Microsoft has a new search engine, Windows Live Search, in beta testing right now. There's a long article about it here.

Obviously Microsoft is trying to make something that can defeat Google, but I'm not too sure it will. I just tried the search engine and personally I hate it. Just look at the completely idiotic scrollbar. "Hey, let's take something every computer user in the world is familiar with and change the way it functions! They'll think it's great!".

I can't find their fancy schmancy Build Search option anywhere so I really don't care what it can do. They also mentioned three sliders in the article that I don't see--I only see one that can adjust how much information is displayed, which I don't find particularly useful at all. Maybe these features aren't available in the beta version? But without them it just turns into a pretty average search engine with an annoying scrollbar. I don't know its twitchy for me.

You can try out the new search engine at http://www.live.com/

I'm still using google

hope this in the right forum... sorry if its not..

Its just gonna be another pile of junk like everyhting else microsoft makes. Another falure like all their other beta tries/ attempts. Maybe they should just focus on one thing, that is making a far more stable and good operating system. Windows is still one of the worst operating systems out there. LOl and its like the most used and like the only one..... so yea...

Just looking at it I can tell that it will not be as popular as Google. If you use any browser other than Microsoft's IE then the site doesn't display correctly. Also, my firewall blocks most of the content as it is supposedly unsafe. Even Microsoft's own anti-spyware blocker thing in SP2 blocks it! After trying it on another PC, using the dreaded IE, it was still awful. Half of the sites that come up in Google don't appear, and you can't seem to use the Enter key to start a search, which is really annoying.

What do you expect? Microsoft has to try and compete with google somehow. I don't think many people will use it because they are already so used to going to google and yahoo and stuff it is hard to break a habit. They will probably go there as a last resort maybe. I don't think it is half bad but like I said it would be hard to break a habit.

Hmm, I don't particularly like this search engine, but it's easy to see how it will appeal to a lot of users - it is, in a nutshell, simple whilst being aesthetically pleasing, whilst lacking functionality. Something in which Microsoft seems to be quite adept. Still, I think that rejecting this search engine purely because it is from Microsoft is little other than arrogant ignorance.

Anyway, we can probably start to expect more of this from Microsoft in the near future as they pick up the competition against the currently undisputed search-giant Google (and let's not forget the Google projects which have flopped either).

I too can see other people liking this search engine.... like computer illiterate people. It has a simple look to it and is quite basic.

For me, it is quite annoying. When I first entered a search query, it gave all kinds of weather, stock, and other crap that was totally different from what I searched. Then I entered my query again and it finally came up with what I was searching for. I don't like this search engine at all, especial because it took forever to load, even with my dsl. I will most likely stick with google unless some miracle happens to microsoft