When Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer was asked if he could just have one do-over Ballmer said, "I would probably say I would start sooner on search."
For a few years now Ballmer has been talking about search and has said that Microsoft needs to put more effort into it. The Yahoo deal last year did not work out so now they are trying Bing.
Its still early in the game but Microsoft’s new search engine managed to hold onto its second place spot in the search engine market share.
Bing’s market share is up about 3 percentage points from where Microsoft was at pre-Bing in terms of both number of searchers and total query share. That is about a 1 percent gain from both categories in its first week.
For the week of June 8 to 12, Microsoft's search engines were used by 16.7 percent of those doing searches and accounted for 12.1 percent of all queries, both up 3 percentage points from where Microsoft was at before Bing's launch.
"It appears that Microsoft Bing has continued to generate interest from the market for the second consecutive week," ComScore Senior VP Mike Hurt said in a statement. "These early data reflect a continued positive market reaction to Bing in the initial stages of its launch."
Microsoft launched Bing at the beginning of the month, after a lengthy development period and months of internal testing.
For its part, Microsoft seems to recognize it is still very early. The software maker has declined to comment on the market share gains.
A Windows enthusiast blog on Tuesday posted what it says are leaked screenshots of Microsoft's upcoming free security software, code-named "Morro," which is due for public beta release soon. Today another set of screenshots were leaked.
In November, Microsoft announced that they would no longer be selling or supporting it’s failed anti-virus software, Windows Live OneCare.
Microsoft says that Morro will be available in the second half of 2009. OneCare will be continued to be sold until June 30 2009.
Morro will be compatible with Windows XP, Vista and the upcoming Windows 7.
When OneCare launched 3 years ago it managed to make a dent in the security industry due to lower than normal prices.
A Windows enthusiast blog on Tuesday posted what it says are leaked screenshots of Microsoft's upcoming free security software, code-named "Morro," which is due for public beta release soon.
Neowin.net has three screenshots apparently obtained by a secret source. Morro is said to be tested internally by Microsoft
ZDnet is reporting that Morro will be cloud based.
"Instead of scanning every file or network packet as they arrive into the computer from the Web or an external device, it creates a virtual tunnel between your incoming Internet pipe at the back of your computer to a Morro data center, which scans every byte and packet for malware," writes ZDnets’s Zack Whittaker
In November, Microsoft announced that they would no longer be selling or supporting it’s failed anti-virus software, Windows Live OneCare.
Microsoft says that Morro will be available in the second half of 2009. OneCare will be continued to be sold until June 30 2009.
Morro will be compatible with Windows XP, Vista and the upcoming Windows 7.
When OneCare launched 3 years ago it managed to make a dent in the security industry due to lower than normal prices.
"With a number of free products already available, McAfee has experienced more than three years of global growth. On a level playing field, we are confident in our ability to compete with anyone who might enter the marketplace."McAfee said.
"Microsoft isn't going to change the business dynamic. Freeware is really about customer acquisition," Dave Cole, Symantec's senior director product management. "Norton offers trialware as a means to secure customers and even freeware vendors such as AVG, Avira, and Avast recommend upgrading to their payware solution for more complete protection. The reality is that shareware and freeware vendors have been in the market for 20-plus years. The freeware space is crowded and Microsoft is just joining the fray." Symantec said
And this from Justin Priestley, senior vice president of consumer sales at Kaspersky Lab Americas: "Right now, Kaspersky Lab offers free access to our antivirus detection technology through our Web site, allowing consumers to scan their systems or suspicious files...and for the foreseeable future, that will be the extent of our no-charge offerings."
Here are the leaked screenshots obtained by neowin from an anonymous tipster. Morro is currently in testing and is subject to UI changes.
Microsoft is currently preparing to release a Beta of its free Moro security software which will replace Windows Live OneCare which was pulled off store shelves two years ago.
Morro is a stripped down version of Windows Live OneCare focused more on defending against malware such as viruses, spyware, rootkits and trojans.
As a first line of defence Microsoft will rely on the firewall built into Windows 7, but to be protected by Morro customers will need to download the software due to concerns that anti-trust ruling would prevent Morro from being baked into the OS.
Morro is expected to debut at years end, although delaying the release until after Windows 7 has launched on October 22nd would seem a strange move indeed...
Bing is Microsoft’s new next generation search engine decision engine. Bing has been highly anticipated almost everyone who has used it.
In the above screenshot you’ll notice that under the bing logo it says preview. What that means is that you will only be able to use basic search features (ie.: Search, Images, Videos, News & Maps). Furthermore because this is a preview Bing’s bots have not crawled all of the internet yet which means that only about 5% of webpage's are currently available on the search engine decision engine.
Like I said above all of the most of the new features (except the explorer bar) are currently not available!
The Explorer Bar is what makes searching on Bing so rich. Rather than giving you pages and pages of results it cuts the results down into sections. The Explorer Bar is located on the left side of the webpage. When I searched for “Jonas Brothers” in Bing the explorer bar divided the results into:
When I clicked on Biography I only got results about the Jonas Brother’s Biography, which saves lots of time.
Bing also provided Related Searches to help me find more helpful information and, provided search history. Like Google and Yahoo! Bing inserted News, Videos, and Photos right into the results.
Bing has a very interesting preview feature. In addition to putting snippets from the website below each result, if you hover your mouse over a result Bing will show a couple of paragraphs of content on the webpage. This really helped me when deciding which websites to go to. The preview feature also provides links that are on the webpage.
The Video Search feature has changed slightly. When you click on a Video result the video plays while still showing the results below. It also has the capability to play videos in High Definition.
Bing has many more features but they wont be released until June 3rd. I will talk about the not yet released features in my final review.
Like I said before Bing is still in preview stage therefore it has only crawled less than 5% of webpage's. On June 3rd when Bing comes out of preview stage it should have most pages crawled. Despite the fact that Bing has not yet crawled all web pages it gave me excellent results. Unlike with Google and Yahoo! most of the results there were of use.
Bing provided an excellent searching experience. It was a disappointment that not all features were available and that not all web pages were crawled. I found the features that are available very useful, and the new search algorithms gave the most useful results. Because Bing is in the preview stage I will not be recommending it but when it is fully released I may change my recommendation.
In the arena of world-class search, can Bing bring the hurt to Google and Yahoo? Microsoft's newest search engine comes packed with search tools such as an Explorer Pane for refining searches, Quick Previews for sneaking a peek at a site before visiting it, and Sentiment Extraction for making sense of product reviews.
Google and Yahoo, meanwhile, are no chumps. Google has outwitted its competitors by delivering solid search results and cool tools such as Street Views. Yahoo has done a masterful job of integrating search results with its rich network of Yahoo content. Search for the musician Sting within Yahoo, and presto--you're watching Yahoo music videos or listening to streaming audio of Sting singing "Desert Rose" from within your search results.
How do these services stack up against each other? Bing targets four categories of search: shopping, local, travel, and health. In a highly subjective comparison, I tested Bing, Google, and Yahoo in these areas and in others.
Bing's front page is distinctly flashy, thanks to its stunning photography. Nevertheless, navigation for specialized search is easy to find. Bing’s front door also includes plenty of shortcuts to other Microsoft-owned Web destinations such as MSN, Windows Live, and Bing Travel. It would be nice to see a shortcut to my Microsoft-managed inbox. For its part, Google embraces the elegant simplicity of a white background and the Google Search text field. Blue links to key Google features in the upper left corner make checking e-mail a snap. The Yahoo home page is considerably busier. This reflects the company's desire to be not just a search engine, but a starting point for Internet surfing. Its scattershot approach features search, news, communications tools, and such specifics as a horoscope.
Search results for Bing have two main components: a left-hand navigation panel of Quick Tabs that allow you to focus your search fast; and a center row of Categorized Search results, which simply group results in logical categories. Search results include instant answers, deep links, and multimedia. Google and Yahoo search results are delivered no-frills-style with blue links descending from most to least relevant. Both of these search engines deliver results that may include instant answers, deep links, and multimedia.
When it comes to searching for a popular recording artist such as Taylor Swift, Yahoo search doesn't stop at delivering the expected links to fan pages; it also displays videos that play straight from the search results. And by clicking the Yahoo Media Player tab on the left side of the search results, you can listen to streaming music on a slide-out streaming audio player. Bing delivers videos that you can preview simply by hovering your cursor over them. Google offers videos by the artist as well, but they aren'ot as prominently displayed as on Bing and Yahoo.
With the inclusion of Farecast technology in Bing Travel, Microsoft has the edge over Google and Yahoo in locating the best and cheapest flights. Farecast charts the ups and downs of airfares for a particular itinerary in recent months and predicts what they're likely to be in the near future. Yahoo offers similar tools for comparing prices and adjusting your itinerary on-the-fly for maximum savings. Google doesn't offer a cheap-flight-finding service.
The same Farecast technology that Bing uses with airline ticket pricing works for hotel reservations, too. Bing Travel results show you a Hotel Deals listing when you search for accommodations within a specific region. Bing calculates the historical price of a room at a specific hotel, compares that price with the current rate being offered, and identifies whether the current price is a good deal. Yahoo Travel alerts you to 'Getaway Sale' pricing for hotel rooms when such pricing is available. Yahoo Travel search results display 'Good Deal' tags when the bargain pricing is part of a promotion offered through Yahoo, and not a low rate based on historic data. Yahoo also makes it easy to find your price range and user ratings quickly with tab navigation at the top of search results. Google doesn't offer a travel service.
Bing's search-refining tools, called the Explorer Pane, show up on every search. With Yahoo and Google, you have to make an extra click to gain access to similar tools. In the upper left corner, Google has a 'Show Options' link that lets you sort results by videos, forums, and reviews. Yahoo's search refinement requires you to click a tab next to the Yahoo query field; doing so causes a Search Assistant box containing related searches and concepts to slide out.
Bing's interface for viewing, browsing, and refining search results is slicker than that of its predecessor, Microsoft Live Search. Tools, located on the left of the screen, offer refinements for video length, screen size, resolution, and source. Hovering over a video screen-capture with your mouse triggers the video to start playing. Click the video, and it will load at the top of the page and start playing.
Google lets you winnow your video search by duration and source, and permits you to choose the layout of the search results--grid, list, or large thumbnails. Click a video, and it loads in the upper right side of the window and then plays.
Yahoo Video search offers search refinements similar to those that the other two search engines do. It includes a box to check for "official videos," but I'm unsure what type of filtering this option performs. Some Yahoo videos play within search results. In other instances, Yahoo takes you to the site that hosts the video. Yahoo frames the sites hosting the video and plays the video below. When we searched Yahoo Video for Hulu content of the television show 30 Rock, videos would not play; instead, the video player displayed the message "required player parameters not provided."
With the Bing Shopping service, product search pages emphasize user reviews culled from a multitude of sites. The service also offers tabbed navigation for product details and reviews, and the left-side Explorer Tab provides access to additional related searches. Hooks to the Bing Cashback program (video) are hard to miss, as Bing heavily promotes retailer participants and the program itself.
Google highlights price in its Google Shopping service. Like Bing it offers 'Reviews', 'Technical Specifications', and 'Related Items' tabs.
Yahoo Shopping gives you a closeup look at the product you're considering buying and provides pricing information front and center. It also offers user reviews, product specifications, and comparison pricing, but you have to scroll for that information.
Bing presents a very nice overview of local restaurants, with aggregate scores for things such as overall quality and atmosphere, as well as specifics for factors such as portion size. Google offers maps, star ratings, photos, and user content to facilitate delving into the details about a local business. Yahoo provided limited information about the local restaurant that I searched for. Yahoo delivered overall star ratings, a map, business hours, and pricing information.
From what I can tell, Bing provides shortcuts to top-notch health resources such as the Mayo Clinic when you search for diabetes, influenza, or other health-related issues. Using the Explorer Pane, you can drill down into symptoms and prevention categories. Yahoo Health search results pull up details on topics such as influenza, plus additional information on symptoms, causes, and treatments. Yahoo Health also lists informational videos related to your search. Google search results for topics such as influenza fetch Wikipedia entries and information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Google's big health strategy has less to do with search and more to do with Google Health, a program for storing your medical records online, finding doctors, and connecting with online health services.
Bing Maps offers nothing that Live Search didn't already have. But both Bing (at the bottom) and Google Maps supply a great many controls and direction tools in the balloon window that marks the address you're seeking. Google has cool map tools such as 'Street Views', while Bing counters with amazingly crisp 'Bird's Eye View' images of many towns and cities. Yahoo breaks out direction tools in the left side of the Web page. Yahoo Maps gives you the option of viewing satellite images; however, images we saw of the Boston area seemed old compared with the satellite images offered by Bing and Google Maps.
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