Like the new Apple spots that ask, “Are you a Mac or a PC?” one might ask the same of the world’s top search engines. Do you Google, or do you Yahoo?
This New York Times story explores some of the differences in the two companies.
Do Internet users prefer services that are consistent and predictable, like those offered by Yahoo, or are they more interested in Google’s wow factor?
“Yahoo has lost its appetite for experimentation,” said Toni Schneider, a former product development executive at Yahoo who is now chief executive of Automattic, a blogging software company. “They used to be a lot more like Google, where someone would come up with a cool idea and run with it.”
While Yahoo’s processes have become too bureaucratic, it is still attracting an audience, Mr. Schneider said. “Google’s products may be more innovative, but at the end of the day, Yahoo is pretty good at nailing what the user really wants.”
Google’s search bar is built in to my browser window and I have a Google search widget, should I choose to go that way. Thus, Google clearly rules the search roost. When it comes to email, I’m only now beginning to compare the two. I’ve had a Yahoo email account for years. Now I also have a Gmail account. The two are not dramatically different, but I like the usability of Google’s version a bit more.
From a purely functional point of view, I’m a Google fan. Yet, there’s something alluring in the Yahoo brand, so I don’t want to abandon the Yahooligans. Plus, they have Flickr, which is now attached to my Yahoo account.
Bottom line, I’ll continue to use both services. You?
