Analysts Cynical of Microsoft-Yahoo Deal

Might as well switch to Gmail...

I never liked either of the companies, so I'm alright with this. They'll never beat Google anyway.

The only Yahoo! thing I use is flickr, and love my gmail. Wish my corp would switch to gmail.

I would expect that MS would not know what to do with Yahoo! once they get it. Probably bury it under layers of mind numbing management. They screwed the pooch on Vista big time, I would hate to see how they do here.

Is it sad that was my first reaction too?

I don't think Yahoo & MS are a good match, but if managed correctly (independently?) it might work.

That was my first reaction also.

I came to flickr about four months before the buyout by Yahoo! and while I was nervous at first, good things have come from the acquisition.

However, I'm afraid MS would destroy flickr.

but it can't replace a desktop application for formatting documents.

I say wait a few years - I mean, compare the internet now to how it was ten years ago, and think of how much the internet and desktop applications will gel in the next ten years. I think Microsoft knows that forces will work against indiviual copies of software for individual people .

Perhaps, but it will take a while...

...meaning, the future. The article is speaking in the present.

...even as Google increases its development of Web-based software that directly competes with Microsoft's lucrative Office suite.

Currently, it doesn't really directly compete.