Simple Search and what it says

Don't look now, but that simplest of web activities, the search, is getting simpler. There have been a rash of articles like this one, pointing out how Bing and others are streamlining their search results pages, and pulling market share from Google.

This is part of a larger trend. As devices from computers to phones to TV's get so they can do more and more, Joe Average is more and more feeling overwhelmed by choices, and the guy who provides the most features, most simply, get's attention, and often, gets sales.

I have been experimenting lately, testing a theory I have had bouncing around in my head for some time. On one of my laptops, I dropped back to old versions of my most used software - which in my case would be Microsoft Office (where I dropped back to Office 2003), Mindjet mind mapping software (where I dropped to my 2002 version, ACDSee, Paint Shop Pro, and Chaos Software's Intellect (where I dropped back to the 1.1 version.).

What I found surprised me. I was able to do my work just fine. Oh, there was an odd feature here and there that I kind of missed, but my core work had not been enhanced at all by the updates since then. In almost a decade, nothing they had done had significantly upgraded my ability to do good work. The one exception was Chaos Software's Intellect, where they did the brilliant thing of keeping their original, powerfully simple interface intact, while adding significant workflow features. (Not an easy thing, that.)

But, I had bought the new versions, slowed down my computer with software bloat, taken the time to relearn workflow... and for what?

Interesting, the people who's software HAS changed how I work are companies that have developed a whole new way of working. Those investments have paid off for me in terms of increased efficiency or higher productivity.

I understand that companies feel a need to upgrade to keep up with the competition, but my gut tells me it's overkill, and as I asked others around me what they thought, they agreed.

I am not making the point that we should never upgrade, but I AM suggesting we think twice before we do. Look instead at the core ideas and workflow, and ask yourself, honestly, if the new upgrade really buys you more than what the new complexity costs you. My guess is that we'll be surprised at the answer.

Tom

PS - the graphic is a full sized wallpaper, if you happen to need a reminder. Click on it for the full sized version.