Recently I had the occasion to install Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 8 [IE 8] on a laptop. It came pre-installed with only one search provider, namely, Live Search. This is, of course, as stated in IE 8 Help documentation that states that “When you first install Internet Explorer, you might have only one provider installed”. I was interested to install Google Search as the default Search Provider for Internet Explorer. So, first I had to “search” for the “Search Providers”.
Look at the following image; I had to click on “Find more providers…” link in the popup menu at the Search Box in the top-right corner of IE 8:
However, when I landed at the page showing Add-on Gallery for Search Providers, I found 12 different Search Providers listed there on page 1; but Google Search was not there amongst them! When I browsed to page 2 of the above link, I found Google Search listed there. So, Google was listed at number 13 in the list of Search Providers, notwithstanding the fact that it is numero uno amongst all search engines with about 66% of the market shares. This means that while all other search engines taken together command approximately 33% market share, Google Search alone commands about 66% market share in all searches conducted over the Internet; meaning thereby that Google alone commands double share of all of other search engines put together. However, at Internet Explorer’s list of Search Providers, Google Search finds place at number 13, and it does not find place on the first page of the list which displays 12 search providers! There were many other search providers, which I had never heard of, finding place on the first page amongst the first 12 search providers, for example, “ESPN Search”, “Lyrics Search Suggestions”, “Instant Visual Search (Surf Canyon)”, etc. Of course, Microsoft’s own “Bing” finds first place in the list of all search providers. Was that unexpected?
I tried to check whether there was any particular order in which these search engines were listed here, i.e., alphabetical order, or number of installations, or on rating basis, or some other such criterion; however, I failed to notice any such criterion. These search engines were listed almost in a random manner. So, is it not perplexing that Google Search finds a place at number 13 in the list of all search providers? Perhaps not, keeping in view the rivalry between Google and Microsoft. But, contrast it with the fact that when I installed Google Chrome, it came pre-installed with 5 search providers including Microsoft’s Bing as well.
Any way, have a look at the following two images (click on these images to view the full-scale images) which display first page and second page, respectively, of the Search Providers list provided by IE 8 as add-ons:
(Click on the respective image to enlarge it)
Another interesting observation was that while Bing has been given the top 5 star rating, Google Search has only 4 star rating! Look at the following two images for contrast:
Of course, it can be justified (by Microsoft?) on the ground that these ratings are on the basis of users’ votes. Well, may be true. Provided these votes are not manipulated! Just to put it in the proper perspective, even “Instant Visual Search (Surf Canyon)” and “Amazon Search Suggestions” both had also 5 star ratings along with Bing itself (you can see the ratings for these two other search providers in the full-scale view of the two images shown earlier for the search providers’ list).
Aren’t these interesting facts – proving (if anybody doubted it) the extent of rivalry between Google and Microsoft? Well, at least I found it interesting, though not surprising.
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