Apple working on a search engine: rumour

Stephen Withers
Friday, 14 November 2008 02:10

Opinion and Analysis

Could Apple be preparing to split from Google and enter the search engine business?

It's always interesting when someone simultaneously brings public attention to a rumour and largely shoots down their own report.

TechCrunch's sources say Apple is working on a search engine "of some sort." But writer Michael Arrington's analysis is that it isn't - but that the company may be working on a new search front end for the iPod and iPhone.

His reasoning is that there's no sign of an exodus of staff from search companies to Apple. "That alone almost certainly rules out a full on search competitor. You can't do it without people who know what they’re doing," he says.

Maybe. But as far as generating relevant search results is concerned, what would be the point of doing the same old thing. If someone said to you "our results are just as good as Google's," would that be enough to make you switch?

So a would-be search player needs something new. If existing search experts had something new they'd probably already be implementing it for their existing employers.

Were Sergey Brin and Larry Page working in the search industry before they founded Google? No, they were graduate students.

What might this rumour be based on? See page 2.