it all boils down to how cool the name is frankly with the masses.
microsoft is not as cool as google in the naming stakes.
the technology is there already for anyone to start a google of there own if they wanted.
portal companies such as yahoo were predecessors to this phenonemum.
microsoft will never be cool, they are too regimental to be anything but, they are masters of copycats and consume any idea they think is good.
you now at the end of the day they trade your information to each other for a set price. dont try to convince me otherwise thanks, ive seen enough evil corporate moves to know what the deal is. i would like to tell you about the site im working on but i signed a non disclosure agreement.
an email a few years ago was 10cAUD to the right company, prolly 25c each now. tap a few thousand emails and you got digital hard drive gold right there on your mums crappy Dell inspiron 9100.
the marketing of cool has been around for ages, name branding gives you a connection to the product or service, take a look at mac evangelists or AMD gurus. they are all advocates for the product, yet dont get paid a single cent for there spreading of advertising.
a product or service makes you feel better about yourself as your binding yourself to an ideal or way of life,etc....
it lies very close to religion, people need things to believe in, its not always good however to want the name brand or the most attractive item of desire.
people who succum to this kind of marketing, are usually suceptible to other kinds of "Hype".
you pay more for a product (usually inferior then other competing brands as well) when you think less of its quality and more about the shiny button on the front.
open office is a neat package but its hardly got the hype and reputation as ms office.
it still does the job, people however frown on it because its not as purdy or paper clip animated as ms word.
branding = extra unwarranted cost, however i still get sucked in to good ones, even though im aware of all this advertising sneakyness.
If no-one gives your an answer to a question you have asked, consider:- Is your question clear.- Did you ask nicely.- Are you showing any effort to solve the problem yourself 
