Like so many of us, I’ve been watching Google’s amazing meteoric rise through the online space over the years. Frequently known as the beta company, the idea machine seems to never slow down. If the Microsoft hostile bid for Yahoo goes through, it will be interesting to see how Google will respond. Microsoft’s track record for successfully merging company cultures has been uneven, so even if the deal is completed, it will be quite some time before any benefits materialize.

Here’s a blast from the past. Google’s home page in 1998.

One of the things I very much enjoy about my Google experience is not high tech at all. It’s how they transform their logo to commemorate significant dates or events. Whenever I see one of these designs I snag it to my iPhoto program. I’ve been collecting them since 2003, and thought it would be fun to get them all together in some fashion. I placed them into a PowerPoint presentation and posted it to Slideshare. I’m sure I’ve missed a few, but there are 79 different designs here. Enjoy.