2005 November 08

As Ponzi just picked up a PSP, we want to do a little Ad Hoc network gameplay – but not necessarily pay full price for those second UMDs. I could easily walk into a used game store, but they're probably not going to give us a deal like a “local” would. Looking for whatever you might have (UMDs in good to excellent condition that we can inspect in-person before purchasing).

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Something's going to happen with AOL soon, and I believe that Microsoft would be one of its leading acquisition candidates. There are obvious synergies at hand, but the bigger picture boils down to two words: BEAT GOOGLE.
The MSN / Yahoo! instant messaging agreement didn't come together until Google launched their Google Talk product. As software, it's extremely lackluster – but with the Google brand stamped upon it, there's no telling what they'll do with it next.
AOL is almost like a pawn in this, and they'll likely go to the highest bidder. If Google wins AOL, it could deal a crushing blow to MSN. If MSN wins AOL, Google may very well lose 1/10th of its annual revenue stream. No matter how you put it: Microsoft can't afford to let AOL go to any other company.
Were MSN to swallow AOL, the America Online brand would likely remain intact (with everything being powered by MSN, naturally). This, too, would open other exclusive content doors – which would likely benefit Windows Media devices in an indirect fashion. Certainly, and no matter what, few changes would be made overnight.
It's Google vs. the rest of the world. They have a very strong brand, and they're only beginning to weild it. What's worrysome is that one day we may have no choice but to go through Google for certain needs – like advertising, for instance.
They've leveled the playing field for content producers through exposing revenue shares through programs like Google AdSense. We all walk away winners, and we all love Google for enabling that process in such a simple and straightforward fashion. A bigger question is: when will the milk and honey stop flowing from the big G?
Again, this wouldn't be about helping Microsoft nearly as much as it would be about hindering Google. Then again, what if Google were to start a free broadband ISP upon which they could easily deliver their channels of content wrapped around their own advertising deals? They're already toying with free WiFi… so the idea isn't far-fetched. Were Google to aquire AOL, they'd start wiping the walls with the competition (as if they weren't doing so already).
Google needs AOL 1/10th as much as MSN does.

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