Do you often use Instant Preview (webpage thumbnail next to the search results' snippet)? And on mobile? Are you annoyed when they pop-up with no action on your part? |
As far as I am concerned they are sometimes useful and for some search queries I even prefer using them over opening the entire page, however in general they are entirely pointless, but as they don't slow down the page I don't really mind. |
I've seen thousands of previews but used them less than 5 times. I've never opennded one on Android/iPhone even though it makes more sense on such devices. Fortunately, it isn't that annoying. I wonder how much it costs Google to develop and maintain if it's used once in a year by 0.001% of their users. Or are there other use cases for all those previews? |
I can't remember ever having found a use for them. Doesn't do anything for me except clutter the page, but that's not to say it's clutter for everyone... perhaps it's beneficial to certain types of research... |
I think I would use those previews intensively if they were displayed in a panel which I could show/hide with a hotkey – just like Twitter.
For some types of results, this panel could provide specific media, such as maps preview for places, covers for books, music and movies. And thanks to Google's new design, other Google services like Docs, Picasa and Images could support this optional panel, and get everyone used to it within days. |
Wait, there is a hotkey right? Just hit the right key, so normally it will look like: 1. "Enter query into url bar" 2. "Hit enter" 3 option a. "Hit enter to open top result" 3 option b "Hit right, check result, hit enter" |
Oh, I missed it. I'll try to use Previews more frequently in the future, as a test. I wish they supported the usual j/k hotkeys, and the position of the thumbnail wouldn't move as you go down the list (just like items in Reader). And I can't wait for the infinite scrolling in SERP! |
I'm in this experiment now:
* previews keep the same position for every result (expected, but great)
* the right-arrow hotkey has been disabled, and I can't find any other one (bad)
* previews disappear as you go down the page with the down-arrow key (bad)
* previews disappear if you mouse-over outside the snippet/preview (stupid) |
