While it may be true that Google isn't trying to lock developers in like MS has tried to do, that needs to be considered with respect to their business model. M

While it may be true that Google isn't trying to lock developers in like MS has tried to do, that needs to be considered with respect to their business model. MS and Google are both huge software companies, but that's about the end of the similarities. Don't forget that other search engines are a click away, so lock in isn't a viable strategy for Google's primary revenue stream anyway. I think culturally for Google, this has meant that they don't tend to think quite the same way as MS. All that being said, the tradeoff turns out to be for end-users, not developers. Google is essentially saying, "Give us all your emails, photos, docs, and music.... In fact, give us all your personal data". End users submit their private data to Google so the advertising machine can rifle through it and monetize it. The products may be free as in beer, but the actual price is entrusting Google with all your data. I'm not really sure there is a historical analog to Google, but it does suggest an area of vulnerability for startups and competitors: "Use our (almost free) service but we promise not to peek at your stuff and beat you over the head with creepy ads".