This week Microsoft unveiled its new search engine, Bing, aimed at challenging market dominator Google as the world's second most popular search tool after Yahoo and AOL.

Launched on Wednesday, the European version was available to use in Beta mode while in the States the decision was made for Bing to go live. Bing was coined thus for it is supposed to represent the "sound of found," although some say it is already floundering.

Labelled a "decision engine", Bing is, in fact, Windows Live search engine revamped with a new look and name. According to a Microsoft statement "Bing launched to help people cut through internet clutter and make faster, more informed decisions when searching online."

Does it live up to the hype?

The Editors Weblog has spent two days using the site, hardly enough to give a just portrayal, but as first impressions count, it will be these first experiences that make or break Bing.

A web search of the "Editors Weblog" was quick and brought up 493 items, compared to just 258 on Google, despite original claims by both engines that results were in the millions. A dot along the right side of a result allows users to hover over a link to preview content, which is effective. Although, Bing appears to work best when looking for images or video. An image search draws up items which are displayed on the one same page - no matter how many - that can be accessed by a special scroll-down button which continues to bring up relevant items as you move the cursor downwards. Better still, is Bing's video search. While this feature does not consist of an infinite scroll button, running the mouse over the thumbnail image of the video also treats visitors to a preview, without having to visit the site, particularly convenient for filtering items in order of relevance. Like Google, Bing also contains an auto-complete feature, which is handy, but hardly revolutionary.

But is that enough?

It's difficult to envision Bing, at this stage, at least, ever surpassing Google, albeit because people are creatures of habit they do not necessarily feel the need to break. From a journalistic point of view, Bing may well complement Google as a research tool and some who have compared the two by putting them through their paces did rate Bing ahead of Google. By the same token, others have criticised it for failing to deliver. In any case, Microsoft's offering is bound to be a good thing, in what is basically a market monopolised by Google. Bing is bound to get the experts at Google upping their game and we will benefit, as a result. Internet research is synonymous with Google. Indeed, we Google items rather than look for them. It'll be a while before we Bing them.

Sources: Addict3d , Microsoft , MediaPost , New York Times.com , Information Week , Media Week , UPI