Live Search Experiences

On 10/21, I decided to switch to Live Search for a week to see how my search experiences compared with Google. I switched and have been using Live Search ever since. I did check Google once when Live Search failed to turn up something I was looking for, but Google failed me, too. Other than that, I have been using Live Search every day.

How does Live Search fare? Pretty well. I am experiencing a small usability issue with Live Search, or perhaps just the transition from Google to Live Search. Results on Google are left-justified hard against the left edge of the browser window, with only a normal space between the left edge and the text. Live Search, on the other hand, has results left-justified within a centered body, but the right hand third of the body is dedicated to a paid ad column, and the overall effect is quite jarring for some reason. I really notice the problem on my desktop where I use widescreen format monitors, because the spacing between the left edge and the result text is substantial- more than two inches if I maximize my browser (which I almost always do).

I also just realized another reason why I find the effect so jarring- fewer ads. Live Search just doesn't have a ton of paid ads for the things I tend to search for (and maybe for other things as well). When there is only one ad in the paid ad column on the right, and there is a full page of search results on the left side of the body, the effect is very unbalanced to my eye, almost to the point of being distracting. Maybe I'm just picking on a detail, but it definitely bugs me.

Still, overall I am happy with Live Search, and I plan to continue using it in the short term. Just for clarity, I didn't get any perks, gifts, or other goodies from Microsoft for my write-ups or for using Live Search, although I did manage to get a nice deal on a camera on eBay when I used Live Search to find the listing. See the "cashback" link in the top right of live.com, you could save money, too.