"Outside Search... Google has given the market little"?

Depends on what you mean by "market". To me personally, Google has given much in addition to Internet search. Let me count. I got Google Desktop, Picasa, Google Sidebar, ... all that for free. And I tell you, I love every single one of them and depend on them on a daily basis. There are other products as well such as Google Earth that I don't use daily but still love.

It is probably true that Google is not making money from any of these other products (yet)but equating them with "Nothing"?

...is not fair.

Recently, I have just discovered some of the additional services that Google offers (in addition to the basic web searching capabilities). I have been very impressed. I agree with the above comments that Google has contributed a great deal to "the market". Their company has helped me and my family personally with several free services. I am appreciative of these technological services such as Google Earth, the side bar, Gmail, etc.

As they strive to "evolve Microsoft from a software company into the world's largest, most attractive provider of online media through MSN, Windows Live, and adCenter" (Microsoft), they need to think outside of the Microsoft box to recognize the need to provide broad support for other platforms and browsers to be successful with the new direction.

This week Microsoft launched adCenter, an advertising product similar to Google's AdSense. The problem is that Microsoft launched the site without any support for non-IE browsers. Microsoft needs to wake up to the reality that if they want to be more than a software company, they will need to embrace competing software.

Wow, what happened? Microsoft talking about honesty and Google finally getting talks of comptetition? What next? Innovation?

Fantastic, it's true Google needs to have a healthy dose of competition. After all, look at what happpened to Microsoft after they dominated the market. Maybe both can learn from this.

However the disease is in the beast. It is human nature (most humans) to become arrogant and lose their dynamic nature once they reach lofty heights. Who was that psychiatrist that said power attracts psychotics?

Google needs to reinvent itself again and innovate again and again. I just couldn't stop laughing hearing Microsoft talking about honesty and trying to keep Google in check. Maybe the giant is becoming himble as it sees itself slipping further and further away into irrelevance.