For the first time since its founding 14 years ago, Google is worth more than its longtime competitor and sometimes partner Microsoft, at least on paper.
At current stock values, Google is worth $249 billion, while Microsoft falls just shy, at $247 billion.
While the fall to third place is certainly ego-bruising for Microsoft, once the undisputed king of all things tech, it can at least take solace in the fact that not even Google approaches the sheer size and dominance of Apple.
Valued at just over $618 billion, Apple emerged from obscurity in the late 1990s, once again helmed by Steve Jobs, to overtake the rest of the field, winning over consumers and critics with innovation designs and user experiences.
Google began as a search engine, carving a large niche for itself with the best algorithm in the business. Back in 1998, internet search engines often still required the use of Boolean operators--"and," "or," "not." In order to search for then-head of Microsoft Bill Gates, Altavista, a popular search engine at the time, required the input "bill and gates," hardly an intuitive interface.
Not only did Google allow searches using only the terms required, it offered the most relevant results, quickly eclipsing competitors Lycos, AskJeeves, and Altavista, though Yahoo lingered on for a while, buoyed by its popular email service.
At least until Google unveiled Gmail in 2004. At first the service was invitation only, and tech-hungry users begged friends in the know to send them an invitation. Gmail was fast, efficient, user-friendly, feature-packed, and free.
Its Gchat feature eventually replaced AOL Instant Messenger as the preferred means of communication among online friends.
And Google kept expanding, buying the video-hosting site Youtube, creating online office software, and supporting innovated--if not lucrative--endeavors like Google Sky Map, Google Goggles, and Google Translate.
In 2008, Google released Android, an open-source software system designed for mobile phones and tablet computers. While the iPhone was far ahead in terms of development and market share, the open and collaborative nature of Android attracted many followers and developers.
In four years, Android exploded in popularity, growing from 2.8 percent of handheld devices worldwide to 68 percent. Yes, an increase in market share of 65 percent in four years. As much as people love to complain about the ubiquitous iPhone, two out of every three smartphones on the planet run Android.
For now, Google stands at a precarious number two in the tech world, with Microsoft eager to inch back into place. But both eye Apple enviously.
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