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scorpio vega

macrumors 65816
May 3, 2023
1,473
1,888
Raleigh, NC
What shadiness? Google's search results are so much better + it doesn't open links in new tabs.
For you.

9 times out of 10 bing is good or better.

I can’t even use google now to search Reddit like I usually do because they are pushing ads and ai to the top now.

Bing is great and most people want links to open in new tabs so they don’t lose their place on where they scroll. That’s a weird complaint.
 
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iHorseHead

macrumors 68000
Jan 1, 2021
1,534
1,951
For you.

9 times out of 10 bing is good or better.

I can’t even use google now to search Reddit like I usually do because they are pushing ads and ai to the top now.

Bing is great and most people want links to open in new tabs so they don’t lose their place on where they scroll. That’s a weird complaint.
Well, I am from Europe, maybe there's the difference. I don't see any Google's AI features yet and the search function works good. I also use an Adblock, so I don't see any ads (no hate, if any of the MacRumor admins read this)

I don't know anyone who'd want that. You can always go back and it redirects you back where you were.
I don't understand what you mean by you can't search reddit. Just use an adblocker?
 

scorpio vega

macrumors 65816
May 3, 2023
1,473
1,888
Raleigh, NC
Well, I am from Europe, maybe there's the difference. I don't see any Google's AI features yet and the search function works good. I also use an Adblock, so I don't see any ads (no hate, if any of the MacRumor admins read this)

I don't know anyone who'd want that. You can always go back and it redirects you back where you were.
I don't understand what you mean by you can't search reddit. Just use an adblocker?
I don’t use ad blockers because I don’t feel like I’m entitled to get information for free because I know many of these companies rely on that revenue to stay afloat.

I can’t search Reddit as easy as before because google is pushing bs I don’t care about. It’s starting to behave like bing in the early 2010s. Even googles hugest zealots admit google search is getting worse.

I know plenty of myself included. If I click a link it opens in a new tab. It saved me the trouble of having to click open in new tab and I now have the two pages open simultaneously if I need to toggle back and forth.

So that’s definitely a you thing. And not an issue for many ppl.
 

rafark

macrumors 68000
Sep 1, 2017
1,801
3,088
Google has the best search engine hands down.
And the best desktop browser too. Google’s V8 engine was crucial for the modern web we have today. If both of these products are a monopoly it’s mostly because of their quality, regardless of privacy concerns some people have.
 

cupcakes2000

macrumors 68040
Apr 13, 2010
3,905
5,356
What better alternative there's to Google anyway?
There are several search engines which parse and deliver google results as a proxy without giving google any of your information. Searx and Startpage spring immediately to mind. Not that you can add either of them to be safari's default search engine though 🤷‍♂️
 

Osxguy

macrumors regular
Jun 23, 2010
202
294
Keizer Oregon
They ask a million and one questions when you setup a new device. Asking the user during Setup what search engine would be easy. Google creates subpar products and then just eats up whatever company tries to compete with them. If you need physical proof of what Google does go visit their disaster of downtown San Jose and all the projects on “hold.” San Jose’s fault for trusting this company to do what they should. Like we all have. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/202...s-construction-project-on-hold-after-2-years/ Take for example google calendar on the iPad. Then try and adjust the font for poor eyes. Good luck. Google by default sets up Apple mail to archive email then asks their users to pay for more storage five or six years later. They are a horrible company that uses your data and provides a very sub par product yet just like the Microsoft days we are all in a bad marriage with them. I really hate that company.
 

I7guy

macrumors Nehalem
Nov 30, 2013
34,453
24,263
Gotta be in it to win it
There are several search engines which parse and deliver google results as a proxy without giving google any of your information. Searx and Startpage spring immediately to mind. Not that you can add either of them to be safari's default search engine though 🤷‍♂️
In other words there really isn’t an alternative to google.
 

cupcakes2000

macrumors 68040
Apr 13, 2010
3,905
5,356
In other words there really isn’t an alternative to google.
No, in other words there are alternatives search engined to google that uses google's results, without google algorithms, biases or filter bubbles and without giving your data to google. I dont know how you missed that from my comment, I thought it was pretty clear.

If one wants an alternative to Googles results, then using searx one can scrape any search engine. Duck duck go uses bing. Or there is brave which is new. There are others.

The point is is that there are both alternatives to google and there are ways of using google without using google.

So to answer your question, there are really alternative to using google, yes.
 

I7guy

macrumors Nehalem
Nov 30, 2013
34,453
24,263
Gotta be in it to win it
No, in other words there are alternatives search engined to google that uses google's results, without google algorithms, biases or filter bubbles and without giving your data to google. I dont know how you missed that from my comment, I thought it was pretty clear.
That’s still using google and at some point they may switch things around.
If one wants an alternative to Googles results, then using searx one can scrape any search engine. Duck duck go uses bing. Or there is brave which is new. There are others.

The point is is that there are both alternatives to google and there are ways of using google without using google.

So to answer your question, there are really alternative to using google, yes.
See above.
 

surferfb

macrumors 6502
Nov 7, 2007
334
882
Washington DC
The only one I finder better than Google is Kagi, which requires $10/month for use, so 99.99999% of people will never consider it. I'm not even sure it's $10/month better, but would probably still use it for privacy reasons even if it was slightly worse.
 

ProbablyDylan

macrumors 6502a
Mar 26, 2024
614
1,244
Los Angeles
The only one I finder better than Google is Kagi, which requires $10/month for use, so 99.99999% of people will never consider it. I'm not even sure it's $10/month better, but would probably still use it for privacy reasons even if it was slightly worse.

For me it's been infinitely better! I get results from websites that are not content farms, can block websites I do not want to patronize, better filtering and lenses, I could keep going. Not to mention that it just feels faster.

Highly recommend it to anyone trying to escape Big Tech. We have to get used to paying for things we use if we want to stop being the product.
 
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