The focus of Google’s concern is a slender box in the corner of the browser window that allows users to start a search directly instead of first going to the Web site of a search engine like Google, Yahoo or MSN. Typing a query and hitting “Enter” immediately brings up a page of results from a designated search engine.

In the future, virtually nobody will actually go to search engines’ homepages to initiate a search. I imagine that Google has realized this, and this is part of why they’re puring the Google homepage initiative. When you have the search box in the browser, the web page is obsolete. When the browser didn’t have a search box, users wanted to do lots of searches. This benefited Google enormously because all these users had to go to a search engine’s homepage to use the engine. Google’s simple homepage with just their logo and the search box was incredibly effective here. In the future, that will no longer be the case.

In Europe, where Microsoft is challenging an antitrust decision against the company for its past behavior, the European Commission has already made inquiries about Microsoft’s plans for Vista. Though it is now distributing Internet Explorer 7 separately, Microsoft has long maintained that its browser is part of its Windows operating system.

This is an intriguing statement on the part of Microsoft. It’s a good strategy because it brings them profits. But from the user’s standpoint, having the browser be part of the Windows OS is a bad thing. It’s a very stupid move from my perspective, and this is why Firefox wors so much better. IE sucks, and this is part of the reason why. Unfortunately, Microsoft got away with it, and it looks like they’re going to continue to get away with it.

The best way to handle the search box, Google asserts, would be to give users a choice when they first start up Internet Explorer 7. It says that could be done by asking the user to either type in the name of their favorite search engine or choose from a handful of the most popular services, using a simple drop-down menu next to the search box.

I agree with this approach. Even Firefox asks you to do a little initial configuration on first bootup. If MSN is the default, but the user is still offered the choice, I think Google would be satisfied. Still, it’s not an optimal solution.