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Microsoft revamps its MSN Search feature, even as it provides a sneak peek at a beefed up search engine for next year.
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GOOGLE, HERE I come? Microsoft is not actually saying so - but that's certainly, the way it's headed, going by this month's substantial upgrade to its MSN search service. The revamped search feature has some pluses, the biggest of which is the clear separation, of genuine results thrown up by the computer algorithm that works on your search key words, from the paid sites of advertisers. A separate box on the right side of the page, marked "Sponsored Sites", allow you to visit product catalogues or `buy-and-sell' sites, while the main results stick to hard core information. At least that's how it's supposed to work - though no search engine can totally filter out commercial sites masquerading as information.
Another useful new feature is a drop down menu by the side of the search box, which allows you to localise the search to categories like Web, Movies, Stock Quotes or Shopping. There is a "News" link that takes you to MSN's Newsbot page where news headlines from around the world are automatically generated and updated from over 4000 sources. And you can also drop down to search within the well-known Encarta Encyclopedia (2004 edition) or the Encarta Dictionary. However, when we checked out the web links provided by Microsoft, we found a lot of variation in different versions of the MSN page. All seven drop down features are only available alongside the search box on the main MSN page ( www.msn.com) . Go to the India MSN page (www.msn.co.in) and you don't find it. The dedicated search page ( http://search.msn.co.in) has only two drop down menus for Web and News. Clearly Microsoft is still getting its act together.
A visit to the page: http://techpreview.search.msn.co.in/ allows one to get a feel of the new search engine that Microsoft is creating from the bottom up, with a test base of 1 billion pages (the current search engine is part of a partnership with Yahoo). This is due to be launched next year.
Which is the search engine for you? It's a matter of taste and by beefing up its own offering, Microsoft will trigger competitors like Google, Altavista and Lycos into matching any improvements, feature for feature. Which is great for us. Carry on! We're with you, ready to sample your offerings. Until the day you start charging for them, that is.
A. VISHNU
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