Cnet’s Stephanie Olsen notes that several portals are considering following Google into the taskbar world…effectively increasing pressure on MSFT to get its Longhorn act together. This is a significant threat to the mindspace that Windows occupies: If Windows becomes a layer that is built upon by others…where is the margin for Gates & Co? Hence their massive efforts to get into search…
Beyond the Browser Again…
Cnet's Stephanie Olsen notes that several portals are considering following Google into the taskbar world…effectively increasing pressure on MSFT to get its Longhorn act together. This is a significant threat to the mindspace that Windows occupies: If Windows becomes a layer that is built upon by others…where is the margin…
Windows (and to a lesser extent Office) *is* a layer for others to build on. That is the whole point of Microsoft’s platform strategy. They can then leverage their control of the underlying platform to make others kiss the ring. Like not reinstalling toolbars (and browser helper objects) by default after an IE upgrade in a service pack “for security reasons”…