A Girl's Guide to Google Versus Yahoo!

During my college years (1999 - 2004), I used Yahoo! for everything from e-mail and temporary file storage to a customized place for news, weather, etc. In 2005, I even created a Yahoo! 360 blog as well as an avatar. However, the more I dug into all that Google has to offer, the happier I've become with their services. Even though there is nothing wrong with Yahoo!'s services, I personally believe that it is wise to choose Google as your web 2.0 home. Here are some reasons why:

1. Innovation, innovation, and more innovation. I've read articles in which it is stated that Google has been playing catch up with Yahoo! for quite some time. The tide has now turned. If you are so inclined, you can check out Google labs. It allows you to have the opportunity to try out new applications in development, as well as provide valuable feedback to the developers. It is my belief that this system has led to quality applications that have slowly been spreading via word of mouth.

2. Gmail. Google has been taken to task for its launch of Gmail in 2004 by magazines such as Business 2.0, but I believe that this treatment in the media is undeserved. The criticism of Gmail was that it isn't as user-friendly as Yahoo! Mail. This may be a matter of opinion, but I find Gmail to be just as user-friendly as Yahoo! Mail - once you understand the new features created by Google. Gmail's innovative features are precisely why it is better than Yahoo! Mail in my opinion. For example, Gmail has an insane amount of storage. It allows you to create tags for e-mail from certain e-mail addresses. These tags are then accessible as your inbox. Simply click on your tag, and all of your e-mails from one particular address is right at your finger tips. It is easier to set up than you think. Also, you can use the innovative search features to bring up a chain of e-mails. Finally, there are options that allow you to delete all of your trash or spam at once. No need to select all and then delete - hoping that it selected everything in the folder and not just what is on the page. It is easy to keep the account clean. That is probably what I like best about Gmail, and Google in general - clean lines! You no longer have to be invited to join. There is now an option that allows you to request an invitation to membership.

3. Customizable Homepage. I didn't know about this feature for quite some time, but it is what lead me to use Google as my new home-base on the web. Simply click the customize homepage option near the top of the page. If you sign up for Gmail, you simply use your e-mail address and password to sign in, much like Yahoo!. Once you decide to customize, you have a dizzying array of options with regards to content and you can add up to 6 distinct pages. I have everything from news, a calendar, games, and much more. Yahoo! has quite a variety of content, but it doesn't even come close to Google. Once again, I prefer the cleaner look of Google to Yahoo!.

4. Blogger.com. You've probably heard about blogger by now. Quite simply, there is no comparing Yahoo! 360 to blogger. Blogger is a destination in and of itself. It could be another Yahoo! or Google on its own - IF Google didn't already have it in its arsenal. Yahoo! 360 is just cluttered and confusing. You can't customize it nearly as well. If Yahoo! is going to compete, it is going to have to do better.

5. Froogle. My boyfriend turned me on to this one. It is like Amazon.com on steroids. It will simply search the ENTIRE 'net, including Amazon.com, for the best deal. It pulls up a lot of unique web stores. With Froogle, you'll never pay too much. Again, Yahoo! just doesn't compete in this category.

Even though I've really been harsh on Yahoo! in this article, Yahoo! still does a few things better than Google. That includes Yahoo! Messenger as well as Yahoo! Local. I doubt that I'll ever replace Yahoo! Messenger. It is just a good messenger that has tons of users. Google has a new messenger now too, but I don' t think that the users are there yet. As for Yahoo! Local, I haven't come across a Google alternative yet. Yahoo! Local provides information and reviews for local business - based upon your zip code. It is handy - and you can provide your own feedback as well.

So, my advice is this. If you are on the internet a good share of your day at home, work, and/or school, then you might want to consider spending an hour or two to customize a home on the web. Once you sign up for Google services, it is easy to customize your Google homepage. It is worth the effort!