ge, rca, zenith, magnavox, and the american public, in general, laughed at the japanese as copy-cat pretenders for color television sets. now look at who owns the most market share for tv’s in the u.s.

Where is web search, still in its early childhood!!

Try a search for – hat – on Google (top algo result is a dvd???) I only wanted a hat!! Come on forget the current hype, reset your expectations and realise that they’ve only just scratched the surface. As to Microsoft actually comming up with a decent search solution? Well when senior execs admit a strategic mistake, would they in fact come out with such a statement in the first pace, with the full knowledge that they are holding the answer already. My guess is probably somewhere inbetween.

MS SQL seems to be filling the space that Oracle ignores in terms of size requirements, by providing a *somewhat* robust RDBMS environment for both SMB’s and workgroups in large enterprises. I estimate that in a couple years Oracle will have a product out that competes with MSSQL in the SMB market.

Knowing Larry Ellison they’ll probably try to host it!

Microsoft has really done nothing impressive on the web other than Expedia.

Having witnessed MSN Search, Windows Search and Outlook/Exchange Search, I continue to have little faith in Microsoft’s ability to do search.

Certainly you are right, SQL server is not crushing Oracle. Look at the accelleration in market share for MS since they got into the db business though. I’m sure Larry Ellison isn’t counting them out. Watch how quickly SQL Reporting Services is adopted vs. Crystal Reports by this time next year.

Like it or not, it’s a pattern. I guess we’ll see how search plays out, but MS will be a contender. You don’t get 50 Billion in cash the bank by doing everything wrong.

Keep trying.