Non Google Search Options

Non-Google search options:

If I could Frankenstein together the ultimate search engine, it would have the classy interface of Ask.com, the slang capabilities of YubNub, the page-preview functions of iRazoo, ChaCha's "video wall," and a Digg-like promote/demote feature. (It would also find me a cure for myopia, an affordable health-care plan, and a date for Friday night.) I could do without ChaCha's "live guides," but I plan to recommend the service to my grandmother.

Of course, most people would trade all these features for one simple, reliable, do-everything search box. That's why none of these sites is likely to conquer Google anytime soon. (It's also why people are so excited about nascent "natural language" search technology, which lets you ask questions in plain English.) But as we become more adept at navigating the Web, more people are going to want more control over their search settings.