Similarly, if you type the name of a performer or song into MSN Search to get links to some music samples, MSN Music appears at the top of the search results list.

More compelling is the new resource site Answers.Com from Guru Net Designed as  through collection of reference information, it gives straight answers to questions, plus a few useful related links. Answers.Com works quite well for a quick word definition, a biography, or an explanation of how something works.

Suppose that you’ve read an article mentioning OLED display technology and you want to know what “OLED” means. Type the term into Answers.Com. and the site delivers a good definition of the technology, a discussion of its advantages, and a list of a few companies that use it- all arranged on the page, freeing you from having to click multiple results from Google.

Ask Jeeves, however, remains the choice for such questions as “what’s the current time in London?” (which the service will answer directly, without requiring you to click through to a results page). Type the same query into Answers.Com, and you’ll have to click through to one of several world clock pages.

A note to Ask Jeeves fans: It will soon be easier to find specialized information no matter where you may start on Ask.Com. A revamped version of Ask Jeeves’ related topics for many Web searches. If you search for “digital cameras” for instance, the results will include links to camera reviews in a separate area. The new version will prominently offer to narrow your search to certain types of content: reviews, ratings, or how the products work, for example. It will also suggest results on allied topics (such as scanners and printers in this example) and, in some cases, names (such as pages about John Lennon when you enter “Paul McCartney”