Number 8: KartOO.com
USER RATING: 3.6 Stars out of 5KartOO is a French-based meta search engine, and a delightful twist on searching! Although lacking in database size, KartOO shines with its graphical presentation. By using a visual "mindmap" to display its results, users can see how keywords branch out to specific hits. You can even customize how the map displays on your screen! If you're not in a hurry to do your searching, then try this beautiful Flash interface!
PROS: KartOO is beautiful to look at, and its interface can be customized nicely
CONS: Not for instant searching; KartOO also needs another two years of database indexing to augment its catalog size.
USERS' COMMENTS::"Very cool!". "I love the mindmapping". "Excellent graphics".
EDITOR'S COMMENT: KartOO is building a niche for itself. Watch for this service to become big within 3 years.
Number 7: MSN.com
USER RATING: 3.8 Stars out of 5MSN.com, along with MSN.ca, is more than just a search engine; it is a full-fledged "portal" that provides consumer services to the user. It has the financial backing of the gargantuan Microsoft Corporation, and is integrated right into your IE browser toolbar.
PROS: Easy for IE users to call up; Microsoft is hiring away Google developers; sponsored links are fully disclosed on the page.
CONS: Many web users don't want searching to become about software; MSN vs. Google is starting to feel like Microsoft vs. Netscape.
USERS' COMMENTS:: "I really like the news feeds and articles". "Good shopping and links".
EDITOR'S COMMENT: If you don't mind having your PC taken over by Microsoft, then there are many consumer reasons to use the MSN search portal.
Next: Top Search Engines, Numbers 6 and 5...
