Google has expressed concerns over the search field in Microsoft's upcoming Internet Explorer 7 web browser, whose Beta 2 release became publicly available last week. Because the search field defaults to using Microsoft's own MSN Search, Google says, it allows Microsoft to "unfairly grab Web traffic and advertising dollars from its competitors."

The move, Google claims, limits consumer choice and is reminiscent of the tactics that got Microsoft into antitrust trouble in the late 1990s. "The market favors open choice for search, and companies should compete for users based on the quality of their search services," said Marissa Mayer, the vice president for search products at Google. "We don't think it's right for Microsoft to just set the default to MSN. We believe users should choose." Microsoft replies that Google is misreading its intentions and actions. It says the default settings in the browser, Internet Explorer 7, are easy to change. And it says the product was designed with consumers and many partners in mind--even though it might not be to the liking of Google, the leading search engine.

Doh! Everyone loves Google but I think they are becoming more and more like a 5 years old child.