Google account vs Microsoft LiveID

June 30, 2006

Having a look at Google Checkout today prompted me to think about the divide between two of the major online accounts: Google account and Microsoft Passport/LiveID.

I remember back when Passport was first taking off. I had my Hotmail account and naturally, this morphed into a MS Passport account. The idea seemed pretty cool and logical: one account, multiple sites, shared info, logins, etc.
To date, I have used my Passport/LiveID account for exactly three uses: my Hotmail account (which is now about 13 years old, unused and pretty much held onto for old time’s sake; MSN Messenger (which I have not used for years); and downloading the Vista and Office betas (which I will admit I am loving).

My Google account, on the other hand, has proved far more useful in the short time since GMail was released. I regularly use GMail, G. Calendar, G. News, G. Notebook, G. Spreadsheets, Personalized Homepage, G. Maps, even on a day-to-day basis. I have also used G. Talk, G. Desktop and G. Reader quite a bit and am now waiting for an excuse to try out G. Checkout.

Put simply, my Google account is useful; my LiveID never even came close to realising its potential.

Microsoft look to be trying to turn this around with the introduction of all the ‘Live‘ services, from search to messaging to Xbox and so on, but I think the momentum is clearly with Google, and these Live services had better bring something special to the table to save LiveID and the Passport legacy, at least in my eyes.

edit: of course, trust is another thing altogether…

Posted in Online