Apple and Microsoft plot iPhone Google slap Onetime mortal enemies Apple and Microsoft are in talks over the possibility of Redmond's Bing replacing Google as the default search engine on the iPhone, according to a report citing two people familiar with the matter. Anonymous sources speaking with Business Week say the two tech giants - so long at odds in the operating …
How much of a search centre do you get for $1bn? It makes no sense to be a bit-player in search. You're either number one or nothing. As a search user it makes no sense to have to hit 3 small search engines to get all the results when you can just hit Google.
Sure, if Apple had a search centre they'd be able to do searches for the locked in iphone fans, but how long before they start screaming?
The centre is more likely for itunes which generates healthy profits.
"But I suspect it means little more than having the option "Bing" in the Safari default search options."
Perhaps not. You can see the contract mentioned with Verizon to allow ONLY Bing as a search provider in their browser. Perhaps the iVault-of-a-Phone will lock down their Safari searches in a similarly exclusive deal for the right price....
..cutting off your arse to spite your elbows?
I can see a lot of bad press resulting from using Unle Fester's Charmless Search Engine. People are used to not only having their usual search engine, but some like to be able to add others, to allow instant custom searches of other stuff (wikipedia, ebay, whatevah). A default, maybe.. sole option.. not on your nelly.
Apple had better get working on replacements for Maps and YouTube too then. Apple can't really afford to lose those apps as I personally use them all the time. I'd be unhappy leaving all my games and apps behind just to get those two back on a Googlephone, but it might have to come to that.
Who cares, folks click search, a box appears, they type shit in, it gets slung to an engine and back pops shit for results. On a tiny phone screen, the best goobing can hope for is a faded name in the background that disappears under the typed shit. They best they can hope for is the user gives a shit when it's thrown their way.
... but isn't it the silly fanboi's of each OS who are mortal enemies, as opposed to the two companies?
Yes, they certainly joke and jibe each other publicly, but they have had a long history of collaboration over the decades.
Anyway, if they had to compete on silly search engine names, microsoft wins hands down. Bing - sounds like something Ally G would mispronounce ...
Just because a software giant made it doesn't mean it works. Bing couldn't find it's own bum if it had a lazer pointer. I know. I've tried it. Why the heck do they think Microsoft is trying to buy Yahoo's search algorithms...which unfortunately is similarly ineffective IMHO.
This choice by Apple is so bad it had me laughing out loud for real the moment I found out. I'm still laughing as I type this. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.....!
btw there is another search engine called "Start Search" Amazingly it works. Maybe they should look into that first?
Yes Paris Hilton. She obviously runs Apple now. *(^o^)*
I didn't spend the best part of two grand getting all set up with Apple, mostly out of disgust and irritation with Microsoft products, to have feckin Microsoft products forced back upon me (even if it is only their wannabe search engine).
And no, I don't hate Windows users.
A certain degree of pity perhaps...
Do you own a site? If yes, there is quite a high chance that you would develop a healthy disrespect for bing.
Need I remind you that it is about the server admins, not about the users. If half of the server admins hate bing, it won't get far.
There was a story yesterday here on Reg, and I can confirm similar behavior on my site.
if they leave google as an option users will switch to it. If they take the option for google away altogether then people will just 'jailbeak' their phones. Bing just isn't that great, and Apple aren't that stupid. As for Apple and MS being enemies, didn't MS buy into Apple a few years ago to stop them going under or something, (if only to stop MS becoming a monopoly and being forcefullt split up).
Frankly if Android phones hit the mark then Apple has no-one but itself to blame for any market loss - i'd take Android over Apple or MS any day, and be quids in
While I would be somewhat less than pleased to find the search box in mobile Safari locked to Bing, a simple bookmark or launch icon for Google would pretty much solve the problem, though not quite as convenient.
Attempting to force people to use someone else's choice of search really doesn't work: I use a Yahoo account occasionally (some friends on Y! IM), but I don't use their mobile site because it wants to switch my search engine to Yahoo *EVERY TIME I VISIT IT*. Epic Fail.
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