Google Software Bundle - Microsoft worried ?

Google wants to make installing software as easy as going to the Google home page. At CES 2006, Google for the first time named a set of preferred software, security and Web service providers that will be part of its recommended Google PC set-up.

The Google Pack (pack.google.com) includes the Google toolbar, Google desktop (which includes the Sidebar and the deskbar), the Picasa photo management and sharing service, Google Alert, Google Talk messaging, the Google Video Player, and a new Google Pack screensaver that lets users turn photos stored on your computer hard drive into a screensaver displaying your favorite pictures as a collage or a slide show.

Every program included in the Google Pack is not free - Google Pack includes a complimentary special edition of Symantec Norton AntiVirus 2005 with a 6 month trial subscription to protection updates from Symantec Security Response. This is strange that Google is distributing an older outdated version of NAV when Symantec store is selling Norton Antivirus 2006. Other software that the Google software pack includes are the Firefox browser, Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0, LavaSoft Adaware, the Real Player, and Trillium, an instant messaging application.

If one observes closely, every software bundled in Google Pack has a competing Microsoft Product. Google even considered including the Sun OpenOffice suite in Google Pack that would compete directly with Microsoft’s Office software suite but the programs were excluded because Google didn’t want to risk including anything that might be difficult to install or interfere with previously installed software applications. [Google earlier pledged with Sun to promote OpenOffice suite]

1. Mozilla Firefox - Internet Explorer


2. Google Desktop - Microsoft Windows Desktop Search


3. Google Earth - Microsoft Virtual Earth (Live Local)


4. Google Talk - MSN Messenger


5. Google Toolbar - MSN IE Toolbar


6. Picasa - Microsoft Windows Vista Photo Gallery


7. Lavasoft Ad-Aware SE Personal - Microsoft Windows Defender (Microsoft Antispyware)


8. Adobe Reader 7 - Microsoft upcoming Metro Format


9. GalleryPlayer HD Images - Microsoft Office Online Gallery


10. Norton AntiVirus 2005 SE - Microsoft Onecare


11. RealPlayer - Microsoft Windows Media Player, Apple iTunes, QuickTime - Google Video Player will be available soon


12. Trillian - MSN Messenger (probably Google wants to reduce MSN penetration by offering two IM clients in the bundle). Trillian Free client can connect with AIM, ICQ, MSN, and Yahoo! In order to connect to Google Talk or any other service that supports the Jabber/XMPP protocol, you’ll need to purchase Trillian Pro.

Software will be downloaded via the Google Updater application, and will “auto discover” updates to programs to ensure that you’ve got the latest version, whilst also acting as a launcher for all of the applications which have been provided by Google.

The Google keynote address ended a a week of speculation that Google might unveil a low-cost personal computer that doesn’t run Microsoft’s Windows operating system and could be sold at Wal-Mart.

Google Pack | Google Software Download | Endgadget @ CES