The new tech rivalry: Facebook's Zuckerberg vs. Google's Page

With the Facebook IPO coming soon, the growing battle better Google and the social networking giant will escalate. ZDNet's Larry Dignan suggests that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Google CEO Larry Page are destined to have a rivalry like two other tech titans--Apple's Steve Jobs and Microsoft's CEO Bill Gates. 

It's like going from StarTrek to StarTrek Next Generation. The story lines are similar but the actors are different, time has moved forward and the technology is improved.

Google and Facebook are competing for your time and ultimately a better ad mousetrap. In this new world order, Page is more like Gates. He has a dominant position, enters multiple markets and may spread Google too thin. Facebook's Zuckerberg is focused, evangelistic about sharing and a bit of a tech messiah to some. Zuckerberg may be Jobsian over time.

One can only hope that the Zuckerberg-Page rivalry spurs as much competition, innovation and fireworks as the Jobs-Gates rivalry did over the past 35 years.

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Dan Farber

Dan has more than 20 years of journalism experience. He has served as editor in chief of CBSNews.com, CNET News, ZDNet, PC Week, and MacWeek.

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