Everyone's been talking about Google's coup in getting Dell to bundle Google desktop search, rather than Microsoft's MSN, the default search page for certain laptop and desktop PCs. But what did Google pay Dell for the honor? Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer hinted last week that Microsoft decided against engaging in a bidding war. Regarding the Google/Dell deal, Ballmer told Wall Street investors: "The cost of online customer acquisition is going up. … This is a case where you could say we decided that the return to our shareholders was not there in the business deal that could be done." Gartner Group analysts are expecting three more of the top 10 PC vendors could follow Dell's lead in signing up Google.