Ask.com launched
Ask X, a site that mixes different specialized searches and uses AJAX to show search results faster. Similar to Google's
SearchMash, Ask shows image search results, news, blog posts in a right sidebar. But unlike SearchMash, Ask actually shows those results and doesn't wait for you to expand the sections. Another good choice is displaying only results from search types connected to the query. Ask X shows search suggestions and refinements in a new sidebar, displayed on the left side of the screen, that remains always visible.
The trouble with this kind of mashups is that pages load slower and may look cluttered. But if search result pages provide the right balance between web pages and additional information, you'll get a wider perspective. In 2007, search engines will move towards one interface that mixes specialized searches.
Yahoo does it too, and the search results are looooooading so slow sometimes, i switch it off.
ReplyDeleteThis way some good portion of tech went the wrong way.
Good to see Ask.com being so creativ in inventing the vertical search once again.
ReplyDeleteI guess they are in the early stages of testing it, because askX does not work with the news Opera.
Thank you for sharing this new service with me !
I have to say, the interface looks pretty neat.
ReplyDeleteThere was one thing i did notice though, the Save to MyStuff link overlapped awkwardly onto the right content on the first page. (some see through, would be better if it was bordered with a white background)
The fade-in and out looks pretty nice as well.
So far in regards to SearchMash, it beats it in looks.
But SearchMash still has the simple and clean interface, and fast. (Ask X is reasonably fast, could possibly be slower on older machines though)
I might email them my idea just now actually.
As long as they include the sidebar code after the code for the main results, it shouldn't load until the main results are in. Another approach would be to use some JavaScript to make the images not load until the rest of the page is completely downloaded.
ReplyDeleteUpdate: http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2007/06/askcoms-unified-search-engine.html
ReplyDelete