Microsoft Bing: first impressions

Finally Microsoft’s latest foray into search, Bing, is live. Coming into the launch, Microsoft pitched Bing as a “decision engine.” So how well did it hold up?

From the outset, it fails on depth. Hotel searches were a feature trumpeted by Microsoft in the preview release. It would appear today though that hotel search meant hotel search in the United States only. I’m sure in that intro video I saw a search for Dublin, Ireland, but maybe I was seeing things, because the same search in practice shows Google like results…indeed, the intro video is misleading.

But does it works in North America, despite it being promoted outside it (Bing.com.au has been promoted in Australia prior to today). Um….no. Even a search for Toronto hotels is a fail. In fact, so do searches in the United States.

I really wanted this to work, and what I’m about to say is in no way shows disrespect to the many talented Microsoft employees out there (particularly Nick Hodge.) But seriously: we’re talking fraud now.

Here’s your shots, video and reality:

Dublin

any this is what we should have seen…

But this is what we got….

I did want this to deliver, if mostly because all competition is good. But seriously, the results vs the video are so wrong: what the hell is happening at Microsoft at the moment. Even those who want to support you, want to kill themselves.