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Ever since codename Kumo, was revealed as Microsoft's latest search, sorry decision making engine, netizens everywhere have been curious to find out if Google has finally found a worthy competitor, in the sonorously worded Bing. Tongues started rolling ever since Microsoft acquired Powerset in July last year and the predictions have come true as Bing utilizes Powersets semantics driven search engine to give more intuitive search results.
Bing has vastly improved on Microsoft Live and actually trawls dozens of sites to give you favorable results which can help you make a better decision. Unlike Google which is just a bunch of links thrown on the screen, Bing also offers related searches made on your search query in a separate explorer pane, with more related search items available in different categories such as News, Images, and Videos etc. A very handy feature is the snapshot tool which is available at the side of each result and offers a quick view of the site contents, unlike those annoying pop up windows.
The explorer section which opens in the left pane after each search query gives a list of related searches tied to the keyword, using Microsoft's last year acquisition, Powersets semantic technology. But it only recognizes the most popular or a certain Binged list of keywords and turns them out on top. Searches with keywords like, I hate puppies turned out absolutely no related searches, while Michael Jackson was a search favorite with an incredibly detailed list of his videos, songs and more.
Bing is a boon to Shopaholics Anonymous with its Cashback scheme and links to Expert and User reviews as well as Local links and More Listings. However some of these features are hidden so well, you have got to wonder if Microsoft's habit of shoving everything un-necessary in your face and hiding the best features will ever die out.
Bing continues Lives tradition in offering the Cashback scheme to users who shop using Bing and returns a portion of the purchase made if a sale is confirmed. The shopping experience is also a lot better, due to a plethora of user and expert reviews offered along with a list of similar brands to compare prices with. However accessing these features requires a bit of digging in and is not easy for new users to be familiar with.
Lastly News and Maps could definitely use some tweaking as they are way behind Googles international standards and local penetration. Bing it seems is currently geared towards a more American audience with almost all listings for travel, news and shopping reverting to USA. This can loose Microsoft some valued customers in its ambitious plans to target local populations. Bing might get better at handling searches, but it really needs to give the larger international audience access to its best features Travel, Shopping and decisive searches.
Bing has vastly improved on Microsoft Live and actually trawls dozens of sites to give you favorable results which can help you make a better decision. Unlike Google which is just a bunch of links thrown on the screen, Bing also offers related searches made on your search query in a separate explorer pane, with more related search items available in different categories such as News, Images, and Videos etc. A very handy feature is the snapshot tool which is available at the side of each result and offers a quick view of the site contents, unlike those annoying pop up windows.
The explorer section which opens in the left pane after each search query gives a list of related searches tied to the keyword, using Microsoft's last year acquisition, Powersets semantic technology. But it only recognizes the most popular or a certain Binged list of keywords and turns them out on top. Searches with keywords like, I hate puppies turned out absolutely no related searches, while Michael Jackson was a search favorite with an incredibly detailed list of his videos, songs and more.
Bing is a boon to Shopaholics Anonymous with its Cashback scheme and links to Expert and User reviews as well as Local links and More Listings. However some of these features are hidden so well, you have got to wonder if Microsoft's habit of shoving everything un-necessary in your face and hiding the best features will ever die out.
Bing continues Lives tradition in offering the Cashback scheme to users who shop using Bing and returns a portion of the purchase made if a sale is confirmed. The shopping experience is also a lot better, due to a plethora of user and expert reviews offered along with a list of similar brands to compare prices with. However accessing these features requires a bit of digging in and is not easy for new users to be familiar with.
Lastly News and Maps could definitely use some tweaking as they are way behind Googles international standards and local penetration. Bing it seems is currently geared towards a more American audience with almost all listings for travel, news and shopping reverting to USA. This can loose Microsoft some valued customers in its ambitious plans to target local populations. Bing might get better at handling searches, but it really needs to give the larger international audience access to its best features Travel, Shopping and decisive searches.
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