WinPatrol is a great little program to stop such things. Well worth a look and its FREE .

Actually, kona, I think any corporate entity that constantly gets in your face in a relentless attempt to part you from your cash is evil.... moreso when you've taken evasive measures and clearly said no, yet they refuse to take no for an answer and keep coming at you. 

For example, I had a bank (not my own) hounding me by phone, email and snail mail to take on one of its credit cards, and no matter how many times I said no, the harrassment continued unabated... and ignoring the emails/snail mail didn't work. Sometimes they would call late at night, and despite a resounding: "NO! Piss off", another bank employee would still call later that night.  It took a directive from the Banking Ombudsman for this harrassment to stop... so, to me, that bank is evil.

Anyway, I digress... back to the Google/Bing issue...

The thing is, kona, I don't like Google because its ads are in your face on just about every web page and there's no opt out... unless you take extreme measures and install evasive/blocking softwares, the ads keep coming.  I don't like Google because it doesn't care that many people (besides myself) find the ads invasive and annoying... everyone is targetted regardless.  However, if MS/Yahoo are going to go down the same road as Google with Bing. then my opinion of them will take a serious nosedive... not that Yahoo rated too highly to begin with. 

When using Yahoo search in conjuntion with yahoo.mail and their toolbar, my inbox/junk folders were often crammed with unsolicited advertising/spam, so much so that I discontinued using yahoo.mail and uninstalled the toolbar to avoid it.  I now use yahoo.search and hotmail and get very little or no spam, so I stick with what works for me.

It won't be that I'll think better of Google if Bing goes the same way, but that I'll think far less of Yahoo and MS for following in Google's footsteps.

Thing is, I didn't inadvertantly install Bing... I was quite happy with what I had/have and definitely declined.

Tell me about it!  I searched high and low in every likely/possible location and found no references to Bing... not in Programs and features; not in Program Files/Common Files; not in Application data in C drive or User Files; not in the registry, either.

The only apps I installed via Windows Live Installer were Live Messenger and Live Mail... nothing else. However,  the download/installation did include an error reporting tool and the Malicious Software Removal tool, but those are standard and come with Windows Live downloads.  What I find amazing, though, is that this Bing thing did not attach itself to Internet Explorer as well... but then, I do have FF set as my default browser.

What I did discover, though, was a suspicious looking LSO cookie using the Better Privacy addon in Firefox. It wasn't there prior to installing Live Messenger/Mail and I believe it may have been the culprit that kept launching the Bing home page when I wanted another.  Since deleting the LSO cookie I've not had the Bing page reappear, so hopefully I got it sorted.  The thing is, I should never have been placed in that situation... having to 'fix it'.

And on this....

... in your line of work, perhaps, but for me (and probably many others) the annoyance of ads far outweighs the usefulness of google.search. It may produce better/more comprehensive results in some areas for some, but I'm just not prepared to be bombarded with annoying ads I can't opt out of. 

Being that my funds are strictly limited, I only purchase what I need/want when I can afford to... and only then when I go into the stores to research the goods for myself. So, based on need and propensity to pay, 99% of the ads/products are irrelevant, and thus are of no interest to me, The other 1% may relate to items of interest (new technology. etc), but again it comes down to need/affordability/propensity to pay, and I still don't want that 1% thrust in my face every time I do a search, open an email or a web page.

When Google offers an opt out for ads I may consider using google.search.. but I'm not holding my breath.

What you really mean is: "I am so ancient  that I don't remember any other ways"... and you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

Again, this comes down to forgetting they're there."

I know... go to the top of the list.

Yeah, me too... I'm also set in my ways. well those I can remember.  The one thing I do remember, and quite clearly, too, which is unusual, is to never, ever use Google Chrome.  I mean, they already know that I go to the Playboy site, but Google Chrome would tell 'em who my fave pinups are as well... and I don't wanna be targetted with ads for personally signed 'centerfolds'.

me either

Tried Bing, didn't like it, so I'll just stay a Googloid.

I so rarely search the internet that it really doesn't make a difference what search platform I use.

Same here!  I don't search for much often enough, and I never search for products to buy.  I get out and into the stores for that, so I don't need a 'product oriented' search engine... nor one that can produce results on just about every subject imaginable because it snoops into every nook and cranny to know peoples personal business.

Bastards!  Well if Bing is going to be it, the Yahoo will have to clean up its act.  To have the Bing Home page pop up randomly and without request is highly annoying and not something I will tolerate.

 l liked Clusty ( http://clusty.com/ ) but their toolbar doesn't work with FF 3.5

i like the way it sorts