Google started some serious house=cleaning last fall, dropping some 30 projects and services that it felt were outdated or could be replaced by more recent acquisitions. Last week it announced five more. Three were specific services or apps that it felt could be easily replaced by improved versions.
Google Video, originally intended as competition for YouTube, was originally closed to any new submissions in 2009, after Google acquired YouTube. Users are being notified that they have until mid-August to migrate, download, or delete their videos from the site. Any remaining videos will be moved to YouTube as private videos, and then the site and service will be purged.More controversial is the announced closure of iGoogle this fall. The iGoogle service offered users a personalizable home page, and was launched in 2007. A large number of users have responded critically to Google support pages, challenging Google's assertions that the availability of apps for Google's Chrome browser, or Android operating system has "eroded" the need for iGoogle.
"I don't understand the rationale," wrote an iGoogle user identified as Mark. "Chrome runs apps, so that make iGoogle outdated? That is like saying my TV shows movies, so we should close the grocery store. iGoogle is my home page, full of bookmarks, news, weather, and customized info that I have lovingly developed and improve on every day. Whenever my browsers open at home or at work, they open to iGoogle. And you think it would be good if I changed this to Yahoo? I hope you can be persuaded to change your minds."
Source - Google Plans End of iGoogle, Information Week
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