Microsoft Takes On Google

Microsoft yesterday launched a beta version of the new MSN Search tool, located at http://beta.search.msn.com.

Generally, it looks a lot like Google with the home page simplicity, and results pages are laid out in a smiliar format as well.

The tool still primarily relies on Yahoo Search technology, so you'll see very, very similar results to using Yahoo. This likely won't change until sometime in 2005.

Here's a snippet from Microsoft's release:

MSN today debuted a beta version of its new MSN® Search service, providing consumers with more useful answers to their questions and more control over their search experience, which results in faster access to the information they are seeking online. The new MSN Search is designed to reduce the time and effort required by consumers to find information online by offering one of the largest, most up-to-date selections of information and a new class of powerful, customizable search tools.

SeattlePI.com has a good story on MSN Search, and includes thoughts from the WSJ's Walt Mossberg and several other reporters. Here's a snippet of Mossberg's comments:

Today, Microsoft is due to unveil its long-awaited new Web search service, and the product bears all the hallmarks of the feisty, upstart side of the company. I've been testing this new version of the company's MSN search service, and, while it isn't yet as good as Google, the search leader Microsoft is targeting, it shows all the signs of becoming a very serious challenger.

Read the entire story here.

Time will tell if Microsoft can win the search war. This is the first serious volley against Google. As search starts to mean more about a combination of what's on the Internet as well as what's on your hard drive, the fight will become much more interesting.

Don't think so? Just take a look at Google Desktop, their application for including local searches (i.e. your hard drive) with traditional, Internet searches. This was Google's preemptive strike against Microsoft and acknowledgement that local search is gonna be key.

-aB