Bing App for iPhone: Smart Move or Wishful Thinking?

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Microsoft just launched an app for its search engine Bing for iPhone.

Offered gratis on iTunes, the idea is to put a Microsoft search engine in the hands of iPhone users who have shunned Microsoft smartphones.

Capturing the iPhone market might be a way for Microsoft to bump up traffic for the “decision engine,” which currently has about 10% of the US Internet search market.

Wishful thinking?  Maybe not: the first 247 reviews, 191 are five star — 77% — though some of the comments “I love this app, it’s a great Christmas present from Microsoft” set the BS-ometer spinning.

Any Bing aficionados out there planning to download the app?

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Bing Now Available As Native iPad App

I gave the web version a quick whirl when it first came out, but it didn’t blow my hair back.  Haven’t bothered since.

Via Silicon Valley Insider

About the author

nicole_martinelli

Nicole Martinelli is a San Francisco native who has lived in Milan and Florence, Italy. She's written for Wired.com, The New York Times and Newsweek. You can find her on Twitter , Facebook and Google+.

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  • http://www.snubcommunications.com Craig Grannell

    “it didn’t blow my hair back”

    You’ll be wanting a hairdryer for that, not a search engine!

  • http://www.zoomata.com Nicole Martinelli

    There I go with my unrealistic expectations =) Though I do remember when Google first came out, it was pretty exciting, though perhaps not coiffeur-moving…

  • Pete

    I will certainly give this “decision engine” a try. Lately, I haven’t been able to make my mind up about anything. Just today I couldn’t decide what to eat for lunch.

  • iGenius

    Ummmm…….Is it better than the web page? How? Why would one use this app instead of the web page? Is it different at all?

    Is this article a review or a mere announcement?

  • Ray Steinbeck

    The web browser version of Bing is…. unimpressive and kinda ugly. But this iPhone Bing interface actually looks… clean and decent. I’d give it a try.

  • Michael

    I would definitely use it for searching for items online if it gave links to Bing Cashback. I have used that for many high dollar purchases.

  • IcyFog

    Microsoft should pay me for using its apps. Nothing is gratis, especially from Microsoft.

  • ArrowSmith

    Bing is already at 10% market share and growing. They will eat Yahoo’s lunch and be at 25% by 2011. Then it will be game-on with Google. The rate of innovation coming from MSFT is getting to scary good these days.