Whether or not Yahoo accepts Microsoft's bid, Microsoft seems heavily invested in search and will continue to look to compete with Google, according to Reuters. In an interview, Bill Gates is quoted as saying that Yahoo would help make the process easier, but even if they don't, Microsoft will focus on competing with Google:
"We can afford to make big investments in the engineering and marketing that needs to get done. We will do that with or without Yahoo," said Gates in an interview with Reuters."But we also see that we'd get there faster if the great engineering work that Yahoo has done and the great engineers there were part of the common effort," said Gates, who is Microsoft's biggest shareholder.
A lot of forum members believe that Microsoft is quite far from competing with Google in the world of search. After all, Bill Gates once considered the Internet a passing fad.
But others feel that there's more to it. Perhaps this is a wake up call for Yahoo to join Team Microsoft (to form Team MicroHoo, of course) because it is probably Yahoo's goal to defeat Google as well.
Even so, people don't believe that Microsoft and Yahoo can really merge and become one unit. One member says, " I think they would be better served by developing their own tech." Perhaps that's true.
Forum discussion continues at WebmasterWorld.