Does anyone else think the search button is useless?

[brianLTE]

The music identifier is huge. Especially since its tied into the Xbox music store.

Also highlight a word then hit the search button. you're welcome.

 

[Big Supes]

I use the search button all of the time. Where it's to search for something or to use Tellme in order to copy and paste what I've just spoken into an app, e.g. Nokia Drive.

 

[socialcarpet]

Not completely useless, but pretty damn close. No reason why one of the three dedicated buttons should be dedicated to Bing. If Bing sucked much less, than sure. I'd rather it be linked to IE with Google set as my homepage honestly.

At least 50% of my interaction with the search button is hitting it by accident when I am trying to do something else and then going $%#@@#! and every time I hate Bing a little bit more than I already did.

I wish Microsoft understood the way to get people to use Bing is to make it suck less, not trick them into using it by accident by putting a %#@#$@ unavoidable button that launches it on the phone.

 

[kevin2577]

If you play your games in Kid's Corner, Search and Back are deactivated, and you still are logged into the same XBOX live profile

 

[tomatoes11]

I never use it and have no urge to. I just open the IE application if I want to search something.

Having a search box on your home page along with your most used applications is the best way definitely, not that anyone here would admit it though. haha

 

[yellowjacketphoto]

nooooo its so useful! i get so much done on my lumia 920 cause it makes it easy to do. the iPhone.. meh

 

[TheDvlsAdvc8]

I don't think i used it once...i wish it was contextual search..

Originally, I think it was. They changed it to be a bing only search in WP7.5 I think.

Ever since they updated it such that you can scroll right and see news and deals and what not... I've used it quite a bit. Especially the deals.

 

[casab1anca]

This for me as well. I've used it once when I needed to scan a QR code, but that was the only time. When I search, I usually just end up searching through IE.

How does the music match work? I tried to use it for that cos I heard it can do it, but I couldnt figure out any way to do it so I just installed Shazam..

The search in IE takes you to the Bing app anyway. I've got used to just hitting the search button instead, it's much faster and it works from anywhere without having to open IE.

Bing Music is one of the 3 icons at the bottom of the screen, the others being Local Scout and Bing Vision (QR + OCR). The music search has always worked perfectly for me, even when the audio volume is quite low.

 

[masterchief1984]

I really don't think that it is useless. For one it keeps me from using Google. And the convience is excellent.

 

[GoodThings2Life]

Definitely don't feel it's useless here either... I use it on a daily basis for quick lookups for conversations, and even in meetings I find it's faster to search on the phone than most of my coworkers can find it on a PC, lol.

Also, I wouldn't call it a daily use, but I frequently use the Local Scout feature if I need to look up "yellow page info" for businesses or get directions to the nearest store. Local Scout is probably one of the best hidden gems of Windows Phone.

Lastly, I haven't used Google's malware-poisoned search results in 3 years, and honestly, I don't miss it.

 

[snakebitten]

Holy cow. I'm a ditz. I thought it was useless until this thread!

Now I have spent more than an hour mastering it! I didn't know any of this. Assumed it was just a Bing search.

New to WP. I'm starting to realize that the 920 with WP8 and a mess of Nokia apps needs very little else to function as a smart phone for me.

Phone, camera, jukebox, email, groups, scout, and these now discovered search functions....

I'm pretty much a tech savvy old geezer.

Thanks guys!

 

[kevinn206]

I find it quiet useful. Reasons for me at least include:

Bing search
...slide left once = Top headlines
...slide left again = Top videos
...slide left again = In theaters
...slide left again = Local deals
...slide left again = Local news

I find the "in theaters" and "local news" to be most useful.

Now, add in Local Scout, Bing Vision, and Bing Audio = very useful.

 

[renika t]

i use it its not a useless thing for me

 

[Darkgift]

I use it all the time. Definitely nit useless to me.

 

[venom5150]

I don't think it's useless. I use it daily and it so easy to get to. I use to use Google but the reality is, they really are both good. Better integration with Windows Phone makes Bing better I think. Also, I use the QR reader often as well as the music search "integrated shazam like function". Having Xbox music pass, I hear a song on the radio, hit search button, select the music note icon, and seconds later I am downloading that song and often times the whole album.

 

[Daniel Ratcliffe]

I don't think it's useless. I use it daily and it so easy to get to. I use to use Google but the reality is, they really are both good. Better integration with Windows Phone makes Bing better I think. Also, I use the QR reader often as well as the music search "integrated shazam like function". Having Xbox music pass, I hear a song on the radio, hit search button, select the music note icon, and seconds later I am downloading that song and often times the whole album.

Ditto uses transform. This is me as well.

 

[david90531]

hm I use it quite often. Though I still can't transition from Google to Bing right away, but Bing usually does its job. Plus I use it for QR code scanning like every day, AND the music tagging as well. So I wouldn't say it's useless at all..

 

[Villain]

I did think this BUT I use it all the time now... so much easier.

 

[JimiDiGriz]

When I first took the plunge into Windows Phone (L800) this was one of the 'wow' features for me. Use it all the time for QR codes from WPC articles, music search and a quick way to get to the internet. Also Local Scout is fantastic. Case in point, was away on business last week in the middle of nowhere just off the M1 with the temperature at minus 6 with freezing fog. Nothing to do in the evening so hooked my Playbook up to the hotel room telly to watch a movie. Quick look at Local Scout showed me a supermarket half a mile away. Got directions, quick drive out using GPS and maps, couple of cold beers and the Bourne Legacy saved me from terminal boredom and reality tv.

 

[50000]

I use it to search for stuff.

Also a long-press of the search button from the lock screen goes straight to search.