Any action taken during a logged-in Google session—whether it be searching the Internet, checking Gmail or using Google Docs—counts as engagement under the statistic Page used.
has this actually been confirmed anywhere? I imagine it has to be something *like* that for the number to be so high, but I agree with your original coverage that if it was as simple as doing a search the number would be much higher (I seriously doubt 40% of people going to the effort of making an account use bing for searching the web).
And, the new signup process encompassing all services has its advantages. Once you've completed the process from the Google homepage, you automatically have accounts with Google+, Gmail, Picasa, Google Docs, and more. That is convenient—although it would be nice if you were provided the list of services and the ability to choose which ones you want (and don't want) prior to completing the process.
I really have to disagree with the sentiment in this thread so far, and agree more with this (except the last sentence). I think people are getting annoyed that a) features are being added that they don't want and b) they are then being counted in a statistic they don't support.
I agree that the 90 million number is probably BS (at least in the implications of what most of us mean when we say "user"), but do you get upset that when you sign up for gmail that you get access to google docs? Do you think of that as also getting a "google docs account"? No, because that would be dumb.
In a year it will just be a google account that you're signing up for, and google+ will just be another service you do or don't use. Yes, it will exist if you want to use things like latitude, apparently, but if you never add anyone to your circles, does it even matter? tree falling in the forest and all that.
The docs thing is a good analogy again: what would it mean to have a list at signup that lets you choose not to use google docs? It wouldn't show up in the drop down list of services? If that's the only advantage, it sounds like a UI problem, not one with accounts. google+ is a little different if it defaults to a public profile, but, again, it sounds like the only thing they need to do is add a checkbox for "don't make my profile public" on the sign up page.
[edit: or better, "make my profile public", and default off, but I don't know how realistic that is
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