Google speed
June 16th 2011 20:37
"We're obsessed with speed," said Google's Amit Singhal. "We call speed the killer app. None of us have enough time, and last year's Google Instant was one of the biggest improvements we've made in getting information to users quicker."
Obsessed with speed? I'm so obsessed with it I didn't even realise Google had something called Google Instant. I hadn't even noticed, in fact. Oh, dear!
Well, if you had noticed Google Instant, or given it more than a fleeting nanosecond of your increasingly precious time, you'll need also to notice that Google has gone a step further and are introducing something called Instant PagesYour text goes here, in which Google anticipates which page you want and will load it before you've finished typing your query.
Okay, I think that sounds pretty creepy, but, on the other hand, it's also rather cool. If it works well. Imagine having a page loading while your typing that isn't at all what you want. I don't need to give examples; I'm sure you can come up with plenty of ideas for yourself.
Instant pages are designed to cut a phenomenal 2 to 5 seconds off your search time. Do we really sit there tapping our fingers on the computer desk while waiting 2 to 5 seconds for results to appear on our screens? And couldn't we actually put those 2 to 5 seconds to better use than worrying about whether things are loading fast enough?
In New Zealand, where we're restricted in terms of broadband speed because of our limited access to overseas sites, waiting 2-5 second would be probably considered pretty fantastic. While talking to a friend on Skype last night I tried to load Picnik, so I could tell her how she could use it. By the time it had loaded we'd sorted out the problem and got onto something else.
Okay, it was an isolated occasion, but it's what happens in the evenings around here, when everyone gets home from work and starts reading their emails and uploading and downloading stuff.
On the other hand, in the morning, I'd had to re-download Evernote, because for some reason the programme vanished off the computer when I asked for it to be upgraded to its next level. At first I was told it was going to take and hour and 35 minutes to download the programme again. I don't know who was using what in the house (which is what usually causes problems) but an hour and a half is like, so, 1985....
In the end it downloaded quite happily at normal speed, and I caught the bus I thought I'd miss after all.
Google may be obsessed with speed; most of us are just happy to find the site actually loads in the first place.
Obsessed with speed? I'm so obsessed with it I didn't even realise Google had something called Google Instant. I hadn't even noticed, in fact. Oh, dear!
Well, if you had noticed Google Instant, or given it more than a fleeting nanosecond of your increasingly precious time, you'll need also to notice that Google has gone a step further and are introducing something called Instant PagesYour text goes here, in which Google anticipates which page you want and will load it before you've finished typing your query.
Okay, I think that sounds pretty creepy, but, on the other hand, it's also rather cool. If it works well. Imagine having a page loading while your typing that isn't at all what you want. I don't need to give examples; I'm sure you can come up with plenty of ideas for yourself.
Instant pages are designed to cut a phenomenal 2 to 5 seconds off your search time. Do we really sit there tapping our fingers on the computer desk while waiting 2 to 5 seconds for results to appear on our screens? And couldn't we actually put those 2 to 5 seconds to better use than worrying about whether things are loading fast enough?
In New Zealand, where we're restricted in terms of broadband speed because of our limited access to overseas sites, waiting 2-5 second would be probably considered pretty fantastic. While talking to a friend on Skype last night I tried to load Picnik, so I could tell her how she could use it. By the time it had loaded we'd sorted out the problem and got onto something else.
Okay, it was an isolated occasion, but it's what happens in the evenings around here, when everyone gets home from work and starts reading their emails and uploading and downloading stuff.
On the other hand, in the morning, I'd had to re-download Evernote, because for some reason the programme vanished off the computer when I asked for it to be upgraded to its next level. At first I was told it was going to take and hour and 35 minutes to download the programme again. I don't know who was using what in the house (which is what usually causes problems) but an hour and a half is like, so, 1985....
In the end it downloaded quite happily at normal speed, and I caught the bus I thought I'd miss after all.
Google may be obsessed with speed; most of us are just happy to find the site actually loads in the first place.
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