Upset by Microsoft, Google Shows Its Teeth

In an article in the New York Times, revealed was the fact that Google had made a complaint to the Department of Justice concerning some MS ‘middleware.’

It seems that Vista, and IE7, default to using MSN Search, which is now re-titled Live Search. This is what is installed, however, the user sees a choice to change this. What was not previously understood is that the MS product never really gets turned off, and so users who were ‘uninstalling’ the MS program, followed by Google Desktop Search, were experiencing major slowing of their machines.

Microsoft claims that because the registry must have something in it pertaining to searches, the natural choice was to use their own. What is not understood is why the MS search client cannot be turned off completely, as the representative for MS claimed that their choice ’scales back’ when another search is installed.

This is not a problem in XP, with the MSN search enabled. Since it was an addition much later than when XP went gold, it is not so tightly woven into the operating system.

On the other side of the street, so to speak, there are complaints that Google search, which has been integrated with the Safari browser for Mac, is also difficult to remove or turn off.

The complaints against Microsoft may continue, at the state level until some accommodation is made. Later, an MS spokesman said that limited concessions could be made for the Google complaints.

What ever the concessions are, it will probably be difficult for the average user to know if the search engine MS made part of its operating system is actually off. Further testing by independent labs will have to confirm or deny any actual repair.

If the operating system can have processes, completely hidden from the user, with no easy way to determine the exact nature of what is running, is this not a small step closer to George Orwell’s vision? One look at any of Mr. Ballmer’s rants in the last 2 years shows he would be far from a benevolent autocrat of our computing lives.

Complete article here.

[tags]Google, Microsoft, Dept of Justice, MSN Search, Google Desktop Search, Apple, Safari, George Orwell[/tags]