One constant of the latter years in the Steve Ballmer regime at Microsoft is an obsession with Google.
Google has grown stronger, and more profitable through the years, despite Microsoft's best efforts to cut the search engine down.
Lately, Microsoft's efforts to slow Google have been centered on a nasty attack campaign called "Scroogled," which emphasizes that Google uses user data for its advertising products.
Scroogled has had the same impact on Google that Microsoft's search engine Bing has had on Google — None. Yet, just like with Bing, Microsoft keeps on trying.
The latest example of Scroogled comes today with a slam ad of the Google Chromebook, Google's web-connected laptop.
It features the star of Pawn Stars, and a woman who wants to sell a laptop to get a ticket to Hollywood. The Pawn Stars guy says that's crazy because Chromebooks are worthless since they need the Internet.
Microsoft says you can use its apps without the Internet and you can't do that with a Chromebook.
This is fair. We had a Chromebook frustratingly become a brick after we lost web access.
But, the weird thing about this ad is that it's aimed at the Chromebook, which seems like a nothing business so far. Microsoft actually has to explain Chromebooks in the ad since most people don't know what they are. It sort of suggests that the Chromebook is doing well, and Microsoft is nervous.