Who Will Join Microsoft in the Portal Wars?

madman writes "In the light of the recent changes in the search war, like the Google/Dell partnership and eBay/Yahoo! alliance, Microsoft is facing a complicated question: Who are they going to ally with? Will they try to face the competition alone?"

Microsoft should use the X-Box model

[thammoud]

Grow organically. Most takovers and and partnerships amongst large companies fail to realize their initial potential. MS should stop trying to shoe horn everything into the failed MSN model. Create a small team of talented people, give them some serious money and freedom and let them create. Do not impose Windows or MSN on them. Let them build the hardware, the software and the website. Do what apple does but with a much larger budget. I can use an IPOD without a Mac or having to go to apple.com (.mac).

The writer of this article...

[Mikachu]

obviously didn't read this. [slashdot.org]

Always play nice...

[coop535]

... or nobody will want to play with you. You don't hear about google/yahoo/ebay throwing chairs and uttering corporate death threats!

Seriously though, I'd kill to have Microsoft's problems though: having billions of cash on hand and shopping for that new toy.

They are all running scared

[IntelliAdmin]

You can tell that things are really up in the air when long time enemies start making alliances - your enemies enemy is your friend. I say it great to watch them spend billions and squirm around.

Admin tools for Windows [intelliadmin.com]

Microsoft doesn't partner with folks it assimilate

[mwfolsom]

Folks:

Anybody that partners with Microsoft is nuts -

Who has ever done it and lived to tell the tale?

M-

Re:Microsoft should use the X-Box model

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm not sure the iPod is a good example as you're shoehorned into using iTunes (hence not really free of Apple at all)

Re:Which side?

[Kenshin]

Well, Rupert Murdoch recently bought MySpace, and he owns Fox News, so if they really wanna ally with the dark side (and LCD) he's right there in front of them.

Re:Which side?

[elwin_windleaf]

Microsoft and Rupert Murdoch (MySpace.com)... I'm starting to see the wisdom in the earlier post about the dark side. Perhaps the forces of darkness will band together to fight?

Re:Which side?

[ImTheDarkcyde]

well if you got ot live.com one of the default things is fox sports. Fox was also mentioned during his keynote not too long ago. so i'd say they've already got a relationship going, and are just waiting to kick it up a notch.

Re:the Xbox model...

[bhunachchicken]

"Additionally, they spent untold dollars buying Bungie, RARE, Oddworld Inhabitants and other companies."

Correct me if I'm wrong here but Oddworld Inhabitants were never bought by Microsoft. Munch's Oddysee was moved from a PS2 exclusive to an Xbox exclusive and Stranger's Wrath was cancelled for the PS2. Infact I do believe it was Oddworld's lack of support of Sony's machine that has caused the company to exit the gaming industry... [thehollywoodreporter.com]