Battleground: Twitter

If you keep current with TechCrunch (which I highly recommend you do), you have probably heard about the ongoing battle between two of the world’s technology superpowers, Google and Microsoft. I find this battle to be particularly awesome for two reasons. First and foremost, I will admit that I am a nerd and this is like the Cold War of tech history. Secondly, I’m in Mountain View, California, home to Google’s Headquarters and Microsoft research offices. Essentially, I’m out here on the front lines of an aggressive battle over patents and the general dominance of the tech world. I never thought of Silicon Valley as a war zone.

In reality, however, location has nothing to do with this battle royale, nor should it considering our obsession with the internet and the almighty “Cloud” (enter dramatic music clip here). So, these two giants have chosen to fight primarily by tweeting. Is it just me or does that make this whole thing go from awesome to pathetic instantly? I can only imagine if all wars were fought this way… “Sir, we have to retweet, the enemy has already tweeted four times, and the insurgents have retweeted their tweets! Abandon ship, U.S.S. Public Image is going down!” I apologize if you actually read that, but you get my point. This is stupid.

The root issue has to do with Google’s claim that Microsoft, Apple, and some other parties bought patents without letting Google bid on them. The patents have to do with mobile devices, and Google is trying to prove that these companies are attempting to assassinate that funny looking little green guy named Android. At first, I was upset, because I like Android and I enjoy saying “Droid” in that creepy, low-pitched robot voice. What would I do if that went away forever? But, Microsoft had the sense to display an email proving that they did offer Google the chance to bid on the patents, and that Google declined. The fight is still ongoing, with the two companies slapping each other in the face. Apple on the other hand has watched from the sidelines.

So, who will win the war? Will Microsoft triumph and get back into the spotlight, or will Google come out on top, with Android eliminating Microsoft’s chance at competing in the mobile phone industry? Here’s the answer: Apple. That’s right, the iPhone will still continue to dominate, regardless of how much Google and Microsoft duke it out in Twitter. While Google and Microsoft continue to diminish themselves, they are drawing any attention away from the positive aspects of what they have to offer. Let’s be honest, everyone knows that Android has an obvious advantage over any Windows phone, so Google is hurting themselves more in this process. Meanwhile, Steve Jobs is laughing all the way to the bank, just like he has been for years. Well played sir, well played.

Images courtesy of:
www.android.com
www.wtfhub.com

Carlin with Technology