May 25, 2006, 6:02 PM

Google has reached an agreement with Dell to have its software preinstalled on millions of new computers. Among the software included would be a customized version of the Google Toolbar, along with its Desktop Search product.

Additionally, new Dell owners will have their home pages set to a co-branded portal site. Google beat out Microsoft for the deal after Yahoo withdrew its bid, in which 100 million Dell PCs could have Google software preinstalled.

Such an agreement would help the Mountain View, Calif., based search giant continue its dominance as Microsoft makes changes to Vista to promote its own tools. Google complained to the Justice Department, although the agency sided with Microsoft saying the company was adequately giving users a choice of search engines.

Dell is the number one PC manufacturer with an 18.1 percent market share as of the first quarter of this year, according to IDC. Such a deal will put Google's tools in front of one out of every five new PC users. According to the Wall Street Journal, the deal was less out of striking back at Microsoft than increasing the use of its software products.

Nevertheless, the disagreement over Internet Explorer 7 was cited as a reason for ensuring that the Dell deal went through. Analysts criticized Google previously for taking the legal route rather than hammering out deals over IE7.

"This reminds me a lot of the Netscape complaints in the 90's," JupiterResearch analyst Michael Gartenberg previously said. "Didn't help Netscape very much back then and actually made them look quite weak."

Gartenberg also pointed out that Microsoft is making concessions to Google. In the builds he tested, upon visiting Google IE offers to change the default settings to use the Google search engine. He did admit that as Microsoft evolves, it would be harder for the company to "co-opt" the browser and Windows desktop.

"More interesting is what's worrying Google, is it that Microsoft's search has crossed the line to be good enough or that there's going to be mass adoption of IE 7 and Vista (or both)?" Gartenberg added.

Source: Beta News

Quote:This court-ordered notice may affect your legal rights. Please read it carefully. If you purchased online advertising from Google between January 1, 2002 and the present, you are a class member in a class-action lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Miller County, Arkansas. This notice is to inform you of the Court’s certification of a class; the nature of the claims alleged; your right to participate in, or exclude yourself from, the class; a proposed settlement; and how you can claim an award of advertising credits under the settlement. Please read the attached notice.

I received this the other day to my Google e-mail addy, so correct addy, but not sure if its genuine or a hoax to prompt me to click on their link

If its true, sounds similar to the Pay Pal litigation

Hmmm, that`s news to me, not seen anything about that before.