Comments on: Google vs MSN Search Beta: An unscientific study http://brainsnorkel.com/2004/11/12/google-vs-msn-search-beta-an-unscientific-study/ Manifesto-driven development. Eclectic thoughts. Fri, 21 Nov 2008 23:07:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Things I've Seen http://brainsnorkel.com/2004/11/12/google-vs-msn-search-beta-an-unscientific-study/#comment-130 Things I've Seen Sun, 14 Nov 2004 22:30:35 +0000 http://brainsnorkel.com/?p=46#comment-130 <strong>MSN search</strong> MSN Search is now out in Beta. brainsnorkel isn't impressed...Based on 15 minutes of play my verdict is that I might use it when it’s more reliable, ranks results better, indexes my local PC, performs better than Google, and my... MSN search
MSN Search is now out in Beta. brainsnorkel isn’t impressed…Based on 15 minutes of play my verdict is that I might use it when it’s more reliable, ranks results better, indexes my local PC, performs better than Google, and my…

]]> By: Chris http://brainsnorkel.com/2004/11/12/google-vs-msn-search-beta-an-unscientific-study/#comment-127 Chris Thu, 11 Nov 2004 23:38:12 +0000 http://brainsnorkel.com/?p=46#comment-127 I don't think it's too bad to launch a beta product if you have something that needs some seriously broad and deep testing that you can't get in a lab. When you add the intended or unintended hype of a head-t-head battle for search engine world domination, your beta is going to cop some serious flak if it's not up to to job and threaten future interest... like it's done to me :) At least my flak is fresh, pure and natural. I don’t think it’s too bad to launch a beta product if you have something that needs some seriously broad and deep testing that you can’t get in a lab. When you add the intended or unintended hype of a head-t-head battle for search engine world domination, your beta is going to cop some serious flak if it’s not up to to job and threaten future interest… like it’s done to me :)

At least my flak is fresh, pure and natural.

]]> By: Alastair http://brainsnorkel.com/2004/11/12/google-vs-msn-search-beta-an-unscientific-study/#comment-126 Alastair Thu, 11 Nov 2004 23:01:48 +0000 http://brainsnorkel.com/?p=46#comment-126 <a href="http://weblog.infoworld.com/udell/2004/11/11.html#a1112">Jon Udell</a> has an uncharacteristically cheeky take... Jon Udell has an uncharacteristically cheeky take…

]]> By: Alastair http://brainsnorkel.com/2004/11/12/google-vs-msn-search-beta-an-unscientific-study/#comment-125 Alastair Thu, 11 Nov 2004 22:25:05 +0000 http://brainsnorkel.com/?p=46#comment-125 <a href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20041111-4388.html">Ars did a followup report</a> on MSN search, confirming the result of your test, namely that it sometimes would "fail on searches that should be obvious successes". I can understand the logic of launching early, with a "beta" tag, but this is a really risky strategy for Microsoft. Early impressions of a product/service tend to linger, and this includes early problems that are subsequently fixed. A good example of this is the Apple Newton, that fixed it's initially bad handwriting recognition, but not before they got ridiculed on The Simpsons. Another thing that occurs to me is that "MSN Search" does not verb well. "Just MSN Search it" does not have the same ring to it as "Just Google it". Ars did a followup report on MSN search, confirming the result of your test, namely that it sometimes would “fail on searches that should be obvious successes”.

I can understand the logic of launching early, with a “beta” tag, but this is a really risky strategy for Microsoft. Early impressions of a product/service tend to linger, and this includes early problems that are subsequently fixed. A good example of this is the Apple Newton, that fixed it’s initially bad handwriting recognition, but not before they got ridiculed on The Simpsons.

Another thing that occurs to me is that “MSN Search” does not verb well. “Just MSN Search it” does not have the same ring to it as “Just Google it”.

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