(OT) Looking for a better Search Engine than Google

Google has really been going down hill lately, as far as their search engine. My point in posting this is not to criticise Google, but rather get opinions regarding what search engine(s) work better. I'm on a slow internet connection, so just trying all of the hundreds of them is not really an option.

What lead to this post is wide ranged, but my latest instance was the final resort and final aggravation from using Google. What occurred is this:

In the very early 2000s, there was a program developed called "Vusic". I visualizer, which makes the screen "dance" in colors to the beat of music. (Programs like Media Player, Winamp, etc have similar things included).

Anyhow, this "Vusic" was far better than most, and I really like it. It was designed to run on Windows 95, 98, 2000, and XP. (I'm not sure if it works on newer versions of Windows). [It was also released for Macintosh computers]. Better yet, it runs well on older hardware, without bogging down the computer.

Unfortunately, this program has been abandoned, and the company that created it, no longer exists. Even their website is gone, and I found some information showing that the copyright was also abandoned.

Several years ago, I downloaded the installer for this program, (first version [1.0]). It was a time limited 30 day trial. Awhile back, I tried it and found I really liked it, so I decided to pay the $20 registration fee, only to discover it was abandoned and since the website was gone, it could not be registered. However, I did find that I could keep using it, as long as I set my system clock back to the date I installed it. Since then, I found a "hack" which someone did, to make it work without changing the clock/date on the computer.

Getting back to my original problem with Google, is this: I know there was a later version [2.3] released. I googled "Download Vusic", and every damn time, Google refuses to give me results for the word "vusic" and instead gives me results for "Download Music". That results in giving me millions of websites to download MUSIC. Talk about annoying....... Google simply refuses to give me the results for the word "VUSIC". WHY CANT GOOGLE DO WHAT I AM ASKING IT TO DO????

Anyhow, I know that 99% of the sites I have found, such as Tucows, and other "Download sites", send me to the original website for "Vusic", and that site no longer exists.

In the end, I'm just trying to locate the newer version [2.3] of this program, and hopefully a "cracked" version of the demo, which will continue to work. I dont normally try to use "cracked" software, because the people who create it, need to be paid for their work. However, in this case, there is no other way to get the program, and since I really like the program, and it's no longer copyrighted, I would like to get the newest version for personal use.

However, Google is worthless in trying to find it, when all it does is give me the results for the word "Music". I'm sure this program exists somewhere on the internet, but where? and Google is worthless when it refuses to search for "vusic" and instead gives me results for "music".

Is there another search engine that will actually do what I am asking?

Reply to
Paintedcow
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Google is the best I've found

but if you don't like it, try Bing

Reply to
philo

Do you mean that you want Google to find this:

formatting link

I searched for vusic screen visualizer

Google came back with:

Including results for music screen visualizer Search only for vusic screen visualizer

I clicked on the "Search only" link and the cqcounter page was the first hit.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

On Wednesday, March 16, 2016 at 11:20:02 AM UTC-4, snipped-for-privacy@unlisted.moo

It's operator error.

When you do a google search, if it thinks you meant something else, it's a typing error, it will initially give you the search results fo what it thinks you probably meant, but it gives you a spot to click to make it search for exactly what you typed instead.

In this case, searching for "vusic download", it says "searching for "music download" instead. And right below it has a spot to click to "search for vusic download" instead. Click on that, it does your search for "vusic download".

Reply to
trader_4

EDIT:

If you follow any of the hits found via the "Search only for vusic screen visualizer" you will be taken to sites that *mention* vusic.com, but it appears that vusic.com is no longer an active site.

So, your problem appears to be two-fold:

1 - You are not using Google correctly (i.e. not using the Search Only link) 2 - vusic.com is not available

I don't #2 is a problem with Google, I think it's a problem with vusic and/ or vusic.com.

However, my enhanced search skills led me to softpedia where it *appears* that Vusic 2.5 is available. There's a link for a Trial version of a $42.95 paid version. However Part 2, the page appears to have been last updated in March

2008.

I'll leave it up to you to try the links found at softpedia, I choose not to.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

Another alternative, if you know, or suspect, Google will auto-correct a word like *vusic*, is to put the word in quotes on first try; ie, download "vusic". Then you get only hits with vusic. And a line asking "Did you mean *music* ?"

Reply to
Retired

Another very useful feature I learned is that you can restrict google to searching only on a specific website. Some websites have their own search for example, but often it sucks and can't find stuff, where using google can. To search just one website "goodstuff.com" for "xyz" you put

xyz site:goodstuff.com

into google search

Reply to
trader_4

formatting link
if it ain't here, you probably don't need it

Reply to
ChairMan

There isn't one, IMO.

Though, you can try Bing, Ask, Yahoo, AOL, Excite, DuckDuckGo and there are more.

Reply to
Meanie

DerbyDad03 posted for all of us...

From the questions this guy asks I didn't think he knew Google existed. He never does any research on anything prior to spouting off.

If there is any problem it's operator error...

Reply to
Tekkie®

And yet here you are criticizing google.

Reply to
Porky Pig

When I enter download vusic in google, it gives

Showing results for download music Search instead for download vusic

And when I click on the last two words, it gives just that.

Reply to
Micky

Is (is is is) there (there there there) an (an an an) echo (echo echo echo) in (in in in) here? (here? here? here?)

Reply to
DerbyDad03

HUH????????

Reply to
Paintedcow

You're right. I had tried putting both words in quotes and that did not work. I still cant understand why google can not do what a person asks it to do. It reminds me a bratty child who refuses to do what it's told. If I wanted it to search for MUSIC, I would have typed the word MUSIC.

Anyhow, I learned a new trick. Thanks!

Reply to
Paintedcow

For some reason, I get an error that says "The connection was refused when attempting to contact cqcounter.com". I'm not sure why. I tried three browsers too. Apparently my ISP has that site blocked, or else that site is not working ????????????

Reply to
Paintedcow

No one asked for your critical comments from the peanut gallery!

Reply to
Paintedcow

============

When I click on the last two words in that line, "download vusic", that's what the results are for, "download vusic".

Reply to
Micky

Nothing wrong with the Google. They provide an amazing array of services in exchange for your surfing habits.

Reply to
cheezwhiz

Might be your ISP. At a minimum it's on your end because it works for me on 2 different ISP's, 2 different browsers, 2 different devices., etc.

But it doesn't matter, because just like many other sites that *mention* vusic.com, none of them get you there. It does not appear that the site is active any more.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

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