Entered CNET Catalog: 04/12/2005
SKU: SERVGOOGLE
Manufacturer: Google
Product summary
The good: Intuitive interface; excellent image searches; best-of-class local searches, producing maps with satellite imagery; cached pages and related links; sponsored links clearly separated out into the right-hand column; desktop search tool; downloadable toolbar.
The bad: Multimedia audio search still in beta; video search is text only; currently, won't save your search history.
The bottom line: Google's the way to go for straight Web searching, local results, maps, or image queries, but we found better engines for multimedia searches.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 05/10/2005
Google's spare, simple user interface marked the beginning of the end for the "more is better" Web design of the late 1990s; indeed, Google's oft-imitated look and feel was so successful that it's hardly changed since its 1999 launch. Besides the colorful Google logo, the site's main page is mostly bare except for the search form, the buttons for search and I'm Feeling Lucky (which takes you straight to the page of the first most relevant result), and links labeled Web, Images, Groups, News, Froogle, and Local.
Google's main search results include boldface page names, short descriptions, URLs, cached pages (great for viewing older versions of frequently updated Web pages), and links to similar pages. Sponsored links are relegated to the right-hand column--a welcome distinction from all the other search engines in our roundup, which list sponsored results above and below the main search hits. While there are no elaborate boxed sections that aggregate top image, news, movie, and video links for your queries (as with Ask Jeeves's Smart Search), Google does pull up news results for search terms and will display a forecast for weather-specific queries. Image search remains a strong point for Google (indeed, it was one of the first search engines with thumbnail-based search results), and Google leads in its ability to filter images by size, color, file type, and domain. Groups searches comb through the increasingly archaic (and, sadly, spam-packed) Usenet newsgroups, while Froogle is a powerful, speedy shopping engine that indexes hundreds of online merchants. Google's exhaustive news searches lack images, although the main, automatically generated news portal includes plenty of photos. Google's Local searches are easily the best we've seen. You can find businesses near your street address (addresses that can be saved for later use) and produce maps on the fly (using Google's impressive click-and-drag mapping service, maps.google.com, which now includes satellite images), plus get reviews from online guides such as Gayot, Citysearch, DigitalCity, MobilTravelGuide and even driving directions. We missed multimedia-specific audio and video searches, although Google is beta-testing a new search option for video clips. Meanwhile, both Lycos and Yahoo best Google when it comes to people-specific searches.
Google's latest offering is Web Accelerator, a Windows download that supposedly speeds up surfing for broadband users by delivering cached versions of Web pages. The beta, which as of May 9 was no longer available on Google's site, raised the hackles of privacy advocates after reports that the app was serving cached copies of password-protected discussion sites, making it appear as if the user was signed in as another person. (SSL-protected pages on sites such as financial institutions aren't cached by the service, according to Google.) Industry watchers also wonder what kind of Web-surfing statistics are being collected by Web Accelerator. Google representatives told CNET News.com that it's fixing the page-caching bug and that the service won't be used to track the surfing habits of specific users.
Google boasts plenty of impressive extras, including desktop search, which finds files and e-mail on your hard drive in a flash. Google's support page offers descriptions of different categories of searches available on the site and detailed search examples, including individual search operators (such as Allintitle, which limits your search to words found only in the title, not in the body text). For this, we feel Google goes beyond the competition in terms of technical support.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46out of 46 user reviews
Top-notch school with well thought out curriculum.
Pros: Excellent teachers, small class sizes, amazing art and music programs, responsive administration.
Cons: At its current size, THA doesn't yet have a full range of afterschool sports.
out of 46 user reviews
Tucson Hebrew Academy is a great for the whole family!
Pros: My children are given lots of personal attention, the school accommodates different learning styles and levels really well. They have art, music, pe, computer lab each week. The integrated curriculum is exciting, dynamic, and engaging for my kids.
Cons: Some families choose to complain rather than try to improve the school. This can have a negative effect that influences others around them. The school could improve by displaying the children's great art work sooner than the show in March.
out of 46 user reviews
SUCK, HORRIBLE, RIDICULOS, NO CUSTOMERS SUPPORT AT ALL
Pros: I have to say that nothing good is with Google expet using it for re-search online..
I can't tell about all the other products they offering as I couldn't sign in at all..
Cons: I spent 4 days trying to sign in on google adwords. Impossible.
My google adsense account desappear with my profit
Horrible customer support
No phone contact
Live support never work
Never receive an help e-mail
Expensive
out of 46 user reviews
Perfection in search.
Pros: In a word, everything!
Cons: There are no disadvantages to Google (and it does save history now).
out of 46 user reviews
very good helpfull
Pros: best good verygood
Cons: fast service
out of 46 user reviews
all you wanted and more from googles ! !
Pros: i like the auto-side bar with photos view
Cons: it's free ! don't complain !
out of 46 user reviews
over-rated, feeds off its name recognition
Pros: good searches
Cons: may turn into another monopoly like microsoft
out of 46 user reviews
Once it helped all users, now it uses us to make money.
Pros: Still the most complete
Cons: Gets harder and harder to get the results you want
out of 46 user reviews
AWSOME!!!!!!!!
Pros: no annoying ads, lightning fast results, ONLY PERFECTION!
Cons: i cant think of any!
out of 46 user reviews
The Greatest!!!
Pros: Has everything I've ever looked for and more.
Cons: Occasionally the image files are not complete enough.
out of 46 user reviews
Both google and yahoo are excellent
Pros: searches various things fast
Cons: Gives faulty sites that you dont want
out of 46 user reviews
I scream for Google!
Pros: No ads, esay to use
Cons: none at the moment
out of 46 user reviews
The best search engine online!
Pros: Speed, Accuracy, Relevant Ad placement
Cons: Cookie is pretty suspicious
You can google for more
out of 46 user reviews
WOW...GREAT....ECT....
Pros: THE IMGAES SEARCH IS GREAT..
Cons: NOTHING REALLY!
IT HAS HAD HELP ME THOUGH SCHOOL PROJECTS ALOT!
IT EVEN HELP ME TODAY...
I MEAN ALOT. I HAVE FOUND MANY WEBSITES, THAT I HAVENT SEEN, LIKE CNET.COM! AND OTHERS.
I BEEN USING GOOGLE FOR 2 YEARS AND ITS BEEN GREAT! SO I THINK GOOGLE IS #1!!!OTHER SEARCH ENGINE THAT I USE IS DOGPILE.COM THAT GREAT TOO..
MY FRIENDS EVEN USE GOOGLE TOO...
ITS AN AMAZING SEARCH ENGINE!!!!!
out of 46 user reviews
Not bad, it's serves as a back up to Yahoo Search
Pros: It is simple. No ADs.
Cons: Lacks some things that Yahoo offers me.
out of 46 user reviews
Google is simply Amazing! The Best search engine by far!
Pros: the Simplest search engine to use!
Cons: There are no cons
out of 46 user reviews
Google, simplicity with class
Pros: simple, fast, minimal ads, great work ethics
Cons: could use better layout
out of 46 user reviews
The best in my book
Pros: good, fast hits every time
Cons: can't think of any
out of 46 user reviews
incredible
Pros: google seems to have no limits to what it can find
Cons: it often finds too much
out of 46 user reviews
The Complete Web Search
Pros: Page ranking usually puts most relevant links first.
Cons: doesn't handle some complex searches.
The speed is awsome, even with complex searches.
out of 46 user reviews
mediocre at best
Pros: you may or may not find what you are looking for.
Cons: you may or may not find what you are looking for.
out of 46 user reviews
It Does Everything.
Pros: I Live By It.
Cons: Nothing Really Bad.
out of 46 user reviews
Execellent
Pros: Fast and brings up all info
Cons: Brings up too much junk
out of 46 user reviews
Not as good as before
Pros: Most results
Cons: Manipulated by SEOs
Nowadays, I have to dig through 5 Gooooooooooogle next pages to find it.
out of 46 user reviews
Best Search Engine
Pros: Most accurate results.
Cons: Sometimes too many results.
out of 46 user reviews
Too much junk included
Pros: used to be good
Cons: too much unrelated stuff - has fallen behind others
out of 46 user reviews
Best Search Engine
Pros: Contents, full package of services, mojo
Cons: Security issues, because of caching of pages
out of 46 user reviews
web, images, products, news, maps, local, desktop... Google has it all
Pros: Google has searching the web, images, froogle, maps, local, Google news, and Google Desktop Search. Google tops them all.
Cons: Only that I didn't buy any stock in the IPO
out of 46 user reviews
So far, so good! I love Google!
Pros: Google Email is great....and all that storage! Wow !!! I usually get great SEARCH results!
Cons: Wish email wouldn't try to check-in before I can connect to the internet. I can't seem to remedy this problem.
out of 46 user reviews
Its an advertising engine reliant on keywords!!
Pros: Great for finding popular sites
Cons: Useless for finding unpopular sources or rich media content
·is popular
·is text
·contains the ‘keyword’ the user is using to search
·and can be found using Boolean skills
·within 10% of the net (8 billion pages) it indexes
Its absolutely useless for finding:
·unpopular sources (how often do you look beyond the second page?);
·sources which don’t contain any of the keywords;
·sources as rich media, sound and video (with no meta tags);
·real time rich media, sound and video;
·sources in the remaining 90% of the net
out of 46 user reviews
Best of the Best
Pros: The fastest engine to load, the most compehensive results. Actually the best search engine.
Cons: The ability to make categories of the results
out of 46 user reviews
I Also Like Vivisimo Much Better
Pros: Vivisimo searches a wide variety of engines with one click
Cons: I feel Vivisimo still does not get as much out of Goolgle as I want
out of 46 user reviews
I like Vivisimo much better
Pros: can isolate search to images, etc
Cons: no categorizing
out of 46 user reviews
no way without google
Pros: no way without google
Cons: no way without google
out of 46 user reviews
Outstanding!
Pros: Near-instant broad spectrum search response.
Cons: Common terms and names are a problem.
out of 46 user reviews
Thanks a lot, I never heard of this excellent searh engine before!
Pros: a thing that works as it should and costs nada yankee dollaaaarz
Cons: a thing that tracks me all over the place and costs time
Do tell us via Anchordesk or whatever just what was the reason for this review, also what is the next project, possibly the light bulb?
out of 46 user reviews
undoubtably the best search product
Pros: quick, accurate, reliable
Cons: might be spreading themselves to thin
out of 46 user reviews
Google is best
Pros: Best search out there
Cons: sometimes more than you want or can digest
Others are doing well, but none match google. (I use Yahoo.com, refdesk.com, etc. for other searching, but google is still the best pure search engine.)
Clayton
out of 46 user reviews
Incredibly slow day at CNET I see...
Pros: Yep, Google is fast and comprehensive...
Cons: A little too comprehensive...can you say data mining?
How about this CNET...why don't you finish all of the product reviews you haven't got to yet, and then if you are again so absolutely bored in your lives, you can continue to post pointless articles. Is it jsut me, or has CNET posted some of the WORST articles ever in the last few months?
out of 46 user reviews
Next CNET Review: Water (9/10)
Pros: Wet; thirst-quenching; life-sustaining; can be used for a variety of purposes.
Cons: Lack of flavor; potential drowning and/or slip-and-fall hazard.
out of 46 user reviews
What the hell is this?
Pros: yes, google is great...since 98
Cons: cnet, can't you find something better to do?
I can't wait for the yahoo review.
out of 46 user reviews
Searches webpages ... limited extra gunk on home page, privacy concerns
Pros: Excellent interface with additional services and programs that are well designed and free
Cons: Significant privacy concerns, every thing is in "beta", ads can be annoying
However, like cell phone companies google has begun adding features outside its original function (searching the ever widening web) raising some concerns.
Some additions are great, their photo editing/storing program is simple and free (Piscsa), but others present privacy and secuirty concerns that are often inflated by fearful masses and rightfully concern experts.
Overall, keep it as your home page, use it to search and even use it for a simple, clear, free email service. Just remember that nothing in life is free, let's just hope the cost of google (basically ads on more and more pages) remains small and does not infring on the privacy rights of users.
out of 46 user reviews
Very BRAVE review
Pros: Stating the obvious
Cons: Stating the obvious
out of 46 user reviews
*** Cnet ? What're you reviewing ?
Pros: Google is good. Nothing to review here
Cons: Cnet review choices suck
Whats the point of reviewing a search engine like google thats around for so many years. C'mon, if you've nothing to post, just don't post. Most of your pages are filled with useless ads anyways. Understand thats how you make money but c'mon - making us click through 5 pages of 1 page worth review just for click-through ad money making by cnet is pure garbage.
I've lost all interest in Cnet. Bye Bye.
I'll return when you have useful content.
out of 46 user reviews
You have to be kidding me.
Pros: Cnet used to be good, honest.
Cons: Crap like this.
out of 46 user reviews
undoubtly the most amazing search engine available today offering amazing search capabilities
Pros: speed, ease of use, amazing results, plenty of options, loads of google-spinoffs
Cons: only con, as writeen in the review, is lack of multimedia search
