There are basically the big three companies, Yahoo, Google, Microsoft. You can install a bunch of applications from each to create an experience on your computer.
Yahoo:
- Yahoo Messenger
- Yahoo Toolbar
- Yahoo Widgets
- Yahoo Mail (with the premium you can use Outlook/Thunderbird etc)
- Yahoo Desktop Search
- Yahoo Maps
- Flickr (photos)
- Yahoo 360 (blogging)
- Yahoo Video
- Yahoo Music
Microsoft:
- Windows Live Messenger
- Windows Live Toolbar
- Windows Sidebar (Vista) with Gadgets
- Windows Live Mail for Desktop
- Outlook
- Windows Live Hotmail
- Windows Live Desktop Search (XP)
- Live Local (Maps)
- Windows Photo Gallery
- Windows Live Writer (Blogging)
- Windows Live Spaces (Blogging)
- IE7 Feeds/Outlook RSS
- SoapBox
- MSN Radio now Pandora
- Zune, Urge, Windows Media Player
Google:
- Google Talk
- Google Toolbar
- Google Desktop (with Sidebar, Gadgets/Widgets)
- Gmail (use Outlook/Thunderbird, etc)
- Google Earth
- Google Maps
- Picasa
- Blogger
- Google Reader
- Google Video/YouTube
I could probably keep listing more things as well. As you can see, the “Big 3” have a ton of offerings for you to customize your computer to your liking. For the last month or so I tried to go “all Google”, but today I switched to “All Microsoft”. Using Live search, using all their tools, etc, to see how it goes. Although I still have Google talk installed as it is not interoperable.
Yahoo seems to be lacking out of the three. Also, in all three companies, there isn’t some “unified” experience (I wish there was, it would make it a lot easier). If there are some tools or app’s that you use from the big 3 that I haven’t listed, please shoot me a comment.
Steve Novoselac's Blog 