Microsoft has unveiled the Bing app for Windows 8, touting speed as one of its strong points.
“Based on the modern design principles of Windows 8, Bing provides elements like autosuggest, search results, and fluid navigation using tap and swipe,” says David Lindheimer of the Bing Apps and Experiences Team. “Fast and fluid scrolling through the continuous horizontal list of results with a swipe of your finger is immediately satisfying. Rich answers like the one below provide instant fulfillment of your search intent. Your eyes quickly pick up the differences amongst search results based on smart captions and image previews, so that the first tap or click into a result yields just what you’re looking for.”
The app, according to Microsoft, is more visual as well. This has always been one of Bing’s strong points, and that continues with the app.
“We take pride in the craft of building a great Windows 8 app,” says Lindheimer. “Bing’s iconic homepage and hover points are a big part of the app experience. And Bing’s image search just got a lot more immersive. When you’re looking for that perfect photo on the web, Bing brings back a comprehensive collage listing of images. Tapping or clicking on any one of them takes you to a full-screen preview. A simple swipe of the finger lets you scroll through the next set of results.”
Users can begin a Bing search from anywhere in Windows 8. Bing uses Snap to present the list of search results side by side with the browser, so you don’t have to leave search, while browsing pages.
The Bing app will open up other Bing-powered apps on Windows 8 when appropriate (Maps, Weather, News, Finance, Sports, Travel):
Here’s a five-minute video from the Bing team discussing the app further:
Windows 8 will be fully available this fall, and Microsoft says Bing will have additional (but unspecified) capabilities by then.