Bing App for iPhone: Smart Move or Wishful Thinking?

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

8 comments »

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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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Posted in iPhone, iPhone Apps, News | Tagged: bing, microsoft |

http://www.snubcommunications.com Craig Grannell
“it didnâ€™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.