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Will Bing become the new Google? [Revised]

As search engines go, Google has pretty much set the standards over the years. I remember first using Web Crawler, and then moving to Altavista, and then Yahoo!, until Google came along. So I am not set on one search engine over another. I just want the best that a search engine can offer me.

I want it all is one location. I want to search for video and images on the same site I’m using for web searches. So is Bing going to bring it all together? From what I can tell after using Bing for less than a day, it looks as though it might just provide everything I need. But, I ask, is it really going to help me make decisions? I really think I can do that on my own, thank you. I just need a powerful search engine.

I plan to add to this post after I have more time with Bing and learn more about its power, or its hype.

Let me know what you think.

June 15, 2009 Update
Now that I have had a chance to use Bing for several days after the initial post, I wanted to give some feedback and further compare Bing with Google. I greatly question Microsoft’s sales pitch that Bing is not a search engine, but a Decision Engine. Say what? I’m thinking that it’s more of a “we direct you to where we want you to go engine.” Read that as, you will most likely go where Microsoft is getting its money.

Welcome page
First, Google’s welcome page is simple and predictable. Bing, however, presents a new photo background on its default Explore page each day and provides links to more information that relates to the photo of the day. Frankly, I like the simplicity that Google offers. When it comes to a search engine. I want to search and not be presented with a random experience.

Setting Preferences
One of the first things you will want to do from the default page is to change your preferences from the Extras drop down menu. On the preferences page, you can change:

• SafeSearch settings: sexual content controls go from Strict, Moderate to Off
• Location
• Display language
• Number of results per page
• Search suggestions: on or off
• Search language

Photo search
This page opens with images relating to the default page’s photo and topic of the day. This is annoying. However, running your cursor over the image after your search for a topic will cause the image to enlarge and present more detailed information about the image, including file name, web site location, dimension and byte size.

Bing does conveniently allow for specializing and fine tuning your image searches with selection from a left-hand menu:

• Size: small, medium, large or wallpaper
• Layout: square, wide or tall
• Color: color or black & white
• Style: all, photograph or illustration
• People: all, just faces, head & shoulders or other

Video search
With Bing, you get the feeling you are being force-feed TV shows and movies from Hula. But then again, searching for video clips is where Bing shines the most. It does present the offerings nicely and it is easy enough to search for video clips of your own choosing. One of the nicest features I’ve seen to date on Bing is the ability to run your cursor over the image of the video and run the clip directly on the search screen before opening it. This is convenient when you want to zip through video clips without needing to open them all.

Bing does conveniently allow for zeroing in on specific genre with selections on the left-hand site of the screen.

What is this Decision Engine they talk about?
The Decision Engine seems to be related to the shopping area of Bing. From what I can tell, it’s a way to do comparison shopping for things such as airline tickets. Sure, this is nice. But it doesn’t make Bing anything more than an over-hyped search engine.

Bottom line: Bing is a search engine with bells, whistles and a load of baggage I can live without. I’ll post more.

Your Writing Dept is a Sacramento-based writing firm that specializes in developing technical manuals and user guides. We’re the leaders in technical communications in Northern California. Email us for more information about our services at info@yourwritingdept.com.

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