1. Ask (aka 'Ask Jeeves')
The
Ask/AJ/Ask Jeeves search engine is a longtime name in the World Wide
Web. The super-clean interface rivals the other major search engines,
and the search options are as good as Google or Bing or DuckDuckGo. The
results groupings are what really make Ask.com stand out. The
presentation is arguably cleaner and easier to read than Google or
Yahoo! or Bing, and the results groups seem to be more relevant. Decide
for yourself if you agree... give Ask.com a whirl, and compare it to the
other search engines you like.
2. Bing
Bing
is Microsoft's attempt at unseating Google. Bing used to be MSN search
until it was updated in summer of 2009. Touted as a 'decision engine',
Bing tries to support your researching by offering suggestions in the
leftmost column, while also giving you various search options across the
top of the screen. Things like 'wiki' suggestions, 'visual search', and
'related searches' might be very useful to you. Bing is not dethroning
Google in the near future, no. But Bing is definitely worth trying.
3. Duck Duck Go
At
first, DuckDuckGo.com looks like Google. But there are many subtleties
that make this spartan search engine different. DuckDuckGo has some
slick features, like 'zero-click' information (all your answers are
found on the first results page). DuckDuckgo offers disambiguation
prompts (helps to clarify what question you are really asking). And the
ad spam is much less than Google. Give DuckDuckGo.com a try... you might
really like this clean and simple search engine.
4. Dogpile
Years
ago, Dogpile was the fast and efficient choice before Google. Things
changed, Dogpile faded into obscurity, and Google became king. But
today, Dogpile is coming back, with a growing index and a clean and
quick presentation that is testimony to its halcyon days. If you want
to try a search tool with pleasant presentation and helpful crosslink
results, definitely try Dogpile.
5. Webopedia
Webopedia
is one of the most useful websites on the World Wide Web. Webopedia is
an encyclopedic resource dedicated to searching techno terminology and
computer definitions. Teach yourself what 'domain name system' is, or
teach yourself what 'DDRAM' means on your computer. Webopedia is
absolutely a perfect resource for non-technical people to make more
sense of the computers around them.
6. Yippy (formerly 'Clusty')
Yippy
is a Deep Web engine that searches other search engines for you. Unlike
the regular Web, which is indexed by robot spider programs, Deep Web
pages are usually harder to locate by conventional search. That's where
Yippy becomes very useful. If you are searching for obscure hobby
interest blogs, obscure government information, tough-to-find obscure
news, academic research and otherwise-obscure content, then Yippy is
your tool.
7. The Internet Archive
The
Internet Archive is a favorite destination for longtime Web lovers. The
Archive has been taking snapshots of the entire World Wide Web for
years now, allowing you and me to travel back in time to see what a web
page looked like in 1999, or what the news was like around Hurricane
Katrina in 2005. You won't visit the Archive daily, like you would
Google or Yahoo or Bing, but when you do have need to travel back in
time, use this search site.
8. Mahalo
Mahalo
is the one 'human-powered' search site in this list, employing a
committee of editors to manually sift and vet thousands of pieces of
content. This means that you'll get fewer Mahalo hit results than you
will get at Bing or Google. But it also means that most Mahalo results
have a higher quality of content and relevance (as best as human editors
can judge).
Mahalo also offers regular web searching in addition
to asking questions. Depending on which of the two search boxes you
use at Mahalo, you will either get direct content topic hits or
suggested answers to your question.
Try Mahalo. You might like it enough to even become a editor there.
9. Yahoo!
Yahoo!
is several things: it is a search engine, a news aggregator, a shopping
center, an emailbox, a travel directory, a horoscope and games center,
and more. This 'web portal' breadth of choice makes this a very helpful
site for Internet beginners. Searching the Web should also be about
discovery and exploration, and Yahoo! delivers that in wholesale
quantities.
10. Google
Google
is the undisputed king of 'spartan searching'. While it doesn't offer
all the shopping center features of Yahoo!, Google is fast, relevant,
and the largest single catalogue of Web pages available today. Make sure
you try the Google 'images', 'maps' and 'news' features... they are
outstanding services for locating photos, geographic directions, and
news headlines.
