FIRST TAKE: Google's long-term view is clear

• Focus on Google Glass should be long term%2C not now
• Google%27s sheer persistence in hardware development is key to its success

SAN FRANCISCO -- You might call Vic Gundotra an eternal optimist and underestimate his steely resolve.

The senior vice president of engingeering, social, for Google is, if nothing else, a staunch advocate of the nearly 2-year-old Google+ social network. Despite having less than half of Facebook's global audience of 1 billion, the service continues to make enhancements in pursuit of mobile ads. Today, it announced 41 new features, including snazzy photos and a redesign.

"We plug away," Gundotra said during a demo at the Googleplex in nearby Mountain View on Friday.

The Sisyphean journey of Google+ underscores Google's sheer persistence (echoes of Microsoft?) that is sure to be an undercurrent theme at Google I/O, its annual developers conference here this week. Today, Google regaled developers with programming tools, a music-subscription service, and revamped Google Maps.

Conspicuously absent was Google Glass, which has been the focus of wonderment -- as well as scorn -- among consumers.

While some may scoff at the garish digital eyewear and question why consumers would wear them, they miss the point.

Glass' success is to be measured -- like many of Google's hardware initiatives -- over the years. Developers are determining ways the glasses may be reshaped and used -- perhaps in the form of a chip that fits on perscription glasses or as contact lenses that interact with a digital wristband.

In other words, Google Glass will look (and feel) like something different a year from now. What you see today is not a finished product. Gmail was in beta testing for years before it was made available to the public. Glass comparisons to Segway and Apple's ill-fated Newton are off-base.

And remember this bit of history: When Google acquired a small company called Android in 2005, few outside of Silicon Valley even knew what a smartphone operating system was.