A View on View :: Cringely's Big Google Thoughts

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Cringely's Big Google Thoughts

by Mark Evans on Tue 29 Nov 2005 01:53 PM EST | Permanent Link

Robert Cringely is such a big, high-level thinker, my brain hurts when I read his columns - and I mean this in a good way because he raises ideas that force you to pause to recalibrate your own thinking. Take, for example, his column on Google Cubes, which comes on the heels of his Google data-centre in a shipping container column (two must-reads for Google watchers). Cringely believes Google could establish itself as a key - if not the key - technology within the digital home with small boxes (they sound like a media or communications gateway) that would connect different devices to the Internet. Here's his description:

"This embedded device, for which I am afraid I have no name, is a small box covered with many types of ports - USB, RJ-45, RJ-11, analog and digital video, S-video, analog and optical sound, etc. Additional I/O that can't be seen is WiFi and Bluetooth. This little box is Google's interface to every computer, TV, and stereo system in your home, as well as linking to home automation and climate control. The cubes are networked together wirelessly in a mesh network, so only one need be attached to your broadband modem or router. Like VoIP adapters (it does that too, through the RJ-11 connector) the little cubes will come in the mail and when plugged in will just plain work."

I believe the Google Cube is way out there thinking but I'll never dismiss anything Google could do given its financial strength and the grandiose plans of Mr. Page and Mr. Brin (If they aren't evil, they are terribly ambitious). In any event, Cringely believes the Google Cube could become an essential and ubiquitous part of the digital home by doing what Google does best: providing a simple-to-use and useful service that would drive consumers to other Google services and, of course, advertising. If there's a downside, it's that Google's grip on consumers becomes even stronger - without taking into account the normal fears about privacy. Of course, consumers can choose to use Google Cubes but I think millions of people would happily take one if they existed.

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Re: Cringely's Big Google Thoughts

by Jim Courtney on Thu 01 Dec 2005 07:11 PM EST | Profile | Permanent Link

Excuse me, I thought Google was a software company. This sounds more like a box I would expect from the Linksys division of Cisco ... maybe with Google supplying the "content". Linksys at least has the distribution channels to get it to market! (and they are part way there in developing such products with some of their home multimedia networking devices...)

Sounds like Cringley's high level thinking fell off a cliff...

Re: Re: Cringely's Big Google Thoughts

by nolin on Fri 06 Jan 2006 12:21 PM EST | Profile | Permanent Link

lest we forget Google already sells its enterprise network appliance. a rack-mountable internal Google search engine. hardware, indeed.

Re: Cringely's Big Google Thoughts

by Anonymous on Fri 02 Dec 2005 02:45 PM EST | Permanent Link

Excuse me, I thought Google was a software company.

Why, because Google hasn't sold any hardware yet? Well, let's see...until recently, Google wasn't a VOIP company, but then there was Google Talk. They weren't a map company, but then Google Local was released. They weren't involved in RSS until Google Reader came out. In my humble opinion, Jim, you might be underestimating both Cringley AND Google.

As far as the lack of distribution channels is concerned: so, if Google were to buy a company with "the distribution channels to get it to market" (which is what Cisco did when it acquired Linksys), you'll find this scenario plausible? According to their Q3 2005 fiscal results, "Google had a cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities balance of just over $7.6 billion." I'm thinking Google would have no problem pulling this off.

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