MSN Search Engine Insanities

MSN Search Engine Insanities

You get to know the real strength of a search engine when you actually need it. Random searches never give you that satisfaction which you gain when you get an answer to a query fast. And from my last couple of years worth of experience with Google, I know it is my best friend online. It helps me from tracking news to finding new resources.

Now, Bill Gates wants us to believe that they have got a better product for us in their new MSN Search online. I like the new interface… it is more colorful. A lot better (and faster) than their old model based on Yahoo! Search. However, with regular usage I am finding it to be lacking the basic feature I need from a search engine. That is… Finding exact answers to my questions.

I found a good example today. We were discussing Smartphones on the discussion board when I thought about looking out for a definition of the term ‘Smartphone’. As expected, I remembered Mr. Gates claim that Encarta is there to help me out with my questions. I put in my question: “what is a smartphone” into the new MSN Search only to receive… 7 advertisements and a few random related links but no answer to my question.

Same question typed into Google gave me a straight answer to the question! From the glossary files of the Symbian’s website. Worked fine for me… Google won despite the fact that Microsoft had Encarta with them… They won because they searched and indexed better resources. I think that matters to the users in the end. My vote at this moment… goes to Google.