Anyone else used 'bing' search engine?

[geoff]

Firstly I must declare an interest so to speak, and say that I am something of a technophobe, and have only just got the hang of computer jargon. For anything vaguely advanced I tell my son what I want and he translates it into geekspeak for me; unfortunately he's away at university for a while.

My service provider (is that the correct term?) is MSN and they used Google as a search engine. Recently they have changed to 'bing', and I don't think much of it.
It will locate this website, but there are a couple of others I use, including one for old camping stoves (who, me, a sad old man?), and I just can't get on to them via 'bing'. I can't put them onto favourites as I use my son's computer and I haven't got the password; nor would I want to, he is allowed some privacy. Things generally seem slower to download with 'bing', too.
I've got round all this by using 'bing' to get into Google, then everything seems to be OK

Any comments?

[jacob marley]

Geof why don't you write the web ad's on a piece of paper and then you will not need bing or google and as for using a search engine to find google i find that amazing....jacob

[quark1]

You could set your default home webpage on IE to google or a.n.other of your choice - which would then allow you to trawl the sites of choice.

Alternatively set the search engine web address as one of your favourites.

[geoff]

Here's something strange. I am a member of The Backpackers' Club, and have just visited their website THE BACKPACKERS CLUB

Via Google it locates the website and gives a short description that you might expect; about the club, diary, and so on.
Via bing it lists the website and locates it correctly when you click on it, but the initial description seems to be about viagra and Californian prisons?!
I think that unless I know about a specific website I'll stay with Google

[OllieMartin]

I would imagine the problem is because bing is quite new; there are not so many sites registered with it yet.

I would recommend learning to use your favourites as quark suggests.

This website will tell you how to use it (assuming you are using Internet Explorer 7)
Favorites Center - Internet Explorer 7

If that doesn't make any sense let me know.

[bobleponge]

It's the default browser on my Blackberry, which is one of the main reasons why I don't use the internet on my phone.
Haven't been able to get on with it at all, I accept its new, and thus wont have too many affilliations, but a search engine should really be a search engine, and Bing, at the moment, doesnt seem to be.

[HotStuff]

Bing is the latest search engine from Microsoft and hence is the spawn of Satan

As others have suggested you don't have to use Bing as your search engine, it's just good old M$ trying to tell you what they think is best. Presuming you are using some version of Internet Exploder as your browser you can change your default search engine, PM me if you need a hand with this.

Also as previously mentioned you shouldn't have to search each tme for websites you frequent, just go to the homepage of each website, then click on "Favorites" on the toolbar, then click on "Add to Favorites" to add it. Then when you want to go there again open a browser window, click on "Favorites" and click on the item from the dropdown list that you want to go to. Sorry for the American spelling, but that's M$ for you.

[geoff]

Thankyou all for your advice. I already do keep my favourites in a notebook - a real notebook!, but bing won't even locate some of those, even though I search for them specifically, and not surf

Using bing to get into Google might seem a bit odd for the experten amongst you, but it is a neat way of getting round the problem

[Alison]

If you go into google you can download a google toolbar which means that you get a google box at the top of your page at all times which you can just type in your search regardless of which web site you are actually on. Personally I find it dead useful even if our beloved IT department keep taking it off my work laptop which is very annoying.

Google Toolbar will take you there (I think!)

[HotStuff]

geoff, you shouldn't have to search for your favourite websites. Not sure what you have in your notebook, but for example the homepage of this forum is:

"http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/grapevine"

If you type that into the address bar you will get straight to the homepage, no need to search.

See attached pic for more info.

[HotStuff]

Personally I find it dead useful even if our beloved IT department keep taking it off my work laptop which is very annoying.

Have you ever wondered why they do that?

[Alison]

Have you ever wondered why they do that?

The reason they gave was that I had insufficient C drive space but then under company policy the laptop should have been replaced after 3 years and that's 2 years ago so that could be a contributing factor also however I'm guessing that you're hinting that there are virus threats etc etc

[bubblewrap]

I thought Bing died in 1977.

[Peter]

Have you ever wondered why they do that?

[jacob marley]

Geof there is a rather simple way around your problem that is with your sons permission is to install Google Chrome on to the computor and then you use that as a internet browser .
He wil carry on using IE and you use Google Chrome and problem solved you can have your own favourites and not interfere with his .
Yuo can download from FileHippo.com - Download Free Software it is listed with browsers and plugins hope this helps a bit....jacob