[mikhael]

Google DID tell Microsoft a very clear "NO". But somhow everyone forgets to point that out. Microsoft approached BEFORE they announced MSN was going to get its own new search service to compete with Google.

Originally posted by Stryke 9
Oh, horrors. One giant, faceless, disgustingly rich corporation that provides menial but important services functionally, if not pleasantly or particularly efficiently and treats its customers like so much livestock is about to be bought up by another. And I had such a deep emotional investment in one of them.

Actually, Google is NOT a "giant, faceless, disgustingly rich corporation that provides menial but important services functionally, if not pleasantly or particularly efficiently and treats its customers like so much livestock". They generally treat their users very well, and are very responsive to user input and critique. What's more, they invest back into the community that spawned their technology, and they do it all without taking htemselves too seriously.

What will be interesting to see is what happens when Google does its auction-IPO. Microsoft will almost certainly be there with cash in hand to buy up every share it can get its hands on. I'm hoping that the Big G only puts 49% or less shares on the table, so they can maintain control of their offerings.

[mikhael]

Just to reiterate because I know people won't read the long version:


GOOGLE TOLD MICROSOFT NO. GOOGLE IS NOT BEING BOUGHT BY MICROSOFT.


Thank you.

[IPAndrews]

I spent hour upon hour last week trying to work around problems caused by M$'s shoddy programming and lack of internal communication. Based on what I've learned here are my guesses as to what will happen when M$ buys Google.

1. It will be renamed Net Find . NET
2. You will need an MSN passport to use it.
3. It will forcibly install software on your machine (probably Outlook Express).
4. It may well break your operating system, at the bare minimum it will stop sysprep working correctly so you can't image machines.
5. It will have a buffer overflow vulnerability.
6. It will not show search hits relating to apple and sun websites.

[IPAndrews]

Nobody says no to M$. Anyone who tries to cannot be heard, because a M$ owned dump truck has buried them under an enormous mound of money. Nice font by the way. I wonder if size=8 works?

Originally posted by mikhael
Just to reiterate because I know people won't read the long version:

[size=8]
GOOGLE TOLD MICROSOFT NO. GOOGLE IS NOT BEING BOUGHT BY MICROSOFT.
[/size]

Thank you.

[mikhael]

Lots of people tell Microsoft no. It happens all the time. An ISP I worked for told Microsoft no. NINTENDO told Microsoft no. Google told Microsoft no.

None of them needed Microsoft's cash.

[Kosh]

It will not show search hits relating to apple

Actually, since M$ owns a good percentage of Apple, that money that you spend (or at least some of it) on Apple products still winds up back in M$'$ pocket anyway.

[Admiral LSD]

I thought MS sold their share of Apple?

At any case, noone says no to MS. If they try, MS release a shoddy imitiation (think Windows, Internet Explorer, Pocket PC and the Xbox) of their product and market the crap out of it so it eventually becomes the industry standard forcing the original product almost entirely off the market.

[Setekh]

And thank goodness for that. Google is really cool, my brother knows a few of the programmers who work in their Australian branch.

[01010]

Originally posted by Admiral LSD
I thought MS sold their share of Apple?

At any case, noone says no to MS. If they try, MS release a shoddy imitiation (think Windows, Internet Explorer, Pocket PC and the Xbox) of their product and market the crap out of it so it eventually becomes the industry standard forcing the original product almost entirely off the market.

Why is the Xbox shoddy?

[diamondgeezer]

I think the phrase I keep hearing from non-MS sponsored developers is 'a nightmare to code for'. Oh, and try holding a Billbox controller some time. It was nothing short of an insult to my hands. Nasty little thing.

[Martinus]

[color=66ff00]But it has so many great games! Games like Halo and... Halo.

Wait, wasn't Halo just released for the PC? Oh well...
[/color]

[diamondgeezer]

You forgot Halo

[aldo_14]

I don't even like Halo (PC).  It's boring.

[01010]

Originally posted by diamondgeezer
I think the phrase I keep hearing from non-MS sponsored developers is 'a nightmare to code for'. Oh, and try holding a Billbox controller some time. It was nothing short of an insult to my hands. Nasty little thing.

The fact that I own an Xbox means that I hold the controller pretty much on a daily basis and I love it. It's the only controller I've used that isn't dwarfed by my hands, now the Gamecube controller, THAT is a travesty, whoever invented that piece of crap has hands the size of a fifty pence piece and incredibly poor eyesight considering they give you all of two inches of cable to work with.

I've heard nothing but praise for the 'box's programming environment too by any developer that's cared to mention it, mostly because there's very little difference between it and the P.C, now the PS2 I heard was an absolute ***** to program because you have a tiny amount of video memory but a huge bus to push the data through, amongst other things.

As for the games, I'd say that was a matter of preference more than anything but I own 20+ games for my Xbox with at least 9 or 10 that I play regularly (religously in Halo's case) and only 7 games for my Gamecube with only 2 that I play often (Pikmin (ace game) and Super Monkey Ball).

I just don't understand why anybody would call the Xbox shoddy when it's not, large yes, ugly most certainly (not that the aesthetics bother me, but some people would be put off by it I guess) but it's a good console with some absolutely stunning looking titles coming for it (Fable, Halo 2, B.C, Crimson Skies, Splinter Cell 2, Ninja Gaiden) and I don't think it's fair that just because its a Microsoft product, all the anti M$ *****es whine like babies about it.

::Edit::

One last thing, I really love the Xbox dashboard, it's a thing of tremendous beauty and ease.

[Admiral LSD]

Originally posted by 01010


Why is the Xbox shoddy?

The main reason? It's based on the shockingly inefficient  (due mainly to over 20 years of being pieced together and added to from a base that wasn't even the best to start with) x86 PC architecture because MS couldn't be bothered designing something even half way decent, they just wanted a quick inroad into the console market so they turned to the cheapest and easiest place they knew.

[01010]

Originally posted by Admiral LSD


The main reason? It's based on the shockingly inefficient  (due mainly to over 20 years of being pieced together and added to from a base that wasn't even the best to start with) x86 PC architecture because MS couldn't be bothered designing something even half way decent, they just wanted a quick inroad into the console market so they turned to the cheapest and easiest place they knew.

But it works fine, it's a powerful piece of hardware and it does the job it's supposed to do (play games) with a lot more grunt than either competing consoles. Also, using the cheapest and easiest methods available would be basic economics if I'm not mistaken, why make a whole new proprietary system when you know you have an existing system that works (and reasonably well at that) and can be made efficiently and cheaply?

[aldo_14]

IIRC, Ps2 has about 4(+) pipeline that need balanced, as well as a large bus (!GB/sec, IIRC) feeding a very small texture memory block.  Although I think they've been refining it recently towards a cheaper-to-produce version with a single pipeline and more efficient architecture.

I think the major difference in design between a Pc & X-box is that the Xbox's Pentium 3 has a reduced pipeline (so it's just inefficient, rather than deliberately over-long to decieve customers), and uses copper instead of alumnium for certain bits (or the other way round...).  Plus - and it shares this with the Gamecube - the memory bus is controlled by the GPU, rather than the CPU.    It's not exactly an inspired design..... in fact, it's not even the most powerful possible, because of heat concerns, et al (i.e. MS used intel instead of AMD because of cooling issues).

Incidentally, I tried all 3 consoles when they came out.  i hate the X-box controller (too big), dislike the PS2 (hurts thumbs), but I really liked the GC one.  In the end, I bought a Ps2 because it had Pro Evo.

[Turnsky]

it all comes up to personal preference.. i actually like the Xbox controller because i have large hands.. the GC, i hate due to the same reason, and aldo stated the PS2 is pretty true, you end up with a pair of sore thumbs after a decent session of ssx..

note: i own an XBOX, and i haven't had ONE problem with it, so i don't really know what the blazes people are complaining about..  personally i'm sick of hearing people going "Microsoft Sucks", etc.. if some other company other than microsoft made it big like it has, some of you would be *****ing about that, and you know it... so shut the hell up, and play the ****ing games already, that's what they're there for... yeesh..

that said.. i have not had ONE microsoft application that locked up or restarted on me.


                            //Warning\\
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do not torment the sleep deprived artist, he may be vicious when cornered,
in case of emergency, administer caffeine to the artist,
he will become docile after that,
and less likely to stab you in the eye with a mechanical pencil
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[Zarax]

Damn, it's time to end all this anti Microsoft policy...
Personally, after seeing how much worser was the alternative to Windows (IBM OS was and is just pure crap) i thank Bill Gates every time i place my hands on Windows XP... Anyways, to go back into the topic MS isn't going to buy google, it's improving MSN instead... And since they can spend much more money in development, i wouldn't be surprised if it will surpass google...
For those which blindly hates Microsoft, look at how most competitors are trying to save her ass with Internet Explorer right now, they know that they will never be able to deploy something capable to replace it, so that they're putting pressure on doj to revoke eolas patent suit, as hurting the de facto standard would be hurting everyone.

[TrashMan]

I hate Micro$soft.

Ever watched Pinky and the Brain?
There was one episode in which Bill Gates bought 51% of all shares in the world and became the world leader! Brrrr.....