Enter Google. Once just a search engine, it is now sprouting up extensions like Jack’s bean stalk on steroids. These extensions are what’s making Google so irreplaceable for many people who want the one stop shop. Google is fast becoming the Wal-Mart of the Internet. And it’s for that reason that some people are starting to fear the company.
Editor’s Note: This list was written in June 2008, therefore Chrome and Buzz are not included.
10. Google Video
When most people think of looking for videos, YouTube is the automatic choice. However, Google has gone a step beyond YouTube. Not only does a Video search yield all of the YouTube results and play them in the Google window, but the search engine also searches the entire web for your content. While Google Video may not feature categories like YouTube, when you can search the entire web, who cares?
9. Google Maps & Google Earth
A few years ago, Google created an application called Google Earth that would let a person input an address and the application would give them the most recent satellite images of that area. Another nifty feature was the ability to plot a course between multiple locations similar to Mapquest.com. Now Google Maps has taken on Mapquest and many other map making companies. However, Google Maps has gone beyond the simple map adding in the flexibility of a Yellow Pages with displayed directions to the pizza parlor or local electronics store.
8. Google Books & Google Scholar
Libraries across the world are wondering what they will do with all the books they house once Google is done. Years ago, Google Books announced that it would try to make every page of every book available and searchable online. They are still working on that one due to copyright laws; however, they have now made searchable many scholarly articles. The library may still be the place to complete most of your research, but maybe not for long.
7. Google News
Who wouldn’t like a searchable database of recent articles on any topic imaginable? Perhaps the media companies who want to be the sole source for your news gathering. Though having that searchable source of news might mean a more balanced view of the news, when someone gets thousands or millions of hits, how do they choose what is the best news source for them?
6. Google Shopping
Retailers everywhere are cringing over the fact that their prices are being compared to other retailers with one simple click. The Google Shopping feature searches Web sites for whatever you want and gives you only what you want or more than you can handle when you are not specific. eBay and Paypal beware – Google Checkout is coming. You will soon be able to do all of your shopping through Google as well.
5. iGoogle
Similar to Yahoo, Google has branched out by giving the search engine a customizable homepage with multiple features such as news feeds, weather, horoscopes and others. A one-stop shop has a tendency to leave out all the small details that some people crave; and it seems like iGoogle could be just the icing rather than the whole cake when it comes to the details.
4. G-mail
Again like Yahoo and even Microsoft, Google has created an online e-mail system. While millions of people have been using online e-mail for the last decade, this is just one more step for the Big G in making it the first and only destination on the Web.
3. Google Docs
Google is not satisfied just going after Yahoo, Mapquest, libraries and retailers. Microsoft and all the other word processing software companies beware. Now with a G-mail account, you can create documents such as invoices, letters, calendars and many more. Or how about a PowerPoint like presentation? The possibilities seem endless and your documents can be accessed by yourself and anyone else you allow online. Who needs Word anyways?
2. Frankenstein Internet
What Google has not created itself, it has started to wrap under its envelope. YouTube and Blogger are just two examples of other sites that have joined forces with the G Empire to create a monster. And if Google can’t find a suitable partner, then it has started to build its own version of popular sites such as an IM system (Google Talk), a social networking site like Facebook (Orkut) and other features. With pieces and parts from here, there and everywhere, one has to wonder if Google isn’t going to fall in the same trap as Microsoft – being too large and diverse to get one thing right.
1. Google
The main thing that Google is known as is, of course, a search engine. And that is one thing they have done correctly though many people question the validity of the search optimization methods used by the company. That said when most people want information where do they go? Google, of course. The name is so synonymous with search engines that is has been added to the dictionary as a known for searching on the Internet. If that’s not scary enough for you, perhaps you should Google scary see what you think is scarier.
Honorable Mention
Google Knol – The Wikipedia killer. Watch out, Wikipedia.
17 Comments
Youtube was expending so google has own it.
#10. Google owns youtube
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6034577.stm
This is the worst top 10 list I've ever seen.
More like "10 google apps and vague descriptions of them." Most of the top 10 do not even mention anything scary or fearsome, just a crappy description.
There are some things you could fear about google, somehow this article mentions none of them.
You have to admit, though, Google might do tons of things, but they do them *right*. All of their apps work amazingly well. Unlike Microsoft, where half of their stuff works decently, some of it doesn't work at all.
Btw, you don't have Google Chrome or Google Buzz on the list. =)
Still, even if Google is becoming so big, I'm all for it. They do things right, they don't put things out before they're ready. I'm all for Google taking over the world. I bet GoogleGovernment would be AMAZING. ^__^
This list was created in July 2008. I'm sure in another year we would be able to add 3 more things in addition to Chrome or Buzz. Although I'm skeptical Buzz will be successful.
Hah, yep… 2008 indeed. I was reading this like 5 minutes after I woke up. Sleepyhead syndrome?
And I dunno, Buzz seems pretty neat so far.
And now the Google phone? What next then?
more reasons to fear google: type in gewgle.com, and you'll get google.com.. same with gogle.com. haha see if you can find any more..
Weren't they coming out with their own OS at some point? I heard about it but never knew if they did or not? Couldn't have been very successful if they did! Or is it still in the pipeline.
very knowledgeable and informative article.
Very informative article!
Great Post. Very informative. BTW, I am submitting this comment through Google Chrome 😀
Also there is a Google webbrowser now named Google Chrome .. which is in itself pretty good though …
Just thought i'd add this ..
Google didn't create google earth; they bought it.
I can't think what company created or what it was called, but google didn't make it.
Funnily enough, the google motto is "don't be evil". Heheh…
Another thing that is quite worrying is the amount of personal data Google has control over throughout the world of all of its users, far greater than any government in the world.
That's dramatic, I don't have to fear them. It's a good company and is growing like every business does
its success is because provide free quality services. Google has the idea of FREE software as linux.
And to top it off, they've even taken over Middle Earth (or at least the maps for Lord of the Rings Online).