This CNN piece asks if other search engines produce better results than Google. One site it highlights is Vivisimo.
There’s no easier way to assess a search engine than to try it out, so I gave both the ultimate test: the Resonance search.
Turns out Google is better in raw search power:
Google: No. 9.
Vivisimo: No. 11. (average rank of three searches).
What sets Vivisimo apart from many other search engines is that it also groups results into subject clusters, which may help one wade through a bunch of irrelevant hits. But it’s not always helpful. For instance, in my test search I wasn’t sure which category my desired hit was listed in. When that’s the case you’re just as well off scrolling through the entire list.