate and violate the idea of the INTERNET??
Shash: Some would say so and in a way, they're right. But remember it's the same site, whether you find it through msn live or google or through a friend giving you a URL. What they're saying is that Microsoft has this reputation for playing dirty. They bundle products with their OS and thus snuff out a great alternative with a "good enough" one. I don't think that'll happen to google though - they're saber-rattling at MS and yahoo
IMJ: G had filed a lawsuit against M when dey had made MSN default search wit their OS.
Shash: yup and a fat lot of good it did MS. Everyone just reconfigured their home pages to G. Including the OEMs who did it out of the box after people complained.
Shash: But even google's power pales in comparison to something else that's just building up
IMJ: Meaning?
Shash: It is the simple fact that wikis, blogs and the rest are user-generated. No more are we tied down by a few sources for everything. Interested in something vague and weird? Make a website or a blog about it. Even if you don't want the free stuff, you can do it for about $5 a month + 9.95 a year for a domain. So if google goes down, something else will come up.

Other links:
Yahoo! and the future of the Internet by David Drummond, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer
Monkey boy's three-legged race
Google and Microsoft Take Up Battle Stations
How Google Could Keep Yahoo From Microsoft
An Offer Yahoo Can’t Refuse