Google's battle against Microsoft will be ratched up a notch or two later today when Google unveils a deal with Sun Microsystems that will bring open-source StarOffice software suite to Google users. I guess one way of looking at this agreement is if Google can't knock off Windows as the operating systems, the backup plan is to launch products and services (StarOffice, Gmail, GoogleTalk, etc.) that will make life miserable for folks up in Redmond. For more details on how this marriage will work, check out Internet News. What I would like Google to do next is launch a branded Web browser to take a real run at Microsoft's Internet stronghold. Whether it does a deal Firefox or another browser (Flock, Netscape as perhaps part of a bigger deal to buy AOL), a Google-branded would provide the ideal platform for Google to direct users to it various Web properties and, as a result, drive even more AdSense revenue. Now that I think about it, I'm puzzled why Google has been fooling around with services such as GMail, Froogle and Okrut when the real online prize is the browser. Larry and Sergey are just too smart to not have a browser strategy. Then again, it took Google years to finally get into the e-mail game so perhaps the Wonder Boys are waiting for the right opportunity. When Robert Scoble is finished lobbying Microsoft for money so he can make an acquisition, perhaps he can start pushing for Google to buy Flock!