The Bing image is a background in a fixed dimension div. Therefore, it looks good because it's always the perfect dimensions.

The Google image is a body background. Therefore, it looks distorted because it's likely never the perfect dimensions.

Google, if you're going to copy someone's idea, at least do it correctly instead of half-assed.

Ok took a survey in the office 99% liked the change. Take your own office survey and see. All I asked like or or dislike see what you get from your office personal.

wow that is really lame!
Now my old 33mhz pentium 2 can choke as it fades in that graphic. No option to override that I can find. Bad move Goofle.

I've never complained about Google's interface tweaks before, but this is horrible.

Curious... no background image in Opera! Initially there was a link in the middle that said something like, "Curious about todays homepage? Set a background image". Clicked the link, nothing happened and now the link doesn't display.

Background image appears in IE8, Chrome and FF - which frankly I'm a bit miffed about. Is it just a 1-day thing?

<edit>

They seem to be using CSS text-shadow to create a bit more contrast between the text and the background - which doesn't do anything for IE8.

Why in the world is Google copying Bing? I hate it!

Hate it. A lot.

When I heard about bing doing this, I checked it out, then spent a few minutes mousing around reading the captions.

My immediate reaction to Google's image? Like someone is shouting. My eyes are bleeding.

This in fact may be enough for me to go over to Bing. I'm not going to be assaulted in the eyes every time I want to do a search.

Curious... no background image in Opera!

Yep...nor K-Meleon nor Netscape Navigator!

No image on G.ie

>>>> Curious... no background image in Opera!
>> Yep...nor K-Meleon nor Netscape Navigator!

nor Safari !?

Looking at Google's background image and then at Bings, it looks like a first grader did Google's setup and Bing's looks like a class act.

Bings presentation is by far better than Googles for the background image.

Like others have said, if you're going to copy someone at least do it right and not half a@@ed.

What a joke Google

At least I can use an image called google.gif without recourse to me.

Of course it is black and just plain boring and that's the way I like it! :)

But to FORCE a user to sign in to an account to use their search without a cr*p image is just pathetic.

Go Bing!

Call me crazy if you want, but I kind of like this. The images seem tasteful and pleasing for the most part; not ultra-sharp but I sit far enough away from my monitor that it doesn't matter. I actually find it a welcome change.

But to FORCE a user to sign in to an account to use their search without a cr*p image is just pathetic.

Go Bing!

not only do you have to sign in and turn it off, if you DO NOT have a goog account you have to CREATE one then sign in and turn it off.

how do you like that one!?

let's see who can come up with the most inventive 'alternative' background.......

I just put a screen shot of Bing on mine...

I don't like it either, but I bet they did focus group testing and found out that most people prefer to have a background.

not only do you have to sign in and turn it off

Yes AND as soon as you sign out it goes back to their default image, not your choice!

I only know this since I tried it out because I never sign-in to Google to do anything except check AdSense!

I don't like it either, but I bet they did focus group testing and found out that most people prefer to have a background.

well think about this, on your google home page they have allowed you to create a theme, in gmail they allowed you to apply themes as well.

maybe they used this data in their choice as well.

Use Bing instead. There's a help link at the bottom of the page on Bing that allows you to turn off their image without logging in. It'll be cookie based fair enough, but clicking the link takes you to a page with ?rb=0 that you can bookmark.

There is no way I'm signing into Google. But the image was annoying so I changed my homepage. Can always Bing for Google if I need them.

They just turned this off! better now

The Google image is a body background.

Funny, I've never actually looked at Google's source code before.

Why do they have their stylesheet in the <head>? Why are they using an iframe? Why are they using <font> tags?

Is there something I don't know about design, or is their code bloody awful?

Avoiding personal opinions on whether I like it or not, Google copying Bing is pretty amazing.

but I bet they did focus group testing and found out that most people prefer to have a background.

I doubt most people prefer to not have a "Go back to default" choice. That's the real issue, if we had a choice for removal we'd just remark on how the background was good/bad and move on.

Back to normal though. First Pacman noises, now this...Google better learn that people don't like to be opted-in to things.

Yeah, 'as if by magic', it's back to good old plain white again... with the option to 'opt-in' and set a background image if you want. Well, they certainly made us aware that you can change the background of the G homepage now (I wasn't aware before)!

magically white again here in northeastern US.

hooray.

Maybe they are actually listening?

It seems pretty sad a multi-billion dollar corporation would have to listen rather than getting it right the first time... Maybe they all grew up with M$ and think it's ready to go when it doesn't quite work or something? IDK, but it just seems like they make ignorant decisions quite a bit, like with this, Buzz, etc.

Nothing is forever.Look in history.

Not sure what you mean rowtc2?

All they had to do was put 'classic white' as an option in the 'change picture' section and there would have been some grumbling from people who don't like change or don't like the picture but there would not have been a big 'back lash' from it... They obviously have it sitting right there since they can switch back and forth, and it would probably have provided some useful data on what people actually like better, so to me it's a poor launch, because generally people don't like change, and they would have gotten a bunch of 'real world data' from what people chose (picture v classic white) to know what should be the default.

IOW: IMO it was 'not quite ready' and 'didn't quite work' when they launched it.

[edited by: TheMadScientist at 6:29 pm (utc) on Jun 10, 2010]

Google seems to be VERY intimidated by Bing if they now have to clone the Bing homepage image.

But how badly did they implement this creature! No way to turn this off (I am asked to login? Eh?), and -even worse- no caption. There is one golden rule: NO IMAGE WITHOUT CAPTION. A caption adds tremendous value to the reader/user. Google violated this rule and so you end up with just a homepage with a nice image. Useless.

Funny to see Google be so reactionary. Interestingly the image doesn't come up on my iPad. As Google's relationship with Apple continues to sour, I wonder if we'll see other reductions in "functionality" on Apple devices.