Before I started this little experiment, I was wary of just how big of a monopoly Google seemingly had on useful web services.

So, I decided to live without Google for a week.

How difficult was it? Well, at first I was incredibly frustrated. I recorded a short video (but to abide by my own rules, I sent it to someone else to upload to YouTube for me):

As you can see in that video, recorded on only my first day of the experiment, I was already second-guessing myself. However, as I progressed through the week, I found it became easier and easier to use some of the alternatives.

I chronicled my story in tweets, where you can see an evident progression from being obsessed with Google products to finding equal, if not superior, alternatives from other companies.

In the end, I found myself rather happy with the results of the experiment. I recorded another video, where I further expounded on the reasons I believe myself and others feel so connected to Google, but also why we have reason to be legitimately excited for the future:

All in all, I must say that I found this little experiment to be a bit of an eye-opener on the power a single company has over the Internet. However, after trying so many new products this week from startups and competing online behemoths, I believe that singular stranglehold on trailblazing products may now be waning. More than anything, I am ridiculously excited about the future of the Internet and what the days and years ahead will hold.

What about you? Could you ever go a week (or longer!) without using Google products, now or in the future?