Which Google Projects Will Bite the Dust?

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ComputerWorld asks the question “which Google projects will bite the dust?” Well, are we taking any bets? Should we start a pool or what? If that's the case, I got $5 on Google Checkout biting it in the second round of cuts.

Thanks to the recession, Google has begun killing projects that haven't made it financially, with CEO Eric Schmidt warning the company will eliminate "dark matter" projects that "haven't really caught on" and "aren't really that exciting." Two are already on the chopping block, with more to follow.
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Better not be Google Checkout... I'll use them exclusively in the next few months.
 
I love Google Checkout... No...
 
That crappy google search is going down! :p Seriously though I think the office applications in a web browser thing is gonna be a huge flop. People don't want this mainframeity software. Countless companies have tried to push this kinda stuff only to fail over and over. It's a gimmick that some people just can't get over.
 
I pretty much just use Google to search sites, images, videos, groups and Google Checkout. I was not even aware of most of the items mentioned in the article.
 
Google Checkout >>> Paypal.

Also, I use google docs when I'm going on a holiday with friends. Good tool for collaborative travel planning. My high school class also keeps a contact page on google docs, everyone can edit it when their information changes.
 
GrandCentral - the universal phone number app that has actually declined in functionality since Google bought them out will finally be put out of its misery. It has single handedly lowered my regard for google from unprecedented to just a smidge above microsoft.
 
Youtube :p
Seriously though...
Any voip related projects (Google Talk)
Orkut
Google Wifi and Secure Access with it
Google Desktop
Knol
Google Docs (as we know it.)
 
I wonder what they consider "product"??? If it's a function of an enhancement to search, for example? Like code search?

If it's big overall products, I definitely see cutting Orkut (heck never even heard of it until now) Knol, Google Talk.
I'd personally include Google Desktop in there, but Dell sure does push it out to alot of clients having it pre-installed...

Google Docs I can also see dying off for reasons expressed here.

Google Wifi has too much physical cost- definitely see that going.

Google would have more success sticking with what they know. Mapping, Search, and Email.
 
niconx said:
That crappy google search is going down! :p Seriously though I think the office applications in a web browser thing is gonna be a huge flop. People don't want this mainframeity software. Countless companies have tried to push this kinda stuff only to fail over and over. It's a gimmick that some people just can't get over.
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I think there is a market for this and Google has made good progress in the area. They have a ways to go, but I think they're on the right track. Think of citrix, and also this from IBM.
 
mryerse said:
I think there is a market for this and Google has made good progress in the area. They have a ways to go, but I think they're on the right track. Think of citrix, and also this from IBM.
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Citrix is used by business for mostly vertical applications, citrix is not used by the average person. The real reason these companies do this sort of stuff is to control peoples data and eventually want to end up charging insane amounts of money keeping that data hostage. Privacy issues abound when google not only has your email and searches but all your documents as well. Some of which would no doubt be work related and raise legal questions. Because you KNOW google is gonna wanna search index those docs and put em on the google engine.
 
Bye bye Google Earth and Google Chrome!

Seriously....I would think the online office apps would go on the chopping block.
 
I don't use it cause most retailers I use online don't seem to take it (newegg?), but I love it and use it whenever I can. Buy.com seems to be the biggest place that takes it. I just love how it's linked to my gmail and my credit cards so basically type in my password and done and done. Paypal is way more clunky, but it's still useable.
 
I too rock the spreadsheet on an almost daily basis, and have drafted quite a few letters with their "Word" app. I have yet to try Google Presentation, but it looks useful enough.
 
niconx said:
Citrix is used by business for mostly vertical applications, citrix is not used by the average person. The real reason these companies do this sort of stuff is to control peoples data and eventually want to end up charging insane amounts of money keeping that data hostage. Privacy issues abound when google not only has your email and searches but all your documents as well. Some of which would no doubt be work related and raise legal questions. Because you KNOW google is gonna wanna search index those docs and put em on the google engine.
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I'm also thinking about Coke and Energizer who have Microsoft host their exchange and sharepoint services, which also requires that MS have a replication of their AD... Point being that there are some who might be concerned about data being held hostage, but it doesn't kill the market completely.

I think Google will look at google apps and see it might not have revenue now, but that it has potential.
 
Maybe they will axe the guy that does all the holiday google logos. I hope not, I like looking at them :)
 
lol, yeah I get some joy out of those.

You know, with all these layoffs, projects getting killed, and economic crisis... it's funny to me that I remember hearing a couple weeks ago that Microsoft is deceasing the rate at which they are hiring. They are not laying off. They are not freezing hiring. They are not cutting projects just because of financial crisis. They are just slowing down the rate at which they are growing. Oh well, it won't last forever for them either. If MS can find a way to maintain their profits with a quarter of their staff, I wouldn't doubt for one second that they'd have no problem laying tons of employees off.
 
Thanks to that article, I discovered Google Notebook, which is great for quickly collaborating with a few people, or just saving links for myself to check out later.

I started using it immediately, so it'll probably get flushed soon.
 
Aku12 said:
not directly but it provides alot of ad revenue from the ads. Im sure its here to stay.
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True that, and gmail seems to be thriving anyway. With all of the features they've been adding in the not so distant past, I think it would be safe to say that gmail is here to stay.
 
I use the Spreadsheets and Word from Google Docs on a daily basis. It would put a serious a serious productivity gap between many coworkers and I.

I never used their VoIP service, actually didnt know it even existed, but I bet if they gave it just a little word on their front page, the world would adopt it.

Honestly, so much on that list is useful and you know is made by people who treat quality software as if it really did reflect on them as not just a company but a person, that its easy to see that all those apps really need is not the axe, but publicity.
 
I use the Spreadsheets and Word from Google Docs on a daily basis. It would put a serious a serious productivity gap between many coworkers and I.
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Yes, google Docs rocks. It's nice to have someplace to just keep any documents you might need with you later, and if you dont' want to worry about having a flash drive with you, etc. . .
 
i hope google apps stay free :eek:
 
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