Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Microsoft Bing = An Expensive Insult to Your Search IQ

Do you struggle with feelings of information overload every time you search on Google?
Don't worry, Microsoft is here to help with its new search engine: Bing.

Microsoft's attempting to help us overcome "search overload" by breaking the results into "logical categories" that are simple, organized and consistent.

Here are two questions for Microsoft:

1. What determines a logical category?
2. How did you determine what's simple and logical for everyone?

Bing's structure may appeal to less experienced users, but it's format doesn't offer anything worth switching from Google.
For example, Bing's "Hover" feature displays a brief summary of each site when you move your cursor over the link. To me, this is a useless and redundant function. Chances are, after I've clicked "search", I don't need to read an elaboration of the description to decide which site I want to visit.

Microsoft's premise for Bing is that you're too dumb to locate your desired site on your own. If you think I'm exaggerating, read this line, which is quoted in one of Bing's commercials.
 

Where it really shines is taking the "guesswork" from your decisions,saving you time and money when it comes to local search,travel planning,health questions and shopping.
 

Thanks, Microsoft. Before you introduced Bing into my life, I was wandering around the web aimlessly. Without Bing's "original" features such as Images and Reviews, I'd be totally lost! I certainly can't find those on Google Images or Google or Google Maps!

OK, I can't tear apart these developers for an entire post. One feature that shows some potential is the Price Predictor in the Travel tool. According to ITwire, Price Predictor combines  tools that came with Microsoft's acquisition of Farecast with content from MSN Travel. It provides an estimated price along a time line, to help you find the cheapest fare. Of course, it's too early to gauge the accuracy of this tool.

With the exception of Price Predictor, Bing fails to deliver any outstanding features to distinguish it from every other search engine. Judging from the majority of the comments on Youtube, I'm not the only Bing basher.

Here are some of the latest comments in response to one of Bing's commercials.

"Let's talk about how many hundreds of millions of dollars Microsoft is using to launch this turd just in advertising alone. I have never spent more than 1 minute looking for a result on Google and never will. I honestly thought the? name Bing was a joke at first. How much money did you pay some hack at some advertising to come up with that name? "Bing" there goes your shareholder value."

"Looks just like Google.... but more crappy."

"Nothing new at all, everything has been done."

"I certainly do not need a decision engine since I'm a human an my own master? who decides himself what to do and what not to do. If I want to eat in an expensive restaurant, I don't need some machine that tells me that the burger store next door is much cheaper. It's still ME deciding; I'll stay with good old Google."

I'm reminded of Microsoft's desperate attempt to spark Vista sales with the Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates commercial. Since Bing is a decision-making engine, does that open the door for Decision-Making Engine Optimization? Farwell, SEO!

Posted By Matt O'Hern at 12:15 PM
Permanent Link: Microsoft Bing = An Expensive Insult to Your Search IQ | Comments (4)

(4) Comments on Microsoft Bing = An Expensive Insult to Your Search IQ

Wow! No biased are we? So what if it isn't better than Google? Who cares?

People deserve a choice.

Comments by Chris R : Tuesday, June 09, 2009 at 06:31 PM

Bing might steal some market from google at this initial stage. But in the long term it will lose all, and even more if MS does not add something really innovative.

Comments by Servizi Fotografici : Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at 04:35 PM

Some day long in the future Bing may be useful.

As for now it can't even find articles about itself on BW.
On a search for our local paper, Bing thought I wanted to buy a van, Google not only got it right, but referenced sub sections of that paper.

BONG!

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