Tired of using Google for searching the internet? While there is no question Google is the premier search engine of our time, Microsoft has released a massive update to its Live Search, rebranding the site simply as "Bing" (known as "Kumo" in the development phase). Bing uses some intuitive search features to help users quickly narrow down results by related topics presented in vertical menus. For instance, searching for a musician will provide the standard links to that person's website, Wikipedia entry, etc. In this case, Bing will also provide "intelligent" tabs that will filter links for subjects specific to musicians, such as discography, lyrics, tickets and the like. In some ways, Google is a victim of its own success: loyalists will not hear of making radical changes to the front page or results. Nearly no one uses the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button, however, when they proposed removing it, riots nearly ensued. Such brand loyalty is remarkable when there really isn't another adequate search option available. Thus the new Bing faces steep uphill battle to win users away from a company that has entered the lexicon to literally mean "search the internet". In any case, here is a quick guide on how to use the Bing search engine for those who would like to mix things up a little.
Instructions
- 1
Once actived on June 3rd 2009, the new Microsoft Bing search engine became accessible from multiple sites. First and foremost is the MSN homepage, followed by the address http://www.Bing.com and also through the old "live.com" Live Search address link. Finally, there is always the ironic method of using another search engine to find a way to the Bing search engine.
2
Perform a Bing search for any subject matter that tickles your fancy and view the results. The results page will initially look very much like any other search engine. Besides the usual top search bar with tabs for specific media types, there will be three vertical panes: ads on the right-hand pane, standard results down the largest middle pane, and the semantic pane on the left hand side that will be discussed in the next step.
3Use the tabs on the left-hand side of the Bing search results to zero in on specific aspects your search topic. This so-called semantic pane is referred to as such since it provides tabs that can filter the results based on the search's general topic. Think of it as a form of artificial intelligence, taking educated guesses on what you may be searching for based on what you searched for (circular logic at its best!). All of this is predicated on helping the user find exactly what they are looking for without knowing exactly how to search for it.
4The feature that seems to be garnering the most attention is the plethora of categorized results when researching restaurants, travel, and merchandise. Bing literally combs all the major websites with pricing, descriptions and reviews on the search topic, providing the option to narrow these by aspect. Try these tools out in a noble attempt to become a more informed consumer.
5Decide for yourself how innovative and effective the new Bing is based on semantic tabs, comprehensive consumer tools and regular search results. Half the time I don't know what I am searching for until I see it. The other half of the time I end up completely side tracked (usually pleasantly) and would like to find my way back the promised land. Here's to Bing addressing some of these internal conflicts, giving another competent option to searching an ever-growing internet.
