Google debuted its new Instant Search in the United States yesterday, and so far a lot of people are having fun playing with it, myself included. Instant Search allows Google to take what letters you type into the Google search engine and start searching for search results you might be trying to type in using a new predicative engine. I imagine it’s brilliant for mobile searching (since it’s less keys you have to press and quicker word search results), but for someone who only Googles from a traditional computer, it seems to be slightly slower for me, even if Google’s VP for search product and user experience Marissa Mayer claims, “We estimate this will help users save two to five seconds per query” over the standard 15-second search time.
However, while I do enjoy the fun that you can have with Instant Search, it’s not exactly my favorite Google innovation in recent memory. Yes, it can be faster if you know what you’re looking for, but the fact that the instant search results pop up and slow my typing down by a few milliseconds every time I click a letter or two is starting to get on my nerves, and I find the pop-up keywords bar annoying and distracting. I’m sure I’m not the only one, which is why Google has handily included a shut-down button.
Call me a keyword search traditionalist if you must, but I think I’m going to turn Instant Search off for awhile. When you start searching for something and Instant Search first pops up, to the right-hand side of the screen as you’re facing it is the Instant Search toggle. All you have to do to go back to old-school searching is click that button and toggle Instant Search off. Easy!
Tags: Google, Google Instant Search, Instant Search, real-time search results, disabling Google Instant search, turning off Instant Search, search engines, Marissa Mayer, Google changes