Vista:Google::IE:Netscape?

Let me elaborate: I was going through some of the features of Windows Vista and to me it appeared as if with Vista Microsoft may do to Google, what they did to Netscape with integrating IE into Windows.


To recap the browser wars, were this struggle between Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator for browser dominance. The end result was:

"Microsoft Windows had over 90% share of the operating system market. IE was bundled with every copy of Windows; therefore, even though early versions of IE were markedly inferior to Netscape's browser, Microsoft was still able to rapidly increase its market share. And IE remained free while the enormous revenues from Windows were used to fund its development and marketing, resulting in rapid improvements until it was so similar to Netscape feature-wise that users had no desire to download and install Netscape."

and of course the result was predictable:

Things have not changed significantly in that regard. According to these guys Windows XP seems to enjoy a 85% market share and this market forecast claims that Windows Vista will have a 40% market share by the end of 2008. On the other hand these statistics show that MSN seems to be doing really badly in the search market. Now anyone who has read/watched/listened to Gate's Keynote will understand why it is essential for Microsoft to dominate the search market in the coming years.

Will Microsoft use the same strategy they used before?

I don't know but a look at the Vista's search features here and here might give some insights...