I will believe that Google can ship the software if…
With all respect to Mark, I think he is on the wrong track, when he said that Microsoft can’t ship software.
Delivering your platform and other applications to user base of millions is not as simple as checking in your code in your source control system. It needs to be tested for usability, backwards compatibility and if you read Raymond Chen’s blog, you will be aware how gigantic task it is to test system for backwards compatibility and making sure that it works.
Things are comparatively much, much easier when you talk about web applications because by their very nature they don’t need to tested for thousands of hardware/software configurations but merely for 4 or 5 type of browsers. Testing web apps for compatibility is easier and it
March 3rd, 2005 at 4:04 pm
Nice post. I was going to do an almost similar post but wont bother now
Google has shipped lots of “betas” - orkut, google news, gmail - but they haven’t been able to get these to ship quality yet. Product development is hard. If you see the test labs that various Windows teams run, you would realize the insane amount of testing that happens. And yet there are bugs that slip through - just because the product is so complex.
March 3rd, 2005 at 4:06 pm
BTW, Mark’s blog is no longer accessible.
March 3rd, 2005 at 4:33 pm
Thanks Gaurav for stopping by.
Yes, I noticed that post is removed.
Btw, this is the second MS guy who joined Google, blogged something about new job and created PR nightmare.
JD
March 3rd, 2005 at 4:45 pm
I think JD’s point was the world has changed and that delivering features (not necessarily functionality) through desktop software is a problem and that the platform (the web, the net, the browser not the PC and the desktop) has changed. Companies that embrace that change deliver functionality to users without killing users.
March 3rd, 2005 at 5:25 pm
Fark,
Agreed. Joel describes the exact point in his article How Microsoft Lost API War.
I am not suggesting that delivering web applications is not the right thing to do. These days, in most scenarios a web application is the right tool for job, but that doesn’t mean desktop applications are completely out. And that is why I didn’t like the fact that Mark commented that Microsoft doesn’t know how to ship software. Whether you like it or not, you have to accept that Microsoft has one of the best developers in the world and they have shipped tons of great software. They have shipped more often than any other company in the world.
JD
March 4th, 2005 at 1:49 am
Btw, Mark’s blog is back online.
One key difference between the way Microsoft delivers and Google delivers is the “surprise” element!
We have been hearing of longhorn for years now..!! But take google maps for e.g…. it was a utter surprise!
Yes, it would be stupid to compare google maps to long-horn, but….the style of release is what I am talking of!
1. Google knows what people want.
2. They do a decent job in developing the stuff. (not great..agreed…, but a good start)
3. The style of release.
March 4th, 2005 at 4:42 pm
Microsoft’s model is much harder to pull off, and that’s the problem. Google has found a way to deliver software with very little friction. Win Google. Google and Microsoft both right software used by millions of people. Google has choosen and easy way to distribute it, and Microsoft has choosen a difficult way. I say Mark’s post is right on the money.
March 5th, 2005 at 12:26 am
Chris,
I agree that Microsoft’s model is harder to pull off. But then someone’s got to do it. There are so many applications which we can’t do it in browser e.g. Digital Camera Tools, Zipping Program, Antivirus Software, list can be a long one. And Microsoft owns the platform where you can develop it. And Microsoft doesn’t have option of stopping the development of platform. Already, development has slowed down considerably but still MS to keep up to it. But then you can’t say that MS doesn’t know how to ship.
Also, remember that browser itself is part of MS platform. And if web applications were to get more powerful, even browser has to evolve. And who will evolve it? Yes, Microsoft will evolve it. I strongly believe that IE can get ahead in browser war again (and easily), just give them one year. I think that if MS decides, they can beat Firefox in 2 years in terms of features/security. Also, how about MS creating a version of IE and ASP.NET, which will offer you excellent speed of development and all the benefits of Web?
Anyway, that’s all my speculation, but the point is that you can’t really say that MS doesn’t know how to ship. They are facing a very unique problem where HTML is threatening their own Windows Platform. And I am sure; Bill Gates is having sleepless nights about how to solve that problem.
JD
March 5th, 2005 at 12:13 pm
I am expecting a browser based OS !
Might sound stupid, but the concept of network PC is what comes to my mind !….were we have ‘Dumb’ terminals, with just browsers in the boot rom….no hdd etc……. Switch it on, and the browser loads the OS from the NET!, and then u have all the applications…….out there.
Do check these links out ! :
http://blog.topix.net/archives/000016.html
http://www.kottke.org/04/04/google-operating-system
Thats the future !!! May be next 10 to 15 years, or earlier ! who knows !
March 16th, 2005 at 12:22 pm
Seems like someone heard me !
http://www.cnet.com/4520-6033_1-5759958-1.html?tag=nl.e501
March 28th, 2005 at 9:26 am
Wake up pal, Google is not a client software company. The browser they develop is going to be a ripoff(add/on) of some other pathetic code.
What makes you think they can deliver a better browser then IE or FireFox.
get your Facts in line.
google is overhyped company with so minimal products which are usefull. other than search and newsgroups they got nothing.
that is my 2 cents