Why is Google in the dictionary? Why is it on every page on the internet in some form, be it minor searches to advertisements? Why is it a monopolistic search company who is now raiding cellphones (Android), Operating Systems (Chrome OS), Web Browsers(Chrome), e-mail protocols (Google Wave), Desktop applications so easily and gaining such mass support and a rabid following?
Google started the revolution with search. 10 years ago, 'alta-vista-ing' something because it was all pretty much useless. Search was never seamless, using sequences was knowledge to a few and never being as relevant as intended to be. Then Google came out, rather quietly for a while and then eventually capturing the market over a short timespan (love this link, hidden gem) and slowly capturing advertising, powering searches for other websites and becoming the most prominent website of our time.
We know what they did. They took on Yahoo! and Microsoft with Gmail, a surprisingly efficient email service, made file sharing easy with Docs, created open source platforms against MS Office, Photo editing with Picasa and became arguably the greatest intangible Goliath of our time.
Why do we love Google? Because it does the David role every few weeks. Google goes out and let's everyone know, 'HEY! We have a handle on this Web right here. And now, we want to be on your computer as a browser, as a desktop search client and eventually run the whole damn thing for you. And we'll do it better than Microsoft.' People gasp, there is applause from the rebels and the old people (read: tech blog editors) frown, smile and start pulling loopholes.
But Google gets the talk, pushes the stock and gets ideas from the people, when they start imagining what it would look like. Google is doing what everyone wants to do: Go up to the leading man, show them a finger or two and start a new focus, a new line, new innovation. Google made smart decisions by taking over the pioneers of many fields (YouTube stands out, so does Blogger) and followed up with massive beta projects, somehow never really missing their mark. It's run by arguably the smartest men in on the web industry and they've really created the sense of a team Google rather than an Eric Schmidt's Google. (Apple, Gates-era Microsoft, anyone?)
This is purely from the perspective of Google's PR and business ideology, the decision of creating mold after mold for their field of dominance and being as aggressive in their models in a much more competitive world than Gates was at his time, when Windows changed our lives and the exact opposite of the quiet,classy conqueror apple.
I can't take sides, I will always be someone who sees Microsoft as an incredible kingdom and Apple as a quaint European town but I see Google as a new promised land in a way. It's hard to predict what will happen with their new moves (Chrome OS could mighty well bomb) and what Windows 7 does to computers, but it's safe to say that Google is a team we love to root for and they surely play the roles of the monopoly and the underdog with some darned good conviction.
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