Google’s new feature a mixed bag of results

Yesterday, web giant Google debuted its latest feature: Google Instant. Instant generates results as you type, creating a set of real-time search results before you can even hit “search” or “I’m feeling lucky.” According to the company, Instant can save two to five seconds in a search. “Start typing and results appear right before your eyes,” the function’s official page reads. “Until now, you had to type a full search term, hit return, and hope for the right results.”

Yes, because that took so long.

Google is the search giant of the Internet, and search results previously came in at a fraction of a second. Reactions have been mixed — with privacy complaints already emerging — but so far the buzz has been mostly positive.

Yet how necessary is this feature? While it is great that tech giants such as Google are continuing to innovate with a focus on real-time data, is the company just reinventing the wheel? And why not simply use this as an update to Google proper instead of creating it as an optional add-on?

Although there are still many unanswered questions about the new feature and a long way to go before a true experience-based consensus can be formed, one thing is clear: Google is still the fastest search engine out there.