Search Faster and Easier with Sputtr

With all of the hype and attention that Google has been getting for every single move it makes, it is somewhat refreshing to see an innovative, useful search tool come along that is not associated with the billion-dollar giant.

There are so many search engines and websites with databases full of information that, often, it is hard to decide where to start. For instance, if you want to find a news story, you might begin with Google News, but to find an actress, you would probably start at IMDb. With so many decisions it can be hard keeping up with all of the choices, which is where Sputtr steps in to provide a solution.

Sputtr provides one central place where you can do all of your searching. It gives you one search box to type your query into, and then you must select which engine to search, using the wide selection of search engine icons available directly under the search box.

The site states that "with Sputtr you can save valuable time by having all the right searches on just one page!" It is simple and easy-to-use, which has led to Sputtr being my new browser homepage of choice.

Upon first visit, Sputtr starts you off with a default set of buttons just under the large, easy-to-locate search box. The user interface has a great design that leaves every element in plain view. The icons for each of the search engines are very legible and easy to identify. If you do have any confusion about what search a certain button leads you to, just hover over the icon and the name is displayed above the search box. I found this a very thoughtful addition.

Google is set as the default search engine, which will prevent this service from providing competition to Google. Actually, I found myself searching through Google faster by clicking the appropriate Google icon on Sputtr, instead of performing a basic text search at Google.com and then selecting which search I want to use (News, Blogs, Images, etc.).

With Sputtr, users have the option of registering, but it is not required. Even without an account I was able to access the page customization features. There, I found myself with the ability to rearrange the search engine icons into any desired order. Also, there were several more search engine options that could be added to my customized home page, and you can make sure that all search results are opened in a new window or tab.

Since discovering Sputtr, I haven't initiated as many searches at Google, although much of my searching is still done through Google, as their are icons for Google News, Google Images, Google Maps and more.

There are plenty of available search engines to choose from, and new ones are constantly being added. If one of your favorites is missing, you can request that it be added.

If you are ready to cut down on the time you spend searching, Sputtr would make a great first move. Set it as your homepage, and when you load your browser you will find yourself searching more, finding content faster, and typing URLs less.