Despite being the largest technology company in existence, Microsoft’s latest products fail to generate the enthusiasm or disruptive impact of competing offerings. Apple is consistently defining the cutting edge of user interface and experience, Google is conquering the Internet and distributed computing, and open source development is rewriting the rules of software engineering.

Two interesting articles, both from SeekingAlpha, highlight the change that is underway. The first, Vista: End of a Revolution by Carl Howe, recounts the dawn of the PC era, a revolution that Microsoft helped usher in. Since then, time has passed, Microsoft established its dominance, and a new power structure emerged:

What began as the democratization of computing … has now become a distraction from getting work done. Rather than freeing …, PCs now are the policemen …, ensuring that no one moves too fast or too far from what’s approved.

Today, a different revolution is underway:

It is time for another worker rebellion. But this time, the tools are different. … Today’s rebel is wearing a Google T-shirt, carrying an Apple laptop and promoting their company from a Linux infrastructure they don’t even own.

Dan Farber picks up with Google’s enterprise efforts. He quotes Kevin Gough, enterprise product manager at Google.

“At Google Enterprise we look at consumer technology and figure out what is relevant for business.”

A true revolution brings power to the people. This time it is the Internet and Google, not Microsoft, doing just that.