Google vis-a-vis Microsoft

Been reading a lot of stuff on google vs microsoft and their search battles.

Here is an authoritative in depth analysis of the history of both companies and the path ahead for google.

Funnily enough the author Charles H. Ferguson sold his company Vermeer (they made frontpage !!) for quite a tidy sum in microsoft stock ...

This has not really 'influenced' the critique though. The author's insider knowledge of microsoft sort of adds to the articles depth and flavour.