ZDNet’s Web 2.0 Explorer covered Wired’s recent poll that put Google top of their Wired 40 list. Based upon brand, reach and cool tech (must be like a Boston box but with 3 axis… kind of a Boston cube) it rated the search, media, application company the top.
But why was Microsoft 36? Really? Does this take into account the inroads that Microsoft has made into the Web 2.0 space with Live.com? Or the demonstration of it’s .NET 2.0 and Atlas technology at PageFlakes? 36 is a bit shortsighted I think. Yes the rendering engine in IE7 is still not all encompassing (IE7 Beta 3 out recently) and Office 2007 has been delayed again, but that’s a cash cow that’s going to exist for a long time yet within business.
And I think that’s it really. The difference between the business and consumer marketplaces. How many companies really would drop Excel for Google Base? “I’m going to take away your pivot tables Sir and give you this web based spreadsheet cos it’s cool… and free”, you say “I’d rather pay for the pivot tables” replies your CFO. Phew.. you think. “That’s good because I didn’t mention the adverts for Ninja Cola that appear every time you press the Sum button.”
Google are doing some good stuff, great stuff in fact. I’m a regular user of Google for search, email, web site analytics, blogging (well don’t use Blogger quite so much now) and word processing (Writely) to an extent. Google for productivity tools. At home maybe. In business… don’t think so. Not yet anyway and maybe never.
So Google number 1, yes I’d agree somewhat with that. And I’d certainly agree with Apple at number 2. But Microsoft at 36. Get outta here!