Several years in the past, I switched from Google search to Bing. There, I mentioned it. No longer live I Google something; I Bing it. And I haven’t seemed inspire since.
The hotfoot a long way from Google wasn’t easy. Sometime in the unhurried 1990s, I change into as soon as invited to ascertain up on Google’s search engine. I moved from poring despite the proven fact that filing cabinets to typing queries in a search field. If it change into as soon as available on the ranking, Google promised that it could maybe in point of fact get it. Over time, Google turned smarter and more responsive. Google Instantaneous auto-urged search outcomes earlier than I done typing them. “Google it” turned segment of my vernacular.
Within the meantime, Microsoft’s Bing search engine change into as soon as getting no admire. Bing it? Please.
However Bing doggedly persisted to present a ranking to. It added social connections and “cards” figuring out key subject issues and linked searches. It improved speed and reliability. Then one day, after I wished to dig up older tales I had written the employ of Google’s search engine, I learned I had better luck finding them the employ of Bing.
So I switched. Bing is cessation to, if now not as upright, as Bing.
Switching from Google to Bing search is without complications done in neutral a pair of seconds. I provide instructions on the bottom of this tale. However earlier than that, listed below are some of my popular (and yes, even weird and wonderful) causes to swap to Bing.
No 1? Because Microsoft will pay you.
1. Search and ranking money with Microsoft Rewards
I’m cheap. I’ll in total pass up a $12 artisanal beef slider on the food vans come my space of labor in desire of a more value effective salad that could well stuff a throw pillow. I in most cases wear the same pants two days in a row to connect on my water invoice. I employ coupons.
So if Microsoft needs to pay me about $5 a month to live what I in total live? Sign me up.
The belief that in the inspire of Microsoft Rewards (formerly Bing Rewards) is inconspicuous: As you search, Microsoft provides you capabilities, that it is likely you’ll use on every thing from Starbucks to Microsoft Sport Trot.
Whereas you happen to have a Microsoft story (you live have a free Microsoft story, staunch?) you can make five capabilities per Bing search on a desktop PC, up to 150 capabilities per day. Within the same system, you can make up to 100 capabilities per day on cell, with five capabilities credited to you per search. (Don’t anguish if these numbers don’t relatively match up to what you search for, as Microsoft tends to alter the values every on occasion.) Bing searches are automatically triggered by technique of Cortana on a Windows Cell phone, or the Bing Search app for Android or iOS.
If that isn’t ample, you’ll automatically salvage capabilities by the employ of the Windows 10 Edge browser, up to 900 capabilities per thirty days. And if that isn’t ample, you’ll ranking a level for every buck you utilize on the Microsoft Windows and Xbox online shops, or in a brick-and-mortar Microsoft Store space.
The supreme segment? The capabilities also can neutral also be redeemed for stuff you’ll genuinely employ.
For roughly 475 credit—again, the cost varies—Microsoft provides you $5 to use at Amazon, or Target, Burger King, Starbucks, or different retailers. It’s likely you’ll well presumably also additionally redeem your rewards for a pleasant 5% coupon on the Microsoft Store, discounts on Windows apps, and even a free month of Xbox Stay Gold. Use Bing steadily ample, and likewise you can climb your system up to Silver or Gold protest, which confers a “discount” on capabilities redemptions.
And this is fascinated by simply the employ of Bing one day of the route of your day. And when you happen to carry to have even more capabilities, you can consult with Bing.com or click the Microsoft Rewards “medallion” icon for mercurial quizzes and urged searches. All of it provides up fast.
2. Search outcomes: As upright or better than Google’s
I wouldn’t even point out Bing Rewards if Bing itself wasn’t critical. However it absolutely is. My private perception is that Bing delivers somewhat more helpful knowledge than Google in abnormal search. (To be pretty, I’ll emphasize abnormal: In most cases I’ll strive a search in Google if I’m able to’t get what I’m taking a survey for in Bing. As of August 2017, I’d tell Bing’s ability to get an aged info tale of mine is somewhat worse than it aged to be, despite the proven fact that it’s mute very upright.)
And don’t anguish: Using Bing doesn’t cessation you from the employ of assorted Google companies, worship Gmail, as in most cases as you’d worship.
If I stumble on for a term worship “Notre Dame football,” Bing makes better employ of that huge, white home on the staunch facet, showing contextual knowledge regarding the college, its historical past, info, and more. (Both engines existing me the novel ratings, nonetheless Google’s card displays a more entire upcoming time table.)
Bing’s lead widens when you happen to stumble on for celebrities, because it involves videos to boot to photos and biographical knowledge. And despite the proven fact that Microsoft could well live a better job of highlighting this knowledge, Bing provides one-click hyperlinks to a celeb’s social media pages for what they’re focused on, staunch now.
There are exceptions, obviously. However, in abnormal, Bing performs to boot to Google on most of my abnormal, day-to-day searches.
3. Bing has image chops
That goes for image searches, too. Bing change into as soon as first to put in force the “endless scroll” in Bing Photos, where users could well simply scroll and scroll and never reach the “cessation” of their search outcomes. On the present time, Bing’s image search provides an additional layer of search filters that Google users must drill down to get, along with choices to existing totally photos with faces, as an illustration, or blow their non-public horns photos in a explicit layout. And if it is a long way main to get an licensed photo to illustrate a e-newsletter, Bing makes that knowledge more without complications accessible than Google does.
Referring to the totally reason to make employ of Google’s image search is when you happen to’re hunting down nice looking GIF photos, as this is an possibility Bing has but to present.
Retain finding out to witness how Bing provides you more video search outcomes than Google.
4. Bing presentations more video, when you happen to can endure to witness
For no subject reason, the outmoded wisdom is that Bing is the porn search engine of option. Traipse through some of Reddit’s Microsoft boards, and it’ll eventually approach up. Heck, The On each day foundation Dot even devoted a entire article to it.
Section of the reason being that, even with filtering turned off, Google now takes a rather puritanical attitude in opposition to filtering copyrighted videos, whereas Microsoft has adopted a more libertarian system. Bing simply presentations you videos about your search subject from around the ranking, whether or now not it be “baseball” or “boobs.”
That’s to now not direct that Bing is a dismal nook of the ranking corpulent of smut and depravity. Thumbnail photos of the rest Bing thinks is for adults totally are genuinely blurred out by default. However when you happen to’re taking a survey for something tagged No longer Web for Work, be conscious that Microsoft will existing it to you (assuming your search filtering choices permit for it, obviously).
Oddly ample, neither Google nor Microsoft shrinks powerful from violence. Both turned up what I choose to be entire videos of diverse hostage beheadings from the Center East, none of which I cared to ascertain.
Build the swap
Whereas you happen to’re a lifelong Googler and Bing’s advantages intrigue you, sizable. Right here’s how you can swap.
As you potentially know, Microsoft and Google every offer their have browsers to affiliate with their have search engines. With Microsoft’s Web Explorer or Edge and Google’s Chrome, the browsers are preconfigured to make employ of their respective search engines by default, accessible by technique of the hunt bar on the end of the cloak. (Obviously, you can consult with Bing.com or Google.com and search there anytime you’d worship.)
Switching Chrome’s search provider to Bing is relatively easy: Within the upper-staunch nook of the browser, you’ll search for a little menu icon that appears to be like worship three horizontal traces on top of every different. Click on it. Approach the bottom of the tumble-down menu, you’ll search for Settings. About midway down the Settings website, you’ll search for a field for picking your Search engine.
Microsoft hides its search engine configurations as successfully. Whereas you happen to have Web Explorer configured to make employ of Google, trudge to the URL bar and click the magnifying-glass (search) icon. On the bottom staunch of the tumble-down menu, click Add. Click on the little Bing icon on the bottom left to protest Microsoft’s search engine as soon as more as your default.
Referring to the totally trade that Bing currently foists upon you is sending you to Bing Maps, now not Google Maps. And when you happen to’re taking a survey for videos, wager what: Google’s YouTube isn’t exactly Bing’s first option.
Bing offers as-upright-as-Google search capabilities, plus many microscopic added conveniences and rewards to entice you to swap. Doing so takes correct seconds. Are these ample to ranking you are trying out Bing your self? It’s value a pair of minutes of your day to ascertain.
Updated on February 14, 2022. with updated knowledge.
Inform: Whereas you happen to ranking something after clicking hyperlinks in our articles, we are able to also neutral make a little price. Read our affiliate hyperlink policy for more crucial capabilities.
As PCWorld’s senior editor, Sign specializes in Microsoft info and chip technology, amongst different beats. He has formerly written for PCMag, BYTE, Slashdot, eWEEK, and ReadWrite.
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