A9 or not, I never was really that impressed with it. Granted, some experts think that it is truly great and will change the way we search. But to be honest, it does not change anything related to Web search at any of the fundamental levels.

The web search engine launched by online retailer Amazon this week reflects a growing trend towards personalised searching, say experts.

The new service, www.A9.com, is built directly on top of Google’s internet search engine so that it provides the same basic results.

But A9 adds some unique features. Foremost among these is the ability to log in using an Amazon shopping account. This enables web surfers to use the search engine’s personalisation features from any computer they use.

A9 shows users a history of their searching and highlights results that have not appeared in previous searches. It also lets users simultaneously scour Amazon’s book catalogue along with the web.

And, using a downloaded A9 toolbar for Internet Explorer, users can also tag their own notes to web pages and block popups. All these extras have impressed Chris Sherman, an editor at SearchEngineWatch. “I like the idea of personalisation,” he told New Scientist. [Read the rest]