Microsoft Live’s Search & Browser Experience
Microsoft is busy rolling out a flurry of search-related upgrades. A dizzying array of tools and features are coming via Live.com and Live Labs/Ideas. Also the company bought Onfolio and is going to integrate the toolbar into the Live.com/browser/search experience. I haven’t had a chance to “play” with any of these things yet (I just heard about them yesterday) and late today saw some screenshots, but they’re provocative and interesting. I’m eager to see how these new tools function in practice.
In the abstract, most of the things that were described to me strike me as improvements that will probably appeal to sophisticated searchers but they may well have broader market appeal over time. It’s difficult to tell entirely without using them. Along those lines, Live.com seeks to rival Google’s Personalized Homepage and MyYahoo. And I think there is an opening there for Microsoft if they can get the right mix of elegance, functionality and simplicity.
We’ll see.
Another question is the relationship between the “Live” and MSN brands. Microsoft has too much traffic and too much invested to walk away from the MSN brand (one journalist asked that question today). Rather, Live and MSN will exist in parallel and we’ll see what sticks. There will be some cross pollination of Live on MSN.
I think Microsoft also recognizes it now needs to create a new user experience to generate traction around search and related products. Search.msn.com has yet to “move the needle” in terms of market share. That’s because MSN Search hasn’t shown itself to be obviously better or otherwise differentiated from what’s already out there. Despite conflicting data on this point, I believe that search engine user behavior is now habitual and that there is loyalty. In addition, Live Labs is part of a larger corporate initiative to be more competitive and nimble online.
Innovation seems to drive this growth. Has anyone used the new Beta MSN Search Engine on Live . com yet?
Good features, not too slow, but one major drawback… the results are pigeon-holed into a small window of 4-5 results and it becomes too cumbersome to look at any more results on the page by continuously clicking on the arrow keys. Worse, if you are looking for any particular website, you will have to suffer through looking at all search results till coming to what you want to see. Your browser’s search function is useless here.
Take away this flaw and you will have a search engine that will give serious competition to all its rivals.
Website Design & Development – Quadra Solutions
The above comment is not entirely correct. In the upper right there is a slide that allows you to select the amount of information you see in each of the results. Turning it all the way to the left gives you about 12 results, which is pretty standard for most engines.
It is very subjective how many results one wants to see at a time. I am a heavy user of search engines. I have all my defaults to 50 results per page so i do not have to keep clicking “Next” to see more results.
It is very subjective how many results one wants to see at a time. I am a heavy user of search engines. I have all my defaults to 50 results per page so i do not have to keep clicking “Next†to see more results.
Website Design & Development – Quadra Solutions