Ready to get your Bing on, iPhone owners? That curious little Microsoft search engine you shrugged off just a few months ago could become a mainstay in your daily routine if
BusinessWeek's sources are correct. According to a pair of persons familiar with the matter, Apple and Microsoft are discussing dropping Google as the default search engine on Apple's somewhat popular handset -- talks that have been underway for "weeks," apparently.
BW paints the move as further evidence of an escalating rivalry between Apple and Google. In fact, one
BW source claims that, "Microsoft is now a pawn in that battle." No doubt, the once cozy relationship has seemingly fractured with Google CEO Eric Schmidt
vacating Apple's board and Apple recently snapping up
Lala and
Quattro Wireless -- acquisitions that some analysts see as defensive measures against a
rapidly encroaching Google. Isn't competition fun?
posted January 20th 2010 1:57AM
google beats china, china beats apple, apple beats google.
its rock paper scissors!
@Karate Tortoise
when did china beat apple?
@Karate Tortoise
Surely, (due to their poor laws upon humanity), China beats everyone.
Ok, let us just say it, Google needs friends. Android is a ruse to get Google's search onto smart phones. Google should stop treating Android as a phone it owns. Android is an operating system and Google should just let the various partners develop their own interfaces without trying to dictate interface standards; and simply get out of the market trying to sell phones (be it Nexus One, Two, or whatever). Then Google should build a strong relationship with Palm, RIM, and Nokia. What that means is make the same Google apps that are available on Android devices (voice apps and all) available on these platforms. In other words, treat the entire smart phone ecosystem the same. If Google is perceived as a neutral party, more companies will embrace it and help it in its fight with Apple and Microsoft.
(Disclosure: I like Microsoft and Apple, and I believe they have both enriched our lives. But I also like a competitive and vibrant marketplace.)
@Karate Tortoise -- "google beats china, china beats apple, apple beats google."
Everybody beats Microsoft.
Google - 67.3%
Yahoo - 14.4%
Bing - 9.9%
Microsoft: 2nd place here we come... because we force people to use us!
@Karate - go to bed. You should not be staying up this late.
@wickedwobotics
He might be referring to lousy iPhone sales in China. That would appear as a beat down to me.
@Michael Scrip
Seriously why are hating on Bing it's a awesome search engine and it's video search engine is waaay better then Googles considering they own youtube.
-1 For hating. Grow up seriously.
@Michael Scrip
Yeah, that makes sense.
Microsoft: "oh shit, our side project search engine is coming in behind google and yahoo! We must do something about this! Quick, take all the developers off our 80% worldwide market share OS, and our 75% market share Office suite! We must be the number one search website!"
@Karate Tortoise
I bet more than half the time Bing is used... is because people realize that they are at an unfamiliar site and as a result they bing Google. So that they an get there real search on. I bet what gets searched for the most on bing IS Google! It would be funny to see a list of the top ten searches.
Are you kidding me? I just did a bing search, and it looks just like Google's results. At least change the color scheme.
Google needs to get its act together with their searches. Almost every time I search lately, ALMOST EVERY LINK I CLICK ON IS CHOCK FULL OF GOOGLE ADS WITH NO REAL CONTENT.
@Thinker Ummm, you make now sense. Why would Google need a ruse to get their search onto smartphones, when they're already (and continue to be) the default search engine on the iPhone and on WebOS? Your argument is that Google needed a ruse to... get something they already had?
What it comes down to is that Google wanted a handset platform that was more free and open than what was available at the time. Had they waited a bit longer, I think they could have simply worked with Nokia's Maemo or Palm's WebOS instead, as both are very open platforms, but they already had Android cooking, and the first Android phone beat both WebOS and Maemo to the market by over a year.
Remember, Apple is VERY restrictive of what type of apps they allow on it. I'm sure Google would love to release the same apps on it as they did on Android... oh wait, they already tried that with Apple, with Google Voice, and were rejected by Apple for garbage reasons, which started this whole feud between them in the first place...
@Karate Tortoise
I can't believe Apple is going top get in bed with MSFT. I need to go take a shower.
@trainwrecka
The Google ads are easy to ignore. What's getting distressing is the amount of spam in the actual search results. It's getting to where I want to neg out common spam keywords such as "-free" in with every search.
@Karate Tortoise
It's it's rock, paper, scissors, then who are the lizard and Spock?
@Cin
His statement about Google using Android to get search business was not his theory, Google said it when they launched Android.
1% of the search market is worth $1 Billion a year you do the maths.
@Karate Tortoise I love how anal-ysts immediately think it's one or the other. The iPhone currently supports Google and Yahoo search. Why not support all three and let the user choose? Could it be that's where Apple is going?
Of course if Microsoft wants to drop $500 million to make Bing the default, like they did for Verizon, well...all bets are off.
@(Unverified) Um... http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/1999/01-05apple.mspx
@(Unverified)
This wouldn't be the first time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Apple_Computer#The_Microsoft_deal
@(Unverified)
Isn't this Bill Gates' payback from investing in a failing Apple back in the late 90's.? http://news.cnet.com/2100-1001-202143.html
Steve Ballmer: "Guuud, very gooood" (rubs hands).
@(Unverified)
Also, check this out:
http://www.bing.com/visualsearch?FORM=Z9LH11
In the visual search feature, under online media, Microsoft only has "Top iphone Apps" in that category. I think they have a little partnership going on here...
@wickedwobotics
When they told apple to get rid of WLAN in their iphones for the chinese market or forget about selling it there officially.
@Federaly
I'm not hating on Microsoft. It's just that they seem to be forcing themselves into everything.
I have a Bing App that was installed on my Blackberry... without my consent. Can't I be mad about that?
If Bing is so good... then it shouldn't have to strong-arm itself into our lives. The cream should rise to the top... it can't buy its way there.
There as a time when Google was nothing more than an experiment. Look where it is today.
@(Unverified) Could you imagine if MSFT didn't make a version of Office for the Mac? And anyways, MSFT owns a small stake in Apple, so really Apple and MSFT have long secretly been in bed together. The PC manufacturers might be annoyed when you buy a Mac, but Microsoft could care less so long as you buy Office and a copy of Windows 7 to bootcamp.
@Karate Tortoise
When did google ever beat China?
@Karate Tortoise
or, it sounds like pokemon.
@Michael Scrip
You do know that's how big companies work? that's how they became errrr big...
@Karate Tortoise
Microsoft is paying Google to make bing a featured search result: http://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&source=hp&q=bing&meta=&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&fp=819eb60ddcc41d13
i had to Google "bunging"
@kojo87 Haha me too. I found for definitions on urban dictionary but none of them work in this context.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bunging
@kojo87 “Google does not work that way!"
@kojo87
That's because "Bunging" is trash cockney slang Thomas picked up in the office from Darren, and not a real word.
@kojo87
use it as a synonym for 'sticking'.
Wow, how young are you guys?
A "bung" is a wooden or cork stopper used to close a wine or other alcohol barrel. It's where the term "bung hole" comes from.
"Bunging" is synonymous with "plugging", and is correctly used in this case.
Bunging is a perfectly cromulent word.
@jon I always thought it was called a bunghole because that is where animal bungs are located. Here is an excerpt taken from a sausage casing website.
"Pig bungs.
After the bungs (terminal end of large intestines, i.e. the ends of the intestinal tract starting from the anus) are pulled free from their setting, they are stripped under a spray of water which washes away the contents. The bungs are soon afterward slimed, inflated for grading and thoroughly salted.
Pig bungs are 1 to 1.5 m in length. Their diameters vary from about 30 to more than 50 mm. Pig bungs are primarily used for liverwurst, cervelat, dry sausages etc."
@eKalb I NEED TP FOR MY BUNGHOLE!!!!
uhhhuuhuhuhuhuh huhuhh
@PerryAJ
Yes!!!
@kojo87 Us Brits use it to mean throwing, or to refer to a kickback... a Bing bung is MS paying you to use their search on your phone, not a doorbell sound. :D
@kojo87 This is a common phrase in Australia. e.g. I'll just go bung the snags on the barbie.
@timAus Jesus that sounds dirty!!!
@timAus
What's a "snag"?
Oh god. Google >>>>>>>> Bing. End of discussion.
@Danny
I disagree. Most people dont care enough to have brand loyalty & Bing to its credit is good enough for most general searches.
@(Unverified) You are wrong! I am due for a new Phone in the next 9 months. I am considering and Android based device but have an iPod-touch so moving to an iPhone would be the natural change. If they make this move I will not purchase an iPhone! I switched to Apple because I HATE Microsoft. Brand avoidance is an issue. Furthermore, I like Google and I am loyal to google.
@kylemullaney "If they make this move I will not purchase an iPhone! I switched to Apple because I HATE Microsoft. Brand avoidance is an issue. Furthermore, I like Google and I am loyal to google."
You're loyal to Apple.. and/or Anti Microsoft-anything. If you were loyal to google, you would be "seriously" considering an Android device. or would already be using one.. Away with your Anti Microsoft Pro Apple lunacy!
@kylemullaney
thats is the dumbest thing i ever heard.
@kylemullaney Google.com/phone
@Danny
I swear sometimes I think we need another World War to weed out morons that actually feel the most pressing cause in their lives is their choice of search engines.
@palemoonrises If you don't like Bing when they change it then just switch back to google. Not using a product because you don't like what the company is very closed minded though, use what works for you, not what you are loyal to. Brand loyalty is a very stupid concept.