Shuttleworth: Amazon search results in the Dash [LWN.net]

Shuttleworth: Amazon search results in the Dash

Posted Sep 24, 2012 20:41 UTC (Mon) by AlexHudson (subscriber, #41828)
Parent article: Shuttleworth: Amazon search results in the Dash

I genuinely struggle with the usability argument here. Unless they turn the search into a shop, where I can see product reviews, compare it to similar products, and all those other shop-type features, it's just going to be a really poor experience compared with going to Amazon's site and, y'know, shopping. Will people be so lazy that they won't do a simple search and just go to Amazon? I doubt it. Will the search extend to multiple suppliers and do price / feature comparison? You'd have to hope not. If ever there was a solution in search (sic) of a problem...

I also struggle with the idea that a single search can return good data for all contexts, even if I conceded the idea that a single UI was right (which I don't). Even Google don't attempt to do this.

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Shuttleworth: Amazon search results in the Dash

Posted Sep 25, 2012 5:00 UTC (Tue) by tajyrink (subscriber, #2750) [Link]

Those lens that offer external results are already a shop where you can see product reviews etc.

In default Ubuntu 12.04 LTS lens collection the applications lens show you results from Ubuntu Software Center and the music lens shows you results from Ubuntu One Music Store. But there are no direct reviews visible without clicking. That's the selection most ordinary users will see for the next two years unless they pick up half-yearly release.

In 12.10, Amazon is added with the shopping lens and also via video lens for at least those in US. There are now also the Dash previews where you can see ratings, reviews etc. directly in Dash and I'd guess more in time.

You can remove the external site scopes and lens, or if you really want then you'll probably be able to select more suppliers in the future. I'm personally quite fine just the semi-local search / developer oriented lens, although with proper local movie partners that might change. Wikipedia search, LDAP search are uses that are quite nice for Dash.