Today I noticed that various websites relating to tech had articles relating to how Microsoft plans on taking over Yahoo!. The thing I can't figure out is why Microsoft wants Yahoo so badly. Yahoo to me seems to be a former search engine leader that has been losing mega market share to Google for many years now. Obviously it is still number two in marketshare and probably still racks in considerable advertising money, but whats the big deal? What exactly is it about Yahoo! that is so attractive to Microsoft? To me it seems like a huge amount of money wasted on nothing much at all.

They Want to form a Monopoly.

As far as I know Yahoo is the leading Email client on the Internet. I think that microsoft want to expand in every way and be the best, ultimately leading to the whole monopoly thing.

yahoo also has online stores, lots of them. lots of small business microsoft is interested in.

If I recall properly, I believe that Yahoo! absorbed Alta Vista way back when it was the leading search engine. Given the underlying technology licensed through Yahoo!, as well as the licensed content, and the low (reletive) stock price of Yahoo! recently, it could very well be a very good aquisistion for Microsoft. I recall Mr. Baulmer stating back in about 1998 or so that Microsoft wanted to become less of a software provider, and become more of a content/applications provider vs relying on its OS offerings and installed applications.

Gerritt

There's two things for sure Microsoft wants: Geocities and search engine market share. Google is simply crushing MSN and Yahoo so Microsoft seems to be fighting to stay alive with the search industry. As far as I know, Microsoft does not have any webhosting service like Geocities so it is a way for them to diversify. Yahoo Mail, of course, is an added bonus.

MSN Messenger already accepts YIM contacts. I think MSN is a much stronger client than Yahoo though.

There's Yahoo finance too but I don't know if that's something they'd keep or dissolve. Yahoo has a lot of similar features that aren't all that popular which would probably disappear if Microsoft had their way.


Personally, I don't care. I use Google for searches while Hotmail is my primary email provider. I do have accounts at Google and Yahoo as well but I very rarely check them.

Microsoft is back on the track to acquire Yahoo.

I loath Google mainly because I hate it's search algorithm and everyone else is infatuated with it. I figure the two companies put together will be a very potent weapon against Google. If Microsoft is smart, they will keep all of Yahoo!'s features such as the insanely popular Yahoo! Answers and Launchcast Radio and I reallllly hope they don't replace Yahoo!'s search with Live Search!

EDIT: Unfortunately, I am sure if MS buys Yahoo!, Launchcast Radio and Yahoo! News videos will never support the Firefox browser like we have been promised.

I have to say at this point that neither Google or Yahoo are "search engines", they are both categorilization engines, as modified by purchased placement and add placement.

Having said that, I think that MS is doing a good thing from their perspective in aquiring the second best engine for 1/10th the cost.

Gerritt