Stream of Unconsciousness...

For those of you that don' t know, Google is trying to take over the world. And if I may say so, myself, I think they're doing a pretty good job, too.

No, really. You know that Google has put their hand in just about everything (much like Microsoft). Now, UNLIKE Microsoft, they are a MUCh more progressive company, always coming up with great new ways to innovate on ideas that have been around for some time.

They did this with the now-defunct MapQuest, with the introduction of their Google Maps and Google Earth products (it's funny to call them products, since they're completely free.)

They've also rid the world of the only reason to use AOL by introducing the iGoogle page (a completely customizeable homepage).

GMail revolutionized e-mail and is now the most popular of e-mail accounts to have. It wasn't the first, by a long shot, BUT it WAS the first to offer 1GB of e-mail storage for free (now it offers over 7GB). The idea was that you could keep every e-mail you ever sent or received (there wasn't even a DELETE button, initially), as well as including a way to search for any message in your inbox instantly. Google created one of the smartest and most adaptable of SPAM filters ever available to give SPAMmers a run for their money.

Google Talk was introduced as an instant messaging client that enabled you to see and talk with anyone that had signed into their online GMail account. It hasn't replaced AIM by any means, but rather, they have now partnered with AOL to offer AIM messaging that starts everytime you login to check your e-mail.

Google Chrome is an Internet Explorer/Firefox replacement. But, instead of the typically-bloated installations of IE7 or Firefox, it's a very lightweight Internet browser. It's a very clean, simple, and easy-to-use product with nearly all necessary plug-ins already installed.

Picasa wasn't really a replacement for anything, but it was one of the first well-executed attempts at a basic photo management and editing program (designed to mimic the ease-of-use that is displayed in Apple iPhoto.)

Numerous online mobile products have now been added to Google, including the addition of MS Office-like online document publishing programs (Word, Excel, PPT look-alikes), Calendar, Notepad, Blogger, and Google News.

I could go on and on about Google and their success in integrating nearly every part of life into their free products, but if you haven't already, I encourage you to take a good, hard look into the company, and what it offers.

HERE is located a comprehensive list of products started by Google.

Anyways, this late-night drabble has to stop. I'm tired, and now that I look up, it's really a lot more than I really meant to type.

Goodnight, world.