Google: The Quick, the Sick and the Dead - 3rd edition

I wrote my first Google Quick, Sick and Dead list in January of 2009 and the second in November 2009.

It's interesting to look back a year and take note of what's gone (Notebook, Page Creator, Knol?) and what's improved (Documents).

It's been over six months since the last edition, so here's version 3. Note the choices are entirely my own. Nobody else would put Android in the "Sick" category. 


The Quick

• Search and Scholar (Scholar deserves more applause)
• Google Reader including Like and Share (brilliant work, even though Buzz tries to kill it)
• Google’s Data Liberation Front (my heroes!)
• Gmail (even though they'll never fix the !$$@ threading)
• Chrome browser
• Picasa and Picasa Web Albums (esp. with new pricing)
• Calendar (CalDAV support is slipping though)
• Maps / Earth
• News
• Translate
• Custom search engines
• YouTube
• Books (because they keep trying)
• Google Docs
• Google Apps

The Sick

• Google Profile
• Google Contacts: pathetic
• Google Mobile Sync: multi-calendar control is ridiculous
• Android – increasingly desperate need for curated apps and a Google controlled phone.
• Buzz – Brin needs to stay out of social
• Google Reader Comments and Notes - irrational confusion, though Reader itself is great
• Google Voice (iPhone web app is frozen in time)
• Chrome OS (feels stillborn)
• Google Video Chat
• Google Calendar CalDAV support
• Google Checkout
• Orkut
• iGoogle

The Walking Dead

• Blogger (because Google can't fix the #$!$!$ draft editor, there's still no mobile view, and the 5000 item limit goes unfixed)
• Google Groups
• Google Sites
• Google desktop (search)
• Google Base
• Gmail Tasks (forgotten, useless)
• Knol
• Google Wave
• Firefox/IE toolbars (killed by Chrome)
• Google Talk (neglected, Chat confusion)
• Google Parental Controls

Compared to a year ago Google has more sick and dying projects. I think the war with Apple is really hurting them. I'm quite sad about Blogger's pending demise.

Google should turn control of Google Profile and Buzz to the brilliant Google Reader team.


Update 6/29/10: I used Windows Live Writer to repair Blogger editor mis-formatting. On reflection I moved a few more items from “Sick” to “Walking Dead” and I realized I should include “Parental Controls” as a (walking dead) product. 


Update 8/11/10: Blogger has since improved to Sick from Walking Dead. I like this graphic of Google's past flops. Also, I hate, hate, hate Blogger's new editor.
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