Much as people hate to face it...
Much as people hate to face it...a Yahoo!/Microsoft Live merger might have resulted in an entity with the potential of challenging Google. Might, potentially have. Nothing more. Microsoft would not instantaneously gain super powers, and would not even be playing in the same league as Google at that point. It simply might have had a chance.
What gets me is that while Vultures here seem quite ready to moan and groan about the monopolistic practices of Microsoft in it's various arenas, they will defend Google’s "right" to a monopoly with all the powers the internet can give them.
A Microsoft Live/Yahoo! merger could have been a good thing, in that, while narrowing the number of competitors Google has, might have provided one that could have at least stood up to Google.
Microsoft's Live division is a money looser, and we all know this. It bleeds everywhere, and eventually it will have to turn a profit or be cut. Yahoo has is a fallen star desperately trying to regain the glory of yesteryear. Google is an 800 lb gorilla that watches all the smaller animals with amusement, wondering if or when the time might come to squish one or two of them.
Yahoo, backed by Microsoft's money might have forced at least an AMD/Intel amount of competition into that market. Instead, we'll just have Google, alone and untouchable.
Will the last Google fanboi fanatic please remove the chains used to tie yourselves to the googleplex when you leave?
Thanx.