Ask X, a Unified Interface for Ask.com

Ask.com launched Ask X, a site that mixes different specialized searches and uses AJAX to show search results faster. Similar to Google's SearchMash, Ask shows image search results, news, blog posts in a right sidebar. But unlike SearchMash, Ask actually shows those results and doesn't wait for you to expand the sections. Another good choice is displaying only results from search types connected to the query. Ask X shows search suggestions and refinements in a new sidebar, displayed on the left side of the screen, that remains always visible.


The trouble with this kind of mashups is that pages load slower and may look cluttered. But if search result pages provide the right balance between web pages and additional information, you'll get a wider perspective. In 2007, search engines will move towards one interface that mixes specialized searches.