Larry Page at CES announcing Google Pack and Video Store.

All those expecting a PC, an operating system and an online Office suite, put your hands up.

Tsk, tsk. How did you fall for that one?

Syntagma has been saying for a while now that Google is not going to challenge Microsoft at the old beast’s game. What benefit would they get from launching an Office suite? On the desktop, none ~ they couldn’t do it. Online, it would just be a cutdown version generating huge mirth from Redmond. Open Office is already there, but Larry Page excluded it from his preferred software list in Google Pack.

This is a smokescreen by Google for the real game: IP-TV. In that arena, the new Video Store is much closer to the Google Dream, we believe. Here’s an excerpt from my post over at Google Future:

Longer term, it seems clear that Google is trying to tie up the IP-TV business, for which it has overwhelming credentials. Google can use its “local” data to serve person-specific ads in the middle of mainstream programming. With its growing access to all our personal data, the company will soon be able to do this worldwide.

The “dark fiber” buyups, the shipping container data centers, all point this way. By cooperating with the Telcos on easing the last mile, while not competing directly with them (eg Comcast), and adding the “personal” element to TV, Google will have a business that revolutionizes the Internet and MSM alike. The beauty of this is that it leverages its core businesses: search and advertising.

What about Google Pack? It’s noticeable that Google’s Video Player has been removed from the Pack, presumably because the Video Store is not yet up. “Soonish” says Danny Sullivan.

On the Pack, I’ve just downloaded it, or rather part of it, and it seems pretty intuitive and useful … if you’re running Windows XP. A Mac version is due shortly.

Although it bundles many of the Gtidbits we’ve already got, it does update them while installing the rest. For me, Picasa and Earth were both updated, while Firefox with Google toolbar were added.

I can imagine starting with a new computer and downloading the lot, including Acrobat Reader 7, Norton AntiVirus, a Spyware utility, and an Updating facility. Oh, and Desktop search is included too. It’s a mean machine from Google which, added together, almost forms an operating system, but not quite. Sort of tweaking BillG’s nose than anything more serious. A little ointment is all he’ll need.

So, what are the great and the good saying about all this? Lots of wild surmise, of course, including my own above. For a calm-headed approach, there’s few calmer than Dave Winer. Here’s his take on it:

Where’s the value for us? Why should we care about this, as Google goes after Apple and Microsoft. In what way do we need another Microsoft or Apple? Google started by providing something of real value to Internet users. Every time they move they become more like everything that came before. Who’s going to revinvent search? Clearly not Google

But what if they are? By developing IP-TV and owning the whole moneymaking shebang. Microsoft and Apple are nowhere near that blockbuster.

Google press release.
Google Pack download.

Update: Before you download Google Pack, you might want to take a look at Paul Thurrott’s piece on it.