Google Executive Criticizes Surface and Windows 8
June 29, 2012
Google pontificates on Microsoft‘s new tablet, Surface, CNet News reveals in “Google Exec: ‘Surface Is a Very Complicated Strategy to Pull Off’.” Google should know; it is the new Microsoft. Remember the Google phone?
Though Google’s Sundar Pichai gives his company’s rival some credit for the innovation that went into the Surface, he expressed doubts about the project’s future. He seems to pin his criticisms on Windows 8, which he elegantly calls a “big disruptive thing.” He emphasizes that the OS may not work well on laptops. CNet’s Dan Farber observes:
“It’s not surprising that Google executives would cast doubt on Microsoft’s new plan to seed Windows 8 around the world. Google is escalating its efforts to compete with Microsoft, using the same ecosystem model — Google develops the software and hardware vendors make and sell the devices.
“Google just announced Chromebooks built by Samsung that run the Google Chrome operating system and use its Google Docs application suite. Pichai said that sign ups for Google Apps — its enterprise suite — are growing at triple digit percentages and that OEMs are signing up to produce Chromebooks as well.”
All good points. Farber notes that, like Microsoft’s Surface, Google operates from the precarious position of simultaneously working with and competing with its manufacturing partners. I would add that we can see how well that tactic works through the Android lens. Does Google hope the problems it has had with smartphones won’t translate to laptops? Perhaps they feel they’ve learned enough from their Android struggles. We’ll see.
Cynthia Murrell, June 29, 2012
Sponsored by PolySpot
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