I can't help but think that any deal involving Microsoft will be challenged legally. Nobody's going to complain as long as they continue to stumble-bum along, but as soon as they become a true contender we all have to start worrying about another lock-in, or for those of us who don't use Windows, another lock-out.
@macbeach: In the search advertising market though, Microsoft is the underdog. And a very very weak one at that. I don't see wny there would be any legal challenges to anything they did in the search space, not when it's Google that owns the 80% market share.
As for Windows lock-in (or lock-out), Microsoft would be idiots to try that in the search advertising space. So much of the future will be mobile devices and Internet set-top boxes and other places where Windows may not hold the lion's share.
Microsoft is anything but stupid -- they know where the money is and they'll do whatever it takes to be competitive in that space. Even if it means not tying themselves to Windows as the client platform.
01/19/09
01/19/09
As for Windows lock-in (or lock-out), Microsoft would be idiots to try that in the search advertising space. So much of the future will be mobile devices and Internet set-top boxes and other places where Windows may not hold the lion's share.
Microsoft is anything but stupid -- they know where the money is and they'll do whatever it takes to be competitive in that space. Even if it means not tying themselves to Windows as the client platform.