Microsoft to Show New Search Tech to Fight Google

I don't understand why Microsoft even bothers with search. They probably just think they can muscle their way into some of that sweet google ad revenue. I wonder if they realize they're probably spending more than they'll ever make, but then that didn't stop them from making the XBox.

The head honchos at Microsoft need to step back and think about their business strategy. You can't come in late to the game with out having something better than your competition, and Microsoft Live search certainly isn't better. Microsoft seems to have forgotten that Windows, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Office, etc... only became popular because Microsoft was able to undercut their competitors prices or drive them out of business. Google is free, and far too poweful to be brought down, and Microsoft honestly doesn't have a strategy for that.

I have to admit I like the idea, but habits are hard to break, plus it's slang now to "google" something without sounding like you're Quagmire.

I totally kumo'ed your sister last night btw

The next largest competitors to Windows(Linux), IE(Firefox), and Office(OO.org) all give their products away free of charge.

At this point I think it is Microsoft challenging itself to come up with a better product more than anything.

I won'T switch to Live Search as my primary source any time soon. Their site is so heavy, same for Yahoo.

Thanks google for keeping things LIGHT!!!

Have you been to live.com?

Hmm, not for a long time since I hate it... I just did a little visit, and it seems they did some good work, but still, the layout is pretty ugly (in firefox 3 at least) HAHA!

Unless I need IE8!!!

Everytime Google burped, I just wait until Google comes back online. I very rarely would use another search engine 'cuz whenever I want to search for something, I automatically type google.ca already.

Plus, usually when the Google burps happen I'm still snoozin' so it never affected me and hopefully never.

My geuss would be something similar to Wolfram Alpha.

I agree - google being so light (and universal) of a search engine is what keeps me coming back. It's very simple, and doesn't have news, stocks, and what the latest dumb celebrity is doing on it. Just light, fast, and the best at what it does.

oh com on, wtf is the big deal with the lil 1 hour issue with google lol ... yahoo sax and so does microsoft search engine.

GOOGLE FTW ... even a monkey can use google, thats how simple and efective it is.

Google is just too simple, too clean, too easy, too fast, and to much a part of our culture to be taken over by MSN search, or Yahoo search, or Mahalo to oust Google from its throne.

Particularly when that horrible MSN homepage is so unbearably cluttered, messy, overly animated, and slow loading... and that's even before the mountains of celebrity gossip that make up the content.

If the execs at google started to read the posts here, they'd probably start crying in their pal's shoulder

Really impresses me how Tom readers are so commited to google, I thought I was the only one! lol

I think you guys are confusing MSN homepage for Live Search. Go to www.live.com. Its actually a very small clean simple site. I use live.com because its pretty much the same thing as google, except there is a new pretty picture every day

The smartest thing Microsoft could do to promote IE and Live search would be to make www.live.com the homepage instead of that cluttered ugly MSN homepage. Most people will think they are using google, lol. And its sad, but I bet 80% of users judge their browser by the default homepage they have, so using a small clean asthetically pleasing live.com would prevent a lot of non-savy computer users from switching to firefox.

no... I'm pretty sure tom users know what live search is... and I'm sure most people have heads and fingers to click their way to the options menu to change a home page... unless they're not human (monkeys? lol)

I dont know, I see a couple of comments from people saying Microsoft's search is to heavy and not light enough. Especially when one person complains of news and stock tickers cluttering the page, it makes me think perhaps some people are thinking of MSN and not Live. I mean, I guess the picture on live.com might take a whole second to load, but does that really make it too heavy and cluttered?

Maybe I miss-stated my second part of the comment. My point was that most people judge a book by its cover. If you have IE start up right away to a clean search engine homepage, most NON-savy computer users will think its a clean browser and they will probably end up using live search for all of their searching. Its a win-win for Microsoft.

Well Live search is garbage currently. Like it can't get any worse.

Man all i have to say is screw microsoft, pirates dont use or pay for use micrsoft products or services, and surelly pirates like me use google

anyway this is my opinion on microsoft expressed on images
http://xs537.xs.to/xs537/09101/firma915.jpg

Really? I find Live and Google results to usually be similar. Try a test by searching "Memorial Day." Live shows an encarta definition first, then usmemorialday.org, followed by wikipedia. Google has wikipedia first, followed by usmemorialday.org, and then News results for memorial day. I think the results are relativley the same. I actually prefer Live a little better just because it didnt have the "News results for..." thing. I'm sure you can find instances where google search has better results if you try really hard, but I don't think you can say Live is complete garbage.

I better stop posting, I must look like a Microsoft employee by now...

Next? they have been competing with MS for a decade or more now.. If something really came out that was good there wouldnt be any dibating people would already have it and ms would havea drasticly reduced share in hte first few years. Not thier what was it? 5% maybe in over 10 years?

Seriously if people like linux its good for what it was designed for ok but its not compeating with ms really nothing is and i dont really see anyone trying to personaly. I really cant wait for the day someone gets enough balls to take MS on for the home users OS then MS will have to actualy have to make a new OS everytime they release one. Instead of bug fixing and making things go 2 seconds faster so people will believe its really faster.

I went to live.com just to check it out as I have never visited that before.

I proceeded to do a search for "how do i grow avocados". I finished typing the word grow into the box and was down to only a single recommendation, 'how do i grow taller'. After I typed the 'a' I was down to zero suggestions. And it never did finish my suggestion after I typed in more characters from the word avocado.

Now when I go to google.com and type the same thing I get many more suggestions. When I reach the word grow I am faced with 10 suggestions, several of which are things I have previously wondered. When I type the a in avocado, I am faced with 10 suggestions still, two of which are still relevant to my specific search. And of course with the av typed in my only suggestion is what I was looking for.


I realize that this is only the first search that I have executed on live.com and that every search experience is different. Google's tried and true methods are just far superior to the experience on live.com.


And what is with the background around the search box?? I don't care about their little tidbits of information on some random subject that I am not interested in. Just because they appear on mouseover doesn't make them any more relevant to what I am looking for.

google = simplicity.

try to break that.

Google is king however I doubt that it will be forever, look at other past industry kings, eventually someone else figures out a better way.

It's good that Microsoft is providing some competition as the end result will be better products for all people.

Everyone here doesn't know this but they are all completely willing to switch, if it is better.

Do you remember Excite, Lycos, and the others? Yes, you used to use them and replaced them when you heard about this new fangled thing Google.

Can't wait to say goodbye to Google!

Their results have become increasingly poor since they officially released the secret of how the search engine worked.

Keeping that a secret is the only way to have a good search engine.

if microsoft can develope a search engine that rivals google's then you better god damn believe i'll switch. besides, i've never received any cashback from google.com lol...