Google vs. Bing: To My Surprise, and Delight, They’re Both Good

Q: What’s your take on Microsoft’s new search site, Bing?

A: I found Bing to be very good. In some ways it’s better than Google, but in some ways it’s not as good—or at least no better. The bottom line: I like them enough that I decided to keep both in my Bookmarks Toolbar—right next to each other. So when one isn’t finding what I want or as well, I launch the other. Sometimes neither answers my query with the dexterity I expect.

For example, when I entered my name in Google and Bing as a test, Bing won hands down—not just in speed, but, even more importantly, in the depth of the search. In one case, Bing not only pulled out articles I wrote more than 20 years ago for The New York Times, it even located one mention of my name in a book’s footnote.

But when I ran a dual search for my brother, Bing failed to dig as comprehensively as Google.

There is one tool in Bing that really set off a bing for me: the balloon. Just point to any search result, but do not click, and a balloon instantly appears to the right of the listing (see screenshot below) that contains a paragraph or two of the text in the located item. It saves you from wasting time opening items that are off the mark.