More Google results on desktop PC versus phone, it’s not my imagination I googled this!

FYI, Just some general information for people out there that Google a lot on this illness and anything else for that matter.

More and more people don’t have PCs or laptops and rely on just a smart phone. I don’t have an iPad so I don’t know if that’s a search engine just like iPhones do?

If you don’t have access to a desktop, or laptop, almost all libraries will have some to use.

Smart phones certainly are handy, but when comes to googling things I get very impatient with their limitation’s.

I even googled “why do I get better search results on a PC versus mobile phone”, And there are plenty of other people wondering why as well.

The search itself is different, something I just can’t explain, (I bet the Dude here knows why ) but also a smart phone is less likely or unable to download a large non-mobile friendly website, which might actually have the information you’re looking for.

That said, I really don’t like starting up my computer the older they get they can be a hassle as well. But you’ll genuinely find more than what you’re looking for versus on a mobile device.

The search engine on a mobile device is also more likely to be set up for shopping.

If you have not found a difference my guess is the things you’ve been looking for are not very hard to find in the first place lol.

The shorter your search line/words the more likely they will be similar. The longer and more detailed search line, a PC will have more results.

Girlie- Try googling the same simultaneously with both your Desktop and the phone. The phone results are obviously harder to see but there will be less info and the page will actually end much sooner than on a desktop.

Most of the phone results will be for direct easy purchasing, Which are probably set up to be more smart phone friendly. A desktop search will still find deeper information on what you are searching for deep within forums, a phone is least likely to do this, Well at least less of it.

I have wasted much time on a phone only to find it within 5 minutes on my work computer while eating lunch.

I’m not just talking about health products, talking about specialty tools, home products etc. the more special something is the least likely a retail place is to stock at nowadays so we are forced to Google for it.


I do miss the days when you had some sort of supply warehouse with very knowledgeable employees that knew where to get something if they did not stock it, those days are almost over in this disposable world.

Post Edited (astroman) : 2/18/2023 11:59:07 AM (GMT-8)

Dude, I will try to “request desktop site” on a phone. I have found out though my phone certainly has a load timer of sorts and if it doesn’t load soon it just times out and just stops.

Signal is not the best where I’m at either, so that’s part of the problem.

I have Safari on my phone, but it uses Google as a search engine which does not make sense because years ago they were completely separate so what is the point? Do they sell Chevrolet cars with dodge engines, no lol

So my main search engine on my phone is Safari, but then on the favorites or what I call the “desk top part of the phone” I also have a yahoo search, I will try adding a duck duck go to that. I’m pretty lazy when it comes to adding new things that require apps, so hopefully this doesn’t need an app.

Oh yes, I read that article from 2011 also. So apparently they start doing this way back then and it’s still the same.

I might look into that DuckDuckGo on my dinosaur speed work computer.

Better yet I might just go to the Library some early evening next week . i haven’t been there since before Covid, I love libraries. Judging from my taxes, they should have the latest up-to-date computers there. (I’m lucky to have a county library close by). A buddy of mine out in the sticks has a remote library extension that is literally the size of a single car garage. I’m sure that was great before 1990 nowadays, Probably pointless.)

Post Edited (astroman) : 2/18/2023 12:28:53 PM (GMT-8)

in case its of interest

for anyone out there struggling to afford a desktop computer that is reasonably up to date -
i have been watching the pennies as long as i haven't been able to work - but there really isnt any need to spend hundreds of pounds dollars on a new machine.

so the following is what i have done to get a very affordable setup that is more than adequate for my needs ( and i do quite a bit of pc work - web calls - writing- browsing, spreadsheets - run two monitors etc etc etc )

most large companies sell off their office PC hardware after about 3 years
therefore there is a relative glut of 3year old machines on ebay
usually these come with operating system and MS office already installed
( its perfectly legal for them to be sold with original licences transferred )
they are around £60 for a good one

so you have a good basic office machine ( typically big name brands like Dell, Lenovo, HP etc) complete with most software you are likely to use - for less than the software cost alone

its 3 years old so could be beginning to show its age
but for a minimal spend of maybe £20 for some more RAM
and maybe £15 for a solid state drive it can be made into a thoroughly useable home computer that will
-wake from sleep in around 10 seconds and
-boot up from cold in around 30 seconds
-keep many windows open without slowing down or crashing

my current one i bought around 6 years ago and is till going strong

none of the task involved in upgrading or setting it up are beyond the home user - there are videos on youtube of how to etc

I'm fortunate to have become friends over the years with owners of a computer repair shop. I bought the Dell laptop I have for much, much less than a new one. It is refurbished, but it has never given me a problem.

There are businesses like that in a lot of places. Having a guarantee on it is imperative. Some places will work with you on price. Just a thought.

running wild said...
I'm fortunate to have become friends over the years with owners of a computer repair shop.

I envy computer geeks. To understand something that’s going inside with a digital path versus a physical one is just not how my brain works.

It’s funny that some modern Day cars that have electrical and computer problems, are somewhat similar to home computers: you simply reboot them but in this case by disconnecting the battery and connecting it back up. This is a major Chrysler product error. and this crazy simple hack seems to work. If I ever bought an electric car I think It would be a Toyota, just because they seem to do things the right way.

Post Edited (astroman) : 2/18/2023 2:18:51 PM (GMT-8)

So, Safari using Google search?! Interesting.

Well, well...

I just went into "Settings" > "Safari" on my ancient iPad and my search engine is set to DuckDuckGo. I'm sure I made that selection when I got this device 10+ years ago, but I sure didn't remember it. Like you noted, I also see Bing, Google, and Yahoo as other search options in Safari.

The only reason I use Safari is if Chrome won't load a page...which is happening more often, since my iOS (version 10.3.3) and Apps will no longer update, due to the age of the hardware. That seems to be a recurring problem for me...aging hardware...and software.

Anyway, whether you use Safari, Chrome, or some other browser, if using the "Request Desktop Site," you could load the Google.com or DuckDuckGo.com website and then conduct your search. It would seem that should be the same as letting your browser pass the search terms to your default search engine, but it might be worth searching on the actual Google or DuckDuckGo sites directly just for fun.

We have a shared dislike for Apps. And, an appreciation for libraries.

Back about 25 years ago, in a previous city, there was an old bookstore that had been there for decades. It wasn't a commercial building. It was like an old Victorian home that had been converted into a bookstore. Not a regular bookstore, though, it was filled with used books and magazines sold at very low prices. The place was like a time machine.

As soon as we walked in, the smell of old books was magical. It was two or three stories and had old, wood floors that looked like what you'd find in the loft of a barn -- bare wood, gray with age, cracks in them, and holes where the occasional nail was missing. The floors creaked when walking on them. Except for the soft footsteps across the creaking floors, the store was quiet. Like, really quiet. People inside, if they spoke at all, it was very softly. They leaned in and spoke in whispers, as if they were sharing secrets.

The few windows they had were old and single-paned and the window frames were worn. There weren't very many straight lines in the place. There were really tall bookshelves arranged in ways where you could turn a corner and find yourself in a little cubby hole surrounded by shelves on three sides and be out-of-view of others. Your very own book cul-de-sac. The tall shelves were almost arranged like a maze. No matter where you walked, you mostly only saw books in your line-of-sight. There were no clocks, no paintings, no distractions.

My cousin and I used to love visiting there on Saturdays and we'd spend hours sitting in their old, worn, and mismatched chairs (which were still comfortable) and leafing through piles of vintage magazines and stacks of old picture books we'd select. We rarely bought anything, though...we just loved the feel, smell, and personality of the store. Before YouTube, that was our way to peer into the past and look at "the good ol' days." Now, those memories have become "the good ol' days," too.

I'm doing the opposite of Girlie where 90 % of my web usage is on my desktop with a 34-inch widescreen monitor. So much easier with a big screen when researching or ordering something. I used to have one 30-inch and two 24-inch monitors when I was younger but I prefer the widescreen setup. I have been working in front of a computer all the time so I need a great setup.

If I’m buying concert tix I definitely use the computer.
I recently bought tix for Coldplay and the phone screen was too small to pick the seats.