Evidently Microsoft is totally revamping their search engine again. From looking at their preview, it’s pretty clear that they don’t get search. Maybe this is why their desktop SE sucks, Windows has never had a good search feature and their Windows Live Search Engine is doing so poorly.

Going by the preview Microsoft think that we search because we’re stupid and need to be directed. ” . . . you simple answers to simple questions . . .” Seriously do you know anyone that types questions into a search engine? They also allude to a good old boys club, even mentioning that the Mayo clinic’s web site can be trusted more than others.

The whole thing sounds like some spammy AOL “Let’s bombard our captive, ignorant and gullible audience” kinda thing to me.

They are assuming one of your common uses of their search engines will be to purchase things. They even performed a search for the word shopping, is anyone going to do do this? It reminded me of their “Bee” commercials where thye had the bee that ran your life for you and they pretended MSN would be that bee. Anyway . . .

It has added features, like rating different features so you can sort different products through a list . The example they used was digital camera,. On the left they had text like picture quality, price, ease of use, etc. They even alluded they’d give you cash back for purchases. This means they’d have to partner with someone who either does e-commerce or sells things. Which implies they would give them more weight in their search engine.

With their every word, they were narrowing the group of people that would use them.

They also don’t seem to be afraid to lie still. They said they’d give directions with one click. This is impossible. To have to enter the start directions, choose and exact end location and inform the service that gives directions and then click. If you can call this one click directions, everyone already provides this.

Perhaps they’re saying they already know exactly where you are and where you ant to go because they’ve been watching you and reading your mind. You know, they kind of thing they like to allude to in their marketing, like the bee that manages your life for you. . .