I have no strong feelings of Google Instant. I think it works well for many people and if they don't like it, they can turn it off. Personally, I don't mind it - even as an advanced searcher.
But yesterday, when Google announced Instant was now available on iPhones (iOS) and Android 2.2 devices, I had to take a look. What I discovered was that, at least on an iPhone, it is a waste of time and not a time saver.
The whole point of Google Instant is to show results instantly based on what you are typing or what you are about to type. The issue with Google Instant on an iPhone is that there is not enough screen real estate to show you the search results as you type.
For example, here is a screen shot of Google Instant in portait mode on my iPhone. You can barely see a piece of the ad:
If you turn your device in landscape mode, forget about seeing even a piece of the search results.
So what is the point of instant results on an iPhone when you can't see them?
Yea, Google let's you easily turn it off, which is what I did. But what's the point? Am I missing it?
I will say, it does look better on an Android device, especially the ones with the larger screens. Here is a video:
Forum discussion at Google Blogoscopd Forums and more coverage at Techmeme.
