An unofficial blog that watches Google's attempts to move your operating system online since 2005. Not affiliated with Google.

Send your tips to gostips@gmail.com.

February 20, 2007

The Old Google Image Search Is Back

By popular demand, the old interface of Google Image Search is back. People didn't like the cleaner design introduced one month ago that removed precious information like image dimension and the domain.

Here are some comments from Google Operating System visitors. I'm sure Google received much more similar comments and decided to put back the more traditional design:

"Google image search is a work tool, and reducing the amount of useful info you get at a glance makes it considerably less useful and more time-consuming to use. At least Google should allow the user to choose which version they want to see."

"I normally look at the url text to check the validity of the image. If, for example, I saw a picture of the iPhone before it was announced and was located at apple.com then I would know its the real thing, or if it was located at joke.com then I would know its a fake picture."

"This new design is absolutely less functional . . . when I look for images, I do not click on the "best image," I make judgments based on where the image is from, how many other images may be at that site, and how large the file is."


{ Thanks, Douglas. }

14 comments:

  1. Hooray! They really listened!

    A big part of not being evil is being willing to correct one's errors. My hat off to Google.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Not only did Google change the layout back, but it seems that Google also updated their search results.

    I'm an earth science teacher. I was searching for images of specific geologic features yesterday, but today I'm getting different (yet better) results.

    I don't have any screenshots to prove this, but is anyone else getting any different results for specific searches?

    ReplyDelete
  3. But I liked the old design, it was clean. :(

    ReplyDelete
  4. If you liked the old design, you can try:

    * SearchMash - an experimental Google site (so you'll find the same Google results)

    * Windows Live Search, which I think is one of the best search interfaces I've seen lately.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hurrah! I love the original image search, it is much more useful in locating images. Having to mouse over was terrible.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I am seeing it the old way too. I think its better.

    ReplyDelete
  7. GIS works normally again with the GOS fixes undone in IE and Firefox.

    I'm feeling much better now — thank you, Google!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'm amazed they listened. Thumbs up!

    Now for IMDb!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Yaaaaaay! Thank you Google for listening and responding in a timely manner.

    I would have been happy if the change could have been implemented as a preference setting, thereby satisfying both camps, but if an option check box wasn't feasible for some reason, then I believe it makes sense to "err" on the side of giving more info at a glance, not less.

    Well done, Google... (Applause.)

    ReplyDelete
  10. That they would even do that to the public w/o any UI options shows the mentality at that place.

    ReplyDelete
  11. This "new" Google bites!! I'm going back to the old Google!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. they didnt change any thing

    ReplyDelete
  13. Google! Please change your image search back or at least give us the OPTION to view it the old way. Honestly, the new image search sucks just like MSN and Yahoo.

    All I ask for is the OPTION to be able to search with the "classic" style. Jeez

    This issue has happened before, and everyone liked when you changed it back. Why did you do it again?

    OMG GOOGLE! PLEASE FIX IT BACK! I NEED AT LEAST AN OPTION TO TURN OFF THE NEW FEATURES. OMG RLY...

    I HATE THE NEW POPUP THING, I HATE THE HOVER THING, I actually kind of like that there are a lot more pics on the page, but REALLY! COME ON! Do you just change crap to start an uproar and see if people STILL don't want the internet to suck.

    OMG REALLY!

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.