Bada Bing, it’s the new ‘ting in search
Can Microsoft challenge Google?
Crosby
Having just watched the video for Microsoft’s new search engine, Bing, I am rather impressed. Bing seems to cover off many of the actions that a normal punter would make after clicking on a number of links.
For example, search for a flight to London from Hamburg and not only will it find you the cheapest flights but also show when the best time to buy them is, guaranteeing the lowest fare.
Left navigation, back with a vengeance
The next trick in bings box of magic is a left navigation that makes moving around different content quick and easy. So searching for a digital camera, say a Nikon D90, Bing brings back popular searches along with links to reviews, shops, pictures and even manuals, all arranged in a neat left nav.
It’s got a real time suggestion engine so a nice list of drop down choices appear as you type, similar to Google. Maps, images, video and other non-text content seem to fit within the search window nicely too, so searching becomes a lot more visual.
Snake oil or Google beater?
Our vote is still our here are we are:london, mainly due to the fact that until it’s launched for real, it would be foolhardy to judge. But Google’s killer USP was it’s speed and size, as a tech colleague of mine pointed out seven or eight years ago, “it’s (Google) got millions of web pages saved already that you can search through”.
What’s important about this statement is that Google were solving a problem that most had never realised was actually a problem. So will Microsoft’s attempt at improving the search experience be enough to topple Google and will they have a simple and effective paid search service that can be used by massive firms or individuals to the same ends?
Time will tell, but in a lot of ways I hope it is as good as the hype, mainly due to the fact that we have been working on a travel search system that is very similar and will therefore hopefully see the average web customer happy to search in a whole new way.
I was wondering what this bing thing was that came up on my browser. I thought it was one of those cyber squatter sites - you know that ones that always show up high in a google search and get in the way when you’re looking for something. “Sure we know everything, you want to know about molecular biology of the siberian rat, we have that, just click on us. You’ll be sorry you didnt!”
Anyway I dont use Bing because I dont like the font for Bing, its horrid. Or the name for that matter - not that theres anything wrong with the name bing - for a person, great singer - at least some thought so, but honestly for microsoft to use that is a bit too weird. And is that images of rocks under the logo? who thought of that? Yeah lets make people revolted by our ologo, that’ll make people use the service.