Is Bing 'Delightful' Enough?

For the past week I've been trying to figure out what to say about Microsoft's new Bing search engine (not to be confused with the real B-b-b-bing pictured on left). My nine-point summation is as follows:

1. I don't want to plagiarize but I have to agree with Ad Age's David Berkowitz, who concluded that Bing is hardly a "decision engine" as Microsoft is proclaiming, but more like a "search portal." Although for folks who already have entrenched Web behaviors, I wonder how much it will even serve as THAT. Case in point, I do the lion's share of my online shopping at Amazon.com--period. So that's typically my first destination point if I'm looking to buy something. And in general, it means that Bing will not exactly be a place that I never leave until I "absolutely have to."

2. On the other hand, more competition is great in Search, as it is in almost any market. Microsoft will keep Google and Yahoo! on their toes, and we'll benefit from more innovation...more quickly.

3. Don't underestimate Microsoft. They now have a few heavy hitters from Yahoo!, who are alums of Inktomi, which was a serious Search brain trust until its sale to Yahoo! in 2003 (disclaimer: I'm an Inktomi alum as well).

4. But is there really enough in Bing to "delight" and get a mass of folks to switch long-term? Based on what I've sampled, I'm not convinced.

5. From what I see, image search is pretty compelling (no need to click on subsequent pages). And video search, with its ability to view videos in the search window, is quite cool. But I see similar features in Google. And I don't see many other elements in Bing worth squawking about. Some folks will like the clever UI, with the lovely picture that changes daily. But others (like my wife) prefer the simplicity and clean lines of the Google screen. And still others will shun Microsoft and go to specialized start-ups for unique capabilities so they can be the cool kids on the block with the stuff on their laptops nobody else has.

6. More importantly, despite what some of the pundits say, I still see Google delivering far more relevant results. In fact, a video search in Google and Bing for anything related to the new iPhone 3G S was not a pretty sight for Bing, which had mostly old and dated content. But I was quickly able to grab the latest official videos and pundit pap from Google Video Search.

7. The "real-time Web." It's here. It's real. But can you search for Tweets in Bing? Not from what I've seen.

8. Microsoft is clearly pouring a pile of money into promoting Bing (note yesterday's "Bingathon" on Hulu.com for one). Perhaps Team Ballmer will move the needle, but arguably this will come at Yahoo!'s expense. And some folks have questioned how long Bing's temporary rise over Yahoo! will last. Me? I question just how much people care, especially people who think the current state of Search is 'good enough.' Hallway chatter yesterday was far more focused on the newest iPhones. Few people (I'm talking technology-savvy people) that I speak with have even checked out Bing, and a ridiculously informal poll I conducted yesterday afternoon on Twitter and Facebook yielded no responses.

9. My predictions: a) a few points in share? Yes. b) A major disruptor? No. 

But again, this is all good..errr....DELIGHTFUL...provided that Microsoft keeps pushing and investing. It's a safe bet they'll do just that.

[Editor's Note: This post also appears on my new, more professionally oriented blog, steve3dot0.com.]

Comments

[jg]

my question is -- why did they name it after the strip club in the sopranos?