Bing, the new search engine from Microsoft, is being marketed as a ‘decision-engine’. Microsoft has spent nearly $100-million on a marketing campaign for its newest project in an effort to compete with Google.

Bing has several of the features currently found in Google’s search but offers an enhanced user interface.  Each search result has a vertical bar that can provide instant information about the result without having to click the link. In addition, Bing makes it simple to find directions for local search results.

Beyond the basic search functionality, Bing excels in image and video searches. These media searches provide quick access to the relevant media. If no video search terms are entered, the search page shows the most popular online videos and directly links to Hulu or Fancast.

The image search has included advanced features such as searching for photos containing people. The search can then be narrowed down by showing photos of just faces, or instance. Further, the image results can be sorted or refined by color, layout, and size.

While Bing may have a difficult time converting die-hard Googlers, it has provided an exceptional alternative to those looking for fast, relevant, and media-friendly searches.

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