It’s got $80 million dollars of marketing behind and even Steve Wozniak is impressed!

But don’t expect this to be the great ‘Google killer’ that everyone expected after Ballmer allegedly said he’d fu** Google!

Microsoft is attempting to “break down the way we view generic search” which probably means they’d like us to start searching rather than ‘Googling’ information!

Bing works by organising your search results into categories. For example, when you search for “MP’s expenses” and you get…a proxy error! Ok, there seem to be a few problems - not sure if they’re are from my ISP or Bing! What you should see if the information listed in categories on the left hand side of the returned results i.e Images (an MP eating a huge steak lunch, fully expensed of course), Facts (allegedly, most MP’s are in some or another dodgey), Videos (MP’s paying off ladies of the night and claiming on expenses)…you get the idea!

The technology behind Bing isn’t new; the so called vertical search tools have been around for a while now with one of the most notable implementations being Newssift.

So is this really going to “fu** Google”? Not likely. The layout is nice but the whole search engine jousting arena is about relevancy and right now it’s pretty hard to beat Google.

Before I go, even Steve Wozniak is impressed: “I don’t normally come to these business presentations and all that, but I thought it was one of the most astounding software demos I’ve ever seen,” Wozniak said. “It was so well thought out, the algorithms, the intelligence of it, really impressed me.” Wozniak assumes the role of Microsofts Director of Marketing position next Monday….(I am joking, so put your C&D’s away).

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