[aelesiaa]

Anyone else feel this way? I think its pretty useless and haven't used it for anything yet. Would've prefered if they had stuck something more useful like a "Menu Settings" button like on the Androids. Might else where since there's 3 little dots in almost every app to represent the settings button anyway.

[Vector555]

I use it everyday, so it's not useless to me. Why would I want a dedicated settings button. I want a phone that once I configure all my accounts, I don't want to look at the settings again. Search, QR code scan, identifies music, local scout are all accessible from the search.

[BokiV]

I don't think i used it once...i wish it was contextual search..

[Byzantium]

It is definitely useless and something you'd expect from Google, not Microsoft.

[Optimus82]

Current android devices have eliminated the setting/menu button.

I use the search button quite often. If I am on the start screen that seems to be the fastest way to start a Bing search. But I dont understand why the voice command setting is activated with the windows key. I guess I'm used to androids ling press of the search key

[Optimus82]

I use it everyday, so it's not useless to me. Why would I want a dedicated settings button. I want a phone that once I configure all my accounts, I don't want to look at the settings again. Search, QR code scan, identifies music, local scout are all accessible from the search.

I think he meant setting/menu such as android. It'll pull up the setting/menu on home screens but when in a app it will pull up app settings/menu

[John Kwon]

Definitely not useless. But both the back and search buttons should be moved closer to the center Windows button. Having then so close to the edges makes them prone to accidental presses.

[willybraatlund]

It is useless for searching. Because im used to google, and I still use google to search for stuff, and i've noticed that bing sucks. (maybe because of the way Im used to search for things on google). But the one thing I use it for is to scan QR codes. But It would be pretty awesome if you could change the search enginge to what ever you wanted, like wikipedia, google, imdb etc. Or have a list of different sites you could search on.

And this just got me thinking, why the h**l did they not make the search button be the same as on windows 8. Where you can search for everything on every app youve got installed that supports searching?!

[iamtim]

No, not useless. It's great for internet/Marketplace searches, and the "Bing Eye" QR reader works well. It would be great if they built a device-wide search into it as well, but as an internet search tool it's perfectly fine.

[iamtim]

identifies music

Wow, that's rad, I never noticed that. Awesome.

[Optimus82]

No, not useless. It's great for internet/Marketplace searches, and the "Bing Eye" QR reader works well. It would be great if they built a device-wide search into it as well, but as an internet search tool it's perfectly fine.

forgot about the qr reader and both scout and music search buttons. you could also swipe the bing image left or right to bring up the latest news headlines and more. the search button is pretty useful with more options other than web search

[iamtim]

you could also swipe the bing image left or right to bring up the latest news headlines and more

Ahh! Something else I didn't know!

No way, this search is the opposite of useless. Whoever says otherwise needs to examine the dictionary definition for the word "useless".

[Optimus82]

Ahh! Something else I didn't know!

No way, this search is the opposite of useless. Whoever says otherwise needs to examine the dictionary definition for the word "useless".

yea i actually forgot about those 3 buttons(scout, music, vision) until vector555 mentioned it. i swear with some of those bing images, its easy for them to get lost in the image

[vedichymn]

I don't think i used it once...i wish it was contextual search..

It used to work that way, but that got changed in one of the Windows Phone 7 updates.

[stmav]

I get a lot of use out of the search button. For my habits, it's far from useless. If I wanted an android-like button on my phone, I would've stayed on my Evo.

[jhguth]

It's fantastic at kicking you out of a game when your palm hits it

[Gergolos]

I don't know how it works on WP8, but my guess is, that it's the same as on WP7. And if that's the case: I don't think it's useless. At least for me. I use it a lot with my WP7.5. Use it for music identification, searching the web, scanning QR codes and stuff and so on...

Sometimes I wish there was a possibility to activate some kind of a "app-related-search". Something like: you are using App XY, which contains some kind of a media collection (just an example). If you tap the search-button, you can search your collection, or tap it again to activate the normal "wp-search".

But that's the only thing I miss here...

[aced411]

Anyone else feel this way? I think its pretty useless and haven't used it for anything yet. Would've prefered if they had stuck something more useful like a "Menu Settings" button like on the Androids. Might else where since there's 3 little dots in almost every app to represent the settings button anyway.

Your mom, but that was that was just pillow talk

[rchillin]

It's fantastic at kicking you out of a game when your palm hits it

LOL...that's my only problem with it. I use it ALL THE TIME. But I really think it should be disabled once you've started a game.

[iamtim]

Your mom, but that was that was just pillow talk

Zing! :D

[Gergolos]

Zing! :D

your profile pic and your "Zing!" create an awesome match! haha

[iamtim]

your profile pic and your "Zing!" create an awesome match! haha

Hah!

[gsquared]

I just knew this was gonna be a "it should do xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, just like Android does." post. As others have pointed out that button is not as useless as you think. You just need to take off your blinders and see the value in it.

[michail71]

I was expecting it to be useless because I had an iPhone before. On an iPhone it's something you accidentally launch by pushing the home button one to many times but on WP8 I've been really happy with it. It even finds apps for you (installed and in the market).

[michail71]

I just knew this was gonna be a "it should do xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, just like Android does." post. As others have pointed out that button is not as useless as you think. You just need to take off your blinders and see the value in it.

Yes, I find many things in WP8 like that. Things are done a little differently. At first you many not "get it" but in the end it's better.