Really? To me, Google's image is much closer to that of Microsoft : You may hear of them in a few innovative projects, but most of what you know and use from them is boring office stuff, or personal stuff that you take for granted and don't think twice about. Having an Android or using Chrome isn't a personal statement like having an iphone or a macbook is.

And in terms of ethics, the perception of them being a force for good eroded a lot. When thinking about the typical googler, people around here will sooner think about an exec trying to skip some tax than about a techie doing innovative stuff, because that's what their media coverage is about these days in Europe.

I'll give you that Microsoft is very unlikely to go away either, unless the US govt finally remembers they have antitrust laws.