Google has announced improvements to its search functionality on tablet devices. As is typically the rule in user interfaces, “the simpler the better,” and Google has taken large steps in that direction.
Like many of Google’s recent Web changes, the buttons and results types (images, places, videos, etc.) have increased in size. This should be welcome news for those of us with thicker digits who complain of constant fat fingerings.
The navigation bar that once resided on the left-hand side of the screen will disappear, freeing up more real estate for display. For image results, Google has not only improved loading times, but allowed for better thumbnails and previews, and enabled continuous scroll.
These changes are supposed to roll out over the coming days to iPad and Android 3.1+ tablets, so don’t get impatient if your tablet has not updated yet.
Not that Google needed to strengthen its hold on the search market, and not that the functionality on the tablet was that poor to begin with, but even these little tweaks are certainly indicative of the Internet giant’s constant focus on improving the search experience. Facebook investor (and amateur rock musician) Robert McNamee recently claimed that more search, roughly 50 percent, takes place outside Google, on sites like Match.com or Realtor.com, than Google would care to admit.
Even still, with little tweaks like this it’s clear that Google still does all that it can to keep people happily entering terms into the search bar.
