What Will The World Do With More Search Engines?

Microsoft says it will introduce its new search engine within the next few days. The world's largest software company has called the project "Kumo."

Microsoft argues that if its search engine brings back more relevant results than Google or Yahoo! that people will eventually migrate to the "best" product. That may not be true. Google has become a habit for more than two-thirds of the people who use search engines in the United States. It is generally considered the best product, but in the final analysis that decision is subjective. Google is certainly the search program that gets the most positive votes if use means anything.

"Kumo" may be just as good as Google, although the largest search engine keeps improving and adding to its functions. It is far too early to tell whether Microsoft can pick up a single new user even if its product is 99% as good as Google in the eyes of most people who look for things online.

Loyalty is not always the by-product of function, although function often creates loyalty.

The trouble with the search business is that its future may have almost nothing to do with whether search results get more accurate. Google's information is already more than adequate for the huge majority of people who are trying to find information online. At some point, and that point has probably been reached, people cannot tell the difference between flying in an airplane that is at 32,000 feet and one that is flying 1,000 feet higher. The change in perspective means nothing to them. All they know is that they are as high as they have to be to get where they are going.