The most important criteria by which to evaluate search engines are A) Did it find what I was looking for, amoung the top results?, and B) How long did it take? To compare search engines, try searching for the following words or phrases:

SlaveryUraniumMormon ChurchBarbie Dolls

Mercedes carsthe North Poledigital cameras
 
 

Next, try to formulate successful search terms for the following organizations. Make a note of the URLs of the main home page for each:

The Society for prevention of cruelty to Animals

The Automobile Association of America

The UN

US Immigration and Naturalization

The Italian 1st division soccer team

The Flatearth Society

The Klu Klux Klan
 
 

Now, try to find the following information:

The name of the second man to walk on the moon

The chemical symbols for gold, silver and platinum

The runner-up of the World Cup in 1970

The top export of Nigeria

The Prime Minister of Australia

The date of the US Presidential elections in the year 2000
 
 

Finally, imagine the following situations and try to formulate a search to solve the problem:

You are an architecture student and need to do a report on houses built by the famous American architech Frank Lloyd Wright.

You will be in Los Angeles between semesters, and need to take the Computer-Based TOEFL.

Your brother-in-law urgently needs the name of a lawyer in Bangkok.