WebProNews

Apple CEO Steve Jobs has fired a warning shot across the bow of Google and MSN, claiming that the new desktop search product for the Mac, named Spotlight, will be an industry leader.

"Google and MSN "are nowhere near to Spotlight. Because we build it into the core of the operating system," Jobs said.

Spotlight will be one of 200 newly developed features in the upcoming fourth version of OS X called Tiger. The application is slated for a launch in the first half of this year. "This is coming out long before Longhorn," Jobs said referring to Microsoft's upcoming operating system that will not be on the market before 2006."

It will be interesting to see the launch of Spotlight, especially if you can use it in one of those tiny little Macs, just launched. Not quite sure how much Google and MSN are quaking in their boots though.

No offense to Mac, but they hardly have the market share to make a challenge.

Andy Beal is an internet marketing consultant and considered one of the world's most respected and interactive search engine marketing experts. Andy has worked with many Fortune 1000 companies such as Motorola, CitiFinancial, Lowes, Alaska Air, DeWALT, NBC and Experian.

You can read his internet marketing blog at Marketing Pilgrim and reach him at andy.beal@gmail.com.