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Aug. 29, 2007

For the past few months, Microsoft has been testing a new visual search engine called Tafiti. The Redmond giant has launched a beta version of a new search engine based on the metaphor of a library desktop.

Some observers are saying that Microsoft is experimenting again, this time with a new project dubbed tafiti.

Tafiti actually means Swahili. It means “to do research”.

Users will have to install a program called SilverLight in order to use it. Silverlight is a cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in for delivering the next generation of .Net based media experiences and rich interactive applications for the Internet, according to Microsoft.

Some still say it's a visually appealing search engine. It offers users a catalog card for a search box, and users can save results on virtual shelves. They can also gather results in stacks and label them.

A tree view is also available that organizes results into visual clusters.

Users can also adjust how many results are shown, using a slider bar located beneath the tree.

However, some bloggers have had some nasty comments about Tafiti. Here's one of them from a Blog-o-Scope user: "if you’re looking for a search engine that requires a plug-in, disables your back button, won’t allow you to right-click URLs to copy them, needs pop-ups enabled, and doesn’t let you use your mouse wheel to scroll, look no further than Tafiti."

Indeed, Tafiti is a bit troublesome... There are also some design flaws that may even crash your browser.

As is always the case with a beta version, you have to expect some bugs in any software that is initially released to the public, especially in its beta format.

Microsoft deserves a bit of credit for thinking outside-of-the-the box, and experimenting with new opportunities that innovative Internet technologies can offer.

This is not the first visually-enhanced search engine from Microsoft, but it's certainly controversial.

Overall, Tafiti supports Windows Vista and Windows XP SP-2, including Microsoft Internet Explorer 6, Windows Internet Explorer 7, Mozilla Firefox 1.5.0.8, and Firefox 2.0.x.

On Apple Mac OS X you may use Firefox 1.5.0.8, Firefox 2.0.x or Apple Safari 2.0.4.

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Source: Yahoo News