Ubuntu's multisearch surprise

Hi everyone. I want to say thanks for all of the thoughtful and detailed responses that everyone has provided. You all have definitely given me a lot to think about regarding this issue. The most important thing I have taken away from this is that I need to start using a Linux system for my daily desktop again in spite of these problems. I won't be able to refine my perception of the issue, or even see if it's still a problem, unless I am using the system daily.