I switched to Bing

[Tom Hendricks]

As someone who uses Apple products exclusively, giving up on Microsoft a while ago. I have been playing with Bing for searches. I have really come to like it, been using it more and more. When Apple released Safari 5, I took it as an opportunity to switch the default search from Google to Bing. I will also do this with the iPhone when iOS4 is released.

 

[Brent]

ooook, I like Google still

 

[Tom Hendricks]

ooook, I like Google still

Oh, I don't hate Google either. Just my preference now is Bing. I think this reflects well on Microsoft and with the apparent sucsess of Windows 7, they maybe on the upswing.

I actually wish Microsoft would partner with a PC maker and come out with a signature system that they could sell in their retail stores. Not that I would switch back, but would be great to see.

 

[CorporalClegg]

I actually wish Microsoft would partner with a PC maker and come out with a signature system that they could sell in their retail stores. Not that I would switch back, but would be great to see.

I agree. And I hope they're crappy computers. It will then encourage anyone who wants a quality PC to use Linux.

 

[STR]

search engines are one or the other, any of the major ones are as good as Google was a few years ago, and that's not bad at all.

Going beyond just search, the Google suite of products are much better integrated. As an example, I went apartment searching yesterday and I pulled up the 3 locations on maps.google.com, made a route from my current home, to each of the complexes in row and back home. I saved the map to my favorites. I then turned on my phone, clicked saved maps and started the nav. no typing at all on the handset, no "send to phone". It was just there waiting for me. Very nice.

Bing maps didn't do that as of the last time I had a Windows Mobile. The new UI was also painful.

 

[Tom Hendricks]

I actually wish Microsoft would partner with a PC maker and come out with a signature system that they could sell in their retail stores. Not that I would switch back, but would be great to see.

I agree. And I hope they're crappy computers. It will then encourage anyone who wants a quality PC to use Linux.

The problem is that a majority of people don't want to do the necessary self investment to do a Linux setup. They want to walk out of a store with a box, set it up and use it.

So no matter how great Linux is, it will never have wide spread appeal.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Except that said personal investment is continuously becoming less and less.

Plus, there are several vendors who sell computers with a Linux distro pre-installed. And more are jumping on the bandwagon.

The irony is that, with most of those, all the user has to do is put in her username and password. The computer is otherwise completely set-up and configured with all the software she'll ever need--a far cry from the myriad of headaches offered by pre-installed Windows machine these days.

 

[RandyS]

ooook, I like Google still

I still like Google too, but have found that Bing occasionally comes up with information that Google lacks.

 

[L8Nite]

Bing is so anemic. I can't stand google but they are the best in the biz and when compared to yahoo and bing my results are much more relevant. Not to mention that the search operators work a lot better in Google.

 

[TheMurph]

I've switched from Google Maps to Bing Maps after Google Maps was off on several locations on different vacations I've taken. Not just a little bit off, but blocks off. Bing has been spot on in that regard. For internet searches though, Google is still better IMO.

One regret I do have with Bing Maps is that it's difficult to search for restaurants or points of interest compared to googles type in with location method.

 

[Amaris]

I like Bing as well. I had to use it when some odd technical issues prevented me from using Google. Bing is a great secondary search engine, and I recommend it when Google isn't available.

As for Linux, my absolute favorite distro is Ubuntu. I love to dig into the nuts and bolts of an OS, but what's nice about Ubuntu is that I don't have to if I don't want to. Like Windows and OSX, right out of the box you can jump on the internet, watch movies, play CDs, write term papers and play chess.

 

[CuttingEdge100]

I think the problem with Google is that they have never deleted any information on any users search queries.

 

[STR]

I think the problem with Google is that they have never deleted any information on any users search queries.

Afraid they'll leak your search about two people and a cup of theirs to the NSA?

 

[Amaris]

I think the problem with Google is that they have never deleted any information on any users search queries.

That's true. They offer the ability to let you go through your own search history. Thing is, they have that information anyway, whether you ask to look through it or not.

 

[Tom Hendricks]

I like Bing as well. I had to use it when some odd technical issues prevented me from using Google. Bing is a great secondary search engine, and I recommend it when Google isn't available.

As for Linux, my absolute favorite distro is Ubuntu. I love to dig into the nuts and bolts of an OS, but what's nice about Ubuntu is that I don't have to if I don't want to. Like Windows and OSX, right out of the box you can jump on the internet, watch movies, play CDs, write term papers and play chess.

I know Dell and a few others are offering machines with Linux already installed. However I think most people would not even give it a consideration. They have to make a real effort to even consider switching to a Mac. So forget about even thinking about going for Linux.

The more adventurous person, willing to invest themselves in learning an OS I think would build their own machine to load Linux on. Maybe someone considering the move and wanting an out of the box solution would get one. I would love to see sales numbers of Linux sold machines.

 

[RoJoHen]

I mostly use Google, but I prefer Bing's image search and how you can just scroll and it keeps updating the page. You don't need to click to the next page and the next page to see more images.

 

[Amaris]

Bing's Image Search does seem to be a lot nicer than Google's.

 

[DeafPoet]

Bing's roughly comparable to Google for me, as a search engine anyway. I hardly ever use search engines for anything complicated and Google's just as good as anything out there in that regard. So I pretty much use it out of force of habit.

I also religiously use Google Maps on my Blackberry. It's a slick little application that knows the bus routes and schedules in my town. I don't know if Bing has something equivalent but until Maps does something to piss me off I'm not looking to switch.

 

[Amaris]

Bing's roughly comparable to Google for me, as a search engine anyway. I hardly ever use search engines for anything complicated and Google's just as good as anything out there in that regard. So I pretty much use it out of force of habit.

I also religiously use Google Maps on my Blackberry. It's a slick little application that knows the bus routes and schedules in my town. I don't know if Bing has something equivalent but until Maps does something to piss me off I'm not looking to switch.

It does: http://www.bing.com/maps/?FORM=Z9LH9
I think sometimes people forget that Microsoft had been working on their maps quite a while before Google brought theirs forward.
The difference is that Google did it faster and better, but Microsoft's system is still good. The basic data still comes from the same sources.

 

[DeafPoet]

Hmm, good to know. The next question is what their mobile app's like. My Blackberry's more than somewhat an outdated piece of shit. So the more spartan a program the better. That usually isn't Microsoft's strong suit but I'll admit I'm curious about it now.