As we reported earlier this morning, Microsoft has officially launched its new and stripped down search result layout for its Bing service. However, the company isn"t done with its tinkering with the site. In a post on the official Bing blog, Microsoft said, "Today, we’re also testing out some new ideas for the homepage, including a larger version of the popular daily image."
The testing for the Bing home page isn"t visible for everyone yet, but if you happen to run across it, Microsoft asks that you send them some feedback on what you like or don"t like about it. The Bing home page has been one of the most distinguishing things about the site since its launch as it offers some great looking images every day. Some days, it even has some HTML5-based animations.
Speaking of HTML5, ZDNet asked Microsoft if the company has decided not to launch an HTML5-based version of Bing"s user interface. Microsoft responded with this statement:
We’re always looking at how technology can benefit the search experience – HTML5 can offer some interesting opportunities that can scale across platforms and browsers without plugins but we’re cautious about doing things simply because we can.
By the way, the new Bing search results layout is only for US users at the moment. There"s no word when it will be used in other countries. Microsoft did say that the new design is more that just cosmetic, saying, "You will also notice faster page-load times and improved relevance under the hood."