Or at least, their going to have a real go at it.

The latest in the “Microsoft Hates Google and Will Battle Them to the Death” soap opera has Microsoft buying Yahoo and merging the two companies to better battle the advertising $$ that Google hogs.

This will continue to be a developing story, and we’ll try to keep you in the loop as it moves forward.

My take: It’ll happen, and most of what we know as “Yahoo!” – Yahoo Mail, Yahoo Maps, etc – will be long gone when all is said and done. But it won’t be smooth, as it never is when the Microsofties come a’callin’.

Here are some tech site’s takes:

CNet (one of the first breaking stories)

and a CNet video story here

eWeek (they’re not so sure it makes sense for Microsoft at all)

PC Magazine (Lance Ulanoff isn’t too impressed)

PC World (general story on the merger)