Where?

I don't have a search sidebar on either google.co.uk or google.com. I couldn't see any settings under Search Settings or Google Account Settings that would enable it.

What needs to be done to see it?

Where

I got a new PC at work last month, and ever since I've seen all these new google things evolving. At home I see the same old boring stuff, so I assume it's something to do with cookies, and being identified as a new user.

Google slipping?

Just typed 'search' into Google... top result? Bing!

I want originalgoogle.com

Or something.

No bloody automatic, "we think you're an idiot and typed that incorrectly so we're going to give you results for a completely different query". No "fuck the results, look at the pretty". No "sign is so we can track your every move".

And what is it with the Granny sized font?

@The Bloke

There aren't any settings, you just get it when you get it. Plenty of people (myself included) have been using it for several weeks - in some cases months.

Title goes here

At the top of the page, immediately above the first search result on the left hand side you should see the message "Show options...." with a plus sign next to it. Click on it and the sidebar should appear on the left

Meh

It's been there for ages for me.

On the search results, providing a way of filtering the results. But really no surprise, and they're right about it being quite unobtrusive, I hardly noticed until I had a specific reason to use it (limiting a search for "news").

I wouldn't compare it with Bing at all though. I gave up on Bing months ago, after 5 wildly useless results in a row.

woohoo!

go bing! :)

how many?

@AC

"after 5 wildly useless results in a row"

wow, you really gave it a good shot then!? wtf?... i would recommend trying it for a couple of weeks at least and actually learn how it operates... after a decade of google use, you'll be surprised how u're probably just on autopilot...

Riiiiiight... [but it is less naff than the mess they made of YouTube]

Initial search (Google.com in France, reverting to English, cookies (no /ncr)), looks like it always has.

After a search, I get *both* the top bar and the sidebar. Links on the side? Wow, how last decade...

If Google wants to improve things, could they either shorten the fade-in delay, or remove it altogether? It's no good saying it took 0.000x seconds to perform a search when it took three between Google loading and the toolbar appearing...

Whimsical?

Really?

Had It For A Month Or More, One Problem

The one problem I have is they made it dumb - no remembrance of what you sorted last time and no option to remember that via cookie. It'd be most useful for image searches among others, normally I'd like to just toss out thumnails from results if they don't also represent a larger res. pic through a link.

Don't have a sidebar either

But I note that if I look for Gordon Brown, I get in fifth place a sub-box with a scroll bar which continuously adds latest results for Gordon Brown, twitter-style. Never noticed this before...

Interesting.

I was wondering what was up with the results page today. I think I can get used to it. It seems to offer some potentially useful options.

Not like theregister switching to a fixed width layout and putting older articles that are popular up in the middle of things. That's still annoying me and making theregister harder and less efficient to use than before. i still want the old layout back. It was better in every way. Not that they care what I (or anyone else) thinks.

For firefox users use the following:-

(Found on web and seems to work)

Step 1. Download the firefox addon : Greasemonkey

Step 2. Install it and restart firefox when prompted

Step 3. Tools--> GreaseMonkey --> New User Script

Step 4. Name: SIDEBASE

NAMESPACE: SIDEBAR

(everything else I left blank), Press OK

Step 5. You might prompted to find your text editor. Choose C:\windows\notepad.exe

Step 6. Paste the following script in notepad screen that just popped up :-

function AddStyle(Style) {

var style = document.createElement('style'

);

style.type = "text/css";

style.innerHTML = Style;

document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(style);

};

AddStyle("#leftnav {display:none}");

AddStyle("#center_col {margin-left:0}");

LAST Step : Save

Tidy

Is it just me, or does Bing now look a hec of a lot tidier than Google. Google with this new bar and twittering in the middle with a scroll and news splattered around, seems to look like a right old mess!

Kinda makes sense

Given basically everything is widescreen now, this layout does make better use of screen real-estate.

I absolutely hate widescreens, they're possibly the biggest annoyance of my new laptop, but try and find a 4:3 screen or laptop now...