Google and Sun Microsystems taking on Microsoft?

"MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--Sun Microsystems and Google announced a multiyear partnership Tuesday to help spread and develop each other's software, a deal that includes OpenOffice.org, Java and OpenSolaris from Sun, and Google's Toolbar.

The software the companies are working on all directly compete with Microsoft--for example, Java provides an alternative programming foundation to Windows and Microsoft's .Net, and OpenOffice competes directly with Microsoft Office. The Google Toolbar, meanwhile, leads to Google's services and not those Microsoft is trying to promote through MSN."

Alrighty then. I'm all for this collaboration, but perhaps the vision of handling word-processing, email, and other applications solely online doesn't sit well with me. I'm not concerned with the privacy factor of it because, really, if you want to get down to it, NOTHING is private over the internet. Perhaps that's for a later discussion, but for now we'll stay....on....topic.

Right then - handling most of your applications online is a little shaky. If you think about it, you would be depending on their servers to NOT crash in the middle of a, for example, online version of Power Point. Some might argue that "hey, you're doing this anyway from your own PC - who says that it wouldn't crash in the middle of a presentation?". From a corporate standpoint, your local IT guy can just replace the PC in question in a matter of minutes. "Hah, but the Power Point presentation is on the local drive! I got you!!!!!!111", you say. If the only copy you had was on the local drive and not on a network drive, then you're a retard and shouldn't be presenting anything other than a boxen of donuts every morning.


On the other hand, I just like the fact that this can be good competition for Microsoft since Sun's Open Office is completely free and a great alternative to Microsoft Office at home or a small business.

Since Google's been gearing to roll out an ad supported but free Wifi in select cities, they are really taking on a whole new look other than the usual "yeah, just google it".

So there seems that this is mostly a good move, although the outcome of this announcement was a let down because of no mention of an operating system.

All hail Google! (or not)