Google Updates iPad Search Experience

[MacRumors]

Google today announced that it is rolling out several enhancements to the google.com search experience on the iPad and other tablets, simplifying page layouts and increasing the size of objects on the page to make for more prominent touch targets.

The search button located below the search box provides quick access to specific types of results like Images, Videos, Places, Shopping and more. Just tap to open the search menu and select an option to see results in one category.

For image results, we focused on improvements that enhance the viewing experience such as enlarged image previews, continuous scroll, and faster loading of image thumbnails.

Google has deployed enhancements and new features for the iPad on a frequent basis since the device's introduction, but of course is now also putting a priority on tablets running its own Android operating system. The new search features will be making their way to both platforms across 36 languages in the coming days.

Article Link: Google Updates iPad Search Experience

[beangibbs]

The thing is...I haven't had any problems with touching search results on my iPad. If I wanted to see my results bigger, I would have pinch zoomed the screen.

[Northgrove]

Cool, now let's see some work for the iPad G+ experience. And the iPhone experience. The app lacks numerous features in the web UI. Some pretty essential, like sharing links.

But without going more off-topic, I like this development, with Google reaching out to competitors like iPad. Although I don't doubt this is a rather "timely" refresh for Google's attempt to push Android tablets this fall. And who am I to blame them for trying to compete, if it benefits others too.

[KamuiVII]

the new code in the url says

p&sclient=tablet-gws&tbo=d&site

where as on a computer it says

p&sclient=psy&site

just another way of google tracking us

[number9]

Originally Posted by Northgrove

But without going more off-topic, I like this development, with Google reaching out to competitors like iPad. Although I don't doubt this is a rather "timely" refresh for Google's attempt to push Android tablets this fall. And who am I to blame them for trying to compete, if it benefits others too.

Google doesn't really care what operating system your tablet, PC, or smart phone runs. All they care about is that you use their services and generate ad revenue. Android isn't about selling mobile phones for Google, they give it away and/or pay the carriers and phone manufacturers to use the OS to generate more people using their services. All of this leads to $$$$$$ from ads.

Google will support things like this for iOS as long as it is a relevant player in the mobile operating system market.

[nagromme]

This looks nice—but PLEASE fix Google image search on iPhones! The UI doesn’t quite fit the screen, so you sometimes end up swiping to nudge it up or down. And those scroll-swipes are registered as clicks, taking you to one of the images! Ugh.

[TheGenerous]

It's a good redesign. I'd like it more if the buttons were a bit smaller or perhaps included in the top-black bar

[technologylive]

Nice. But where is the 'In cache' button?

[itsalexaye]

Atleast Mac Rumors used a picture of Google Search on an iPad instead of a Xoom Like TiPb did.

[MartinAW]

Originally Posted by KamuiVII

the new code in the url says



where as on a computer it says



just another way of google tracking us

Any website can track what device you're posting on, very easily... The only reason it displays that URL is because it already knows and needs to display the correct website

[TheGenerous]

Originally Posted by itsalexaye

Atleast Mac Rumors used a picture of Google Search on an iPad instead of a Xoom Like TiPb did.

lol, indeed y friend

[cozmot]

Originally Posted by MartinAW

Any website can track what device you're posting on, very easily... The only reason it displays that URL is because it already knows and needs to display the correct website

I agree, we're being tracked everywhere. But if someone cares that much, subscribe to a personal VPN or use an anonymous browsing site.

[cozmot]

Nice. Google keeps making incremental changes, but they're always good ones. I'm waiting for the Chrome browser for iOS.

[Spanky Deluxe]

I'm not such a fan of this redesign. It only displays a few results on the screen now, there's a hell of a lot of wasted space.

[de3an]

This new interface doesn't work for me. It looks like it was designed for the iPhone, and so, doesn't take advantage of the iPad's larger screen.

When initially loading the Google home page, the iPad keyboard will not stay activated in landscape mode (my preferred mode). In order to type in a search term you must first rotate the iPad to portrait mode. After the first search, the Google page is altered enough to allow the keyboard to function in landscape mode again, but this is quite awkward and annoying.

[hengrui123]

i want to have one ipad . but nowadays, i can not afford it . i am short of money very much.....

[2 Owls]

The new google on iPad is s*** I'm going with Yahoo from now on

Google tablet search is garbage.

[blacker-s]

sorry if this thread is dead or cold at least... i'm a newbie.

this is the text i posted on the google blog page about the changes...

Hello...
I've been following the progress (or lack of progress) with this tablet-google-search change over last few days... see earlier posts.

It's annoying because I'm using an iPad. I too hate the change.

I was searching for the news looking for media stories that relate to people not wanting the change and found an interesting link.

Maybe Google doesn't want the "reverse reverse reverse" to happen because it wants to keep tablet users in neat little boxes for advertisers...

text directly taken from a different google blog (details below)...
"...tablet users can experience an optimized version of Google Search designed to maximize the screen real estate of a tablet..."

"... here are some ways in which you can make use of AdWords account features to review and manage tablet ad performance:
....the ability to target tablet devices in Campaign Settings, offering greater control over specific tablet device types and the ability to target specific types of tablet users."

"All campaigns targeting tablet devices will show on this new tablet-optimized search experience."

Really... screen real estate?
tablet ad performance?
Do iPad users think we're going to get old google back now? when google ad revenue is at risk?

It's also weird that with the link below, the "new google seach experience for tablets" is called "new google search ads experience"...
notice the spelling of ads - as in adverts.

Things to make you go hmmm... search for the google blog with these words.

new google search ads experience

link:http://googlemobileads.blogspot.com/...ience-for.html

if the link disappears, I've taken iPad screen grabs.
Not that i'm paranoid that this email will be "removed by author"

Blackers

I may be wrong but the new google tablet experience may be here to stay.

[Mac Heretic]

The post above is quite revealing. The new Google search makes an effort to put manipulated picks ahead anything else. That is the way Google planned it and that's the way they implemented it.

As a result, it simultaneously made itself useless in tablets.

I made a mental jump and switched to Bing. It is easy, a true iPad experience. Open your Google, search for a Bing (or Yahoo), jump to the page and iPad will ask, if you want to set it as a default.

I was surprised, that there were still good alternatives to Google. I'm actually happy that they went for something like this before it would have been too late. The same stategy - "search ads experience", is more and more probable in desktops, I'm afraid.

[NoStopN]

Hey Mac, the iPad has a section in the settings menu where you can manually switch your search engine. I chose Yahoo because I've used their email services long before I ever had a Gmail account.

[HLW]

Originally Posted by 2 Owls

Google tablet search is garbage.

Yes, it's useless now. I assume they tested it only on very low resolution screens or something, there is so much wasted space on an iPad screen.

I've had to switch to another search engine, for the first time in about a decade!

[bigdee2397]

I don't know how much of you are into humor but I bet some of you would love to win an iPad2

Google want's to control and change everything. They are the Walmart of the web!

[roxywatson001]

Its great. Thanks for giving me such a great information about that.

[blacker-s]

Update.
Google have finally included a choice...

tablet | classic

at the bottom.

However, you still are forced into tablet mode first though.
Still not intirely happy with layout. It is still not classic Google before the revamp. The side bar still wastes a lot of space for little benefit. Thumbnail pictures are tiny compared to what they used to be. One beneit is Pinch to zoom now works again.

Still may stick with Bing / Yahoo.
I'm actually starting to like the 'omg' news snipets on Yahoo's home page.

[APlotdevice]

I don't have an issue with the layout myself. However the keyboard glitch is annoying.