This is turning out to be a big summer for Microsoft: lately the company has been both driving up excitement for Windows 7 and wowing gamers at E3 in Los Angeles, and now the Redmond-based firm has released a legitimate competitor for Google.
But is new search engine "Bing" any good?
The first thing a visitor to Bing.com will notice is the design. Even on a low-res netbook it's immediately clear that Microsoft wants to bring the allure of its 'Aero' Vista graphics to the search engine's main page. When I visited, Bing greeted me with a lush, blue mountain scene.
Quite honestly, it is refreshing and a genuine upgrade from Google's very basic approach.
First Impressions: Bing vs Google?
How does Bing compare to Google? Well, the answer is a bit complicated.
Bing's strengths are the way in which it performs searches. For instance, users doing their shopping online can earn Bing Cashback dollars: money which is deposited in a designated account after a purchase. Rumor has it that the money appears to come out of Microsoft's own advertising cut. (Source: crn.com)
Search Options Refined: Almost Encyclopedia-like
Bing also offers some impressive refinement options. Search for a small resort town, and you'll be presented with the main hits down the middle, related searches to the left (including the said town's tourist attractions and popular businesses), and the obligatory sponsored links on the right.
Bing Keeps Track of Search History
Bing also keeps track of your search history on the lower left side. Search for an active sports team and you'll get their current scores. Google does that too, but doesn't immediately give you the chance to further refine the options and view their roster, schedule, and buy tickets. (Source: bing.com)
It'll take some time for the word to get out there, but thus far it's hard not to love Bing.
It's a silly name, yes (I half expected to see "Friends" star Matthew Perry's face when I first visited the site), but it appears Microsoft has done a good job constructing a legitimate competitor to web titan Google.
