google's free software - why ?

[Mattk]

simple question - whats in it for them ?!

[wideboy]

Advertising revenue?

[wideboy]

Global domination?

[vehelpfulguy]

Google are very rich. In fact I think they are one of the fastest start-up companies ever.

They got rich by offering advertising, mainly when people use their search engine (if you use their search engine to search for "digital cameras" then they can target market digital cameras to you as they know you are looking for one.

You do not have to use Google's search engine, there are plenty of others, so they keep it free, and encourage people to use it.

Same with all their other software, the more people use it the more they can make money out of it.

For example, their GMail is free, but every time you send and receive an e-mail using it, the text is scanned for anything that may help them target advertising.

EVERY e-mail sent and received via GMail is kept so they have a huge database of information they can scan for useful information.

Same with Gogle Earth, no doubt in future you will be able to use it to find local shops and restaurants, or hotels. All more revenue for Google.

There is already concern that Google is finding out too much about us all, our searching and browsing habits and there is a danger they will turn into aother Microsoft.

Even Microsoft are worried.

Lets face it, everything you do with Google you do through a browser, and if that continues nobody will need MS Office, and then maybe Google will get their own browser, and even their own operating system, then people will not need IE or Windows.

Google have already got the name GBrowser and there is talk they may get an operating system (Linux?) .

Here is a Google Watch web site.

http://www.google-watch.org/

[vehelpfulguy]

By the way, Microsoft give away free software as well, Internet Explorer, Outlook Express and Windows Media Player are all "free".

Windows Media Player cost hundreds of millions of dollars to develop.

They do this to make Windows an attractive platform, keep people using MS software (and stop them using other peoples software) and they see the potential for future revenue by charging for content via Windows Media player.

[wideboy]

vhelpfulguy, another one (fairly new?) is photo story here:-

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/photostory/default.mspx