My Picks for Best Search Engines
General Search Engines
The following Search Engines are my usual choices. After looking at additional search engines like Alta Vista, Dogpile, AOL, I still consider these two my favorites.
Google- This is my favorite search engine because I feel it is efficient as well as simple to use. The screen is uncluttered, with a basic search bar and free of annoying pop up ads. The user has the option of doing a simple search or opting for an advanced search by entering desired criteria.
http:/www.google.com
Yahoo- Yahoo is one of the earliest seach engines and was my original site of choice until I found google. The screen isn't as clean as google because many category options are provided to the user. Categories include: Shop, Find, Connect, Organize, and Fun. I like Yahoo on occasions when I'm not searching for specific information but rather looking at what's new in the world.
http:/www.yahoo.com
Kids Search Engines
I asked my middle school aged children for suggestions on this category and they liked the following:
Ask Jeeves for Kids- This is a wonderful kid friendly site where children make searches in the form of a question. It alerts a child for spelling mistakes when entering search words. The sites appearance is non-cluttered, yet engaging for children. AJ Kids uses filters to block inappropriate material.
http://www.ajkids.com/
Yooligans- This site is a kid appropriate site designed for middle school aged children. Categories include, Games, Animals, Music, News, Book Club, E-Card, Movies, Jokes, Science, Reference, Ask Earl, and Astrology. Additionally, there is a directory of Around the World, Arts & Entertainment, Computer & Games, School Bell, Science & Nature, and Sports & Recreation. Buzz, Index, and Cool Page.
http:/www.yahooligans.com
News Search Engines
Yahoo News: I think this is a great search engine for news and media. The page is well organized and easy to read. (Some searches yielded search engines with too much information crowded on one page). It provides links to the top current news stories (breaking news), and organizes other news into the following categories: Business, World, Entertainment, Technology, Politics, Science, Health, Oddly Enough, OP/Ed and Weather. News feeds from over 100 sources and contains news that dates back for months.
http:/news.yahoo.com
Google News: This Search Engine is similiar to Yahoo News but , I feel, not quite as well organized and easy to read. Like Yahoo, it starts with top current news stories and it's categories include: Business, World, U.S., Entertainment, Sci/ Tech, Health, and more Top Stories. News feeds from over 4,000 sources and contains news that dates back 30 days.
http:/www.news.google.com
Shopping Search Engines
EBay : I admit to recently getting hooked on this popular site. It has been an excellent source for finding many good items of all varieties, especially those no longer on the market. (My brother is turning 40 years old and I wanted to get him toys from his past that would no longer be availble in the store). People list items at various prices and you may bid on them with a chance to be the top bidder. You usually get a pretty significant bargain. Ebay does a tremendous job of categorizing items into easy to find categories. Users enter their desired item and a list of items containing the words entered will display. Users may also choose from listed categories.
http:/pages.ebay.com
BizRate- (You can probably tell by now, I like a good bargain) This site also allows the user to enter an item and displays comparisons for the best price online. It lets you compare prices including shipping and tax, and also rates sites based on customer approval.
http:/www.bizrate.com
Travel Search Engines
Travelocity- This is one of the most popular travel search engines on the internet. Categories to choose from include: Airfare, hotels,cruises and car rentals. Users may enter information to get the best priced trip. There are also last minute deals available.
http:/www.travelocity.com
Orbitz This travel site run by the major American airlines that offers low fares and rates on airline tickets, rental cars, hotels, vacation packages, and other travel products.
http://www.orbitz.com/