Google Inconsistency

This is not a standard anti-Google post. I still like Google for the moment, but one thing has been bugging me for a while now - As the google.com basic homepage evolves to become more useful, the UK version lags behind.

google.com

Its no surprise that the top line now reads Web, Images, Video, News, Maps - all very consistent with current trends, and this doesn't matter as my two favored Blog and Groups searches now appear in what amounts to handy AJAXy sub menu that actually carries the search term forward.

google.co.uk

Top line now reads Web, Images, News, Maps, Products, Groups. Perhaps we enjoy shopping more than watching videos in the UK? Nonetheless, Blog search is relegated to the "More" option, which in the behind the times UK yields a static page of many other Google services with no search term passed forward.

Bottom line, if I decide to check Blogs after a web search using the UK version, I have to type the term again or have copied it to paste it. I'd considered momentarily whether these pages might be generated on a per-user basis perhaps rendering this topic redundant, but if that does go on then its ignoring my preference - I don't recall ever clicking Maps or Video. Tell me if i'm wrong though..

The Other Google Toolbar

On to the final annoyance. The multitude of Google services have similar looking text based toolbars at the top, but they are different from App to App.

GMail gives a string of services, some personal, some not, a "my services" button equivalent to "My Account" on some other pages. Calendar is the worst, with no route back to "My Account" anywhere on the page. Beta though so I suppose I can't count it.

The "My Account" aka "my services" page is a great jump-off point. It demonstrates they can easily figure out which services I'm using, so why not just allow me direct access to them from the top of each page?

This giant has produced some of the most useful tools on the network in the past few years, and whilst I can't say I fail to see how this type of inconsistency can happen in what is now a huge company, it surprises me that it doesn't get noticed, and doesn't get fixed, given how frequently updates to these products tend to be pushed.