Why Bing Belongs on a Blackberry
Today (frankly this week) has been a complete "wash" of tablet and iPhone rumors due to the upcoming Apple announcement on the 27th. One of the larger rumors being the idea that Bing will weasel itself into the iPhone as mobile Safari's default search engine. This, as anyone can see from the picture above, has been seen as a negative move and as the night wanes on is seeming more and more true (source: Tech Check). Here is a (short) list why Bing should remain an app rather than a default on the upcoming iPhone OS.
- Bing is all AJAX-ey and slow where Google is simple, sexy and to the point. Take an iPhone or Android phone and visit www.google.com and www.bing.com and tell me which looks more user friendly?
- Bing's search results (web based) are often times very off where Google pops what you need more then 99.1% of the time (disclaimer: this is my experience).
- Bing is superior at shopping and image search but when is the last time you did this on your iPhone?
- Bing and the way that Ballmer intends you to say it is pure "upspeak." I don't need Bing thinking everything I say to it is a question.
- Bing might have an API but Google is a platform with a robust collection of apps that many people use daily...much like their iPhone.
- Rumor has it that Bing will not take a cut from ad clicks which might be true but for how long? Sure Bing isn't seeing a tremendous amount of clicks now but think about every iPod Touch and iPhone? Ballmer has been known to be a smidgen greedy and underhanded. Jobs isn't working with Bill these days.
- MS has nothing that Apple would want so why create a marriage of convenience now? Of course, they might have something clever up their sleeve that we have never seen but...really? Why throw them a bone now?
- See that number above? Yeah it reads 190 positive and 1983 negative and it definitely has changed since I took the snapshot.
- People will change the search back to Google (hopefully an option) and now Apple isn't making money off clicks (I assume) so why not stay with the platform that is making you "dolla - dolla - bills."
- Android is climbing the mobile ladder quickly. HTC and Motorola have some beautiful handsets in the works. In addition, the software has seen it's way into the hearts of big time advocates (Leo Laporte, John Gruber, Kevin Rose, Jason Snell, Some guy with a lichen based last name, etc) who are tremendous influencers. Why make a small blunder that could perhaps cost you a considerable amount of market share?
Yep, a list. I don't normally pull them because they are SEO link-bait and generally filled with junk; however, I think it was only fitting with this information. The only unfortunate thing is the rumor mills are still pumping like crazy and we have an entire week before we can turn them off. Here's to hoping that (with or without Bing) Apple knocks our socks off with their new iPhone OS. I leave you with Homer Simpson and a smidgen of wisdom.
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