Apple held talks with DuckDuckGo to replace Alphabet's Google as the default search engine for the private mode on Apple's Safari browser, the Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the discussions.
I’ve been trying to use DDG but honestly it sucks. I can’t imagine Apple switching to it, it would just make things worse for users, who commonly can’t figure out how to switch defaults. I think it’s just a negotiating point.
I found this too. After the reddit fiasco, I found DDG to have no downside. The search syntax is a little different (google’s is better) but the outputs arent radically different.
What difficulties are you finding with it and are you switching from Google? The results are as custom as Google given they haven’t scraped your life history so wondering if that’s it? I’ve been using DDG without any issues. About once every 6 months I struggle to find something so try the Google bang but have never found better results. In fact, I was shocked last time how crap the Google results were, just full of AI generated crap and SEO based crap.
To be honest, DDG is also struggling with that now as it’s based on Bing. I have been trying a public searxg but not found it very good so far.
I love DDG and use it as my default, but there’s no doubt that its index is shallower and its semantic matching can’t compare to Google’s. I’m a biogeochemist and spend a lot of time coding in R. Google is just better at surfacing rare science articles/blogs and stackoverflow pages where my query doesn’t match exactly, but it is a relevant result. I use DDG for my personal searching and Google for professional searching
Anyone who thinks Apple Maps is garbage isn’t comparing A/B with Google Maps regularly. At least not in the areas I drive.
Door Dash defaults to Google Maps for directions, and when I Dash and use Google the routing is always poor and seemingly unaware of construction, road blocks, and traffic jams. It also sometimes asks me to make turns in places that aren’t streets and recommends U Turns where they are illegal. I’ve encountered none of that with Apple Maps.
Apple tried to get me to turn into a dead-end, concrete wall once. Never used it again. But that was years ago, so if they’ve improved that’s great to hear! Google Maps plays this game where it tries to act as traffic control. It’ll only show options for paths I know to be super crappy to take at certain times of day, but won’t show an alternate (not so secret) path I KNOW to be better. I’ll start heading the alternate way and lo and behold, it cuts off 5 mins or whatever from the ETA. So stupid.
Sometimes I’m too lazy to copy and paste an address into Google maps, and use Apple Maps. Every time I regret it. And exactly the opposite of what you said apple fails to see road closures and detours. While missing so many other things google has had for 15 years.
I primarily use it. What sucks about it? It isn’t as flashy without those little quick answers that Google throws together, but those are garbage a lot of the time anyway imo. Otherwise, I don’t really have any issues finding what I need that I can think of
I’ve been trying to use DDG but honestly it sucks. I can’t imagine Apple switching to it, it would just make things worse for users, who commonly can’t figure out how to switch defaults. I think it’s just a negotiating point.
Google search has been fundamentally broken for at least two years. When the protests started on Reddit 90% of Google’s search results we’re broken.
I found this too. After the reddit fiasco, I found DDG to have no downside. The search syntax is a little different (google’s is better) but the outputs arent radically different.
What difficulties are you finding with it and are you switching from Google? The results are as custom as Google given they haven’t scraped your life history so wondering if that’s it? I’ve been using DDG without any issues. About once every 6 months I struggle to find something so try the Google bang but have never found better results. In fact, I was shocked last time how crap the Google results were, just full of AI generated crap and SEO based crap.
To be honest, DDG is also struggling with that now as it’s based on Bing. I have been trying a public searxg but not found it very good so far.
I love DDG and use it as my default, but there’s no doubt that its index is shallower and its semantic matching can’t compare to Google’s. I’m a biogeochemist and spend a lot of time coding in R. Google is just better at surfacing rare science articles/blogs and stackoverflow pages where my query doesn’t match exactly, but it is a relevant result. I use DDG for my personal searching and Google for professional searching
Results suck, it can’t find anything. I really don’t think it’s related to lack of browsing history.
That didn’t stop them from plowing ahead with Apple Maps, even though its debut was total garbage.
Debut and still is garbage.
There’s a reason why Apple users have both installed.
Does Apple Maps even have reviews?
Anyone who thinks Apple Maps is garbage isn’t comparing A/B with Google Maps regularly. At least not in the areas I drive.
Door Dash defaults to Google Maps for directions, and when I Dash and use Google the routing is always poor and seemingly unaware of construction, road blocks, and traffic jams. It also sometimes asks me to make turns in places that aren’t streets and recommends U Turns where they are illegal. I’ve encountered none of that with Apple Maps.
Apple tried to get me to turn into a dead-end, concrete wall once. Never used it again. But that was years ago, so if they’ve improved that’s great to hear! Google Maps plays this game where it tries to act as traffic control. It’ll only show options for paths I know to be super crappy to take at certain times of day, but won’t show an alternate (not so secret) path I KNOW to be better. I’ll start heading the alternate way and lo and behold, it cuts off 5 mins or whatever from the ETA. So stupid.
Sometimes I’m too lazy to copy and paste an address into Google maps, and use Apple Maps. Every time I regret it. And exactly the opposite of what you said apple fails to see road closures and detours. While missing so many other things google has had for 15 years.
I primarily use it. What sucks about it? It isn’t as flashy without those little quick answers that Google throws together, but those are garbage a lot of the time anyway imo. Otherwise, I don’t really have any issues finding what I need that I can think of
I find the results suck donkey balls.