Google Catalog Search

December 14, 2001 7:56 AM

Google Catalog Search uses Google technology to search thousands of scanned mail-order catalogs, from industrial adhesives to designer clothing and gourmet food.
posted by danec (33 comments total)

Finally a new Google "feature" that I will *not* be using everyday.
posted by danec at 7:58 AM on December 14, 2001

Two words: Swimwear catalogs.
posted by alumshubby at 8:01 AM on December 14, 2001

Man, that is really odd. What's the point?
posted by UrbanFigaro at 8:07 AM on December 14, 2001

Alumshubby's right: They have the Victoria's Secret catalog.
posted by danec at 8:09 AM on December 14, 2001

Because, in theory, it's easier than getting hold of loads of bulky catalogs and working your way through them by hand.

I admit, it's a bit strange, but I'm also rather impressed by the OCR and the way it highlights your search results in the page graphics themselves.
posted by chrismear at 8:09 AM on December 14, 2001

Do they even sleep @ Google? First image search, then my usenet posts from nursery school and now this.

Next up: search any chinese takeout menu in the world!
posted by BentPenguin at 8:11 AM on December 14, 2001

No man, this is totally cool. I even found that special holiday gift my wife couldn't live without: sushi candles.
posted by Berend at 8:22 AM on December 14, 2001

No man, this is totally cool. I even found that special holiday gift my wife couldn't live without: sushi candles.
posted by Berend at 8:23 AM on December 14, 2001

No man, this is totally cool. I even found that special holiday gift my wife couldn't live without: sushi candles.
posted by Berend at 8:23 AM on December 14, 2001

I hate this. This is not my fault.
posted by Berend at 8:24 AM on December 14, 2001

This is weird. I mean, I guess it's fun and impressive (how they get the keyword searches highlighted) and all. But who'd need this? I wish they'd instead archive all the books in the world and claim they're only keeping them cached in. Or manuals, from that vaccum cleaner you bought 3 years ago, or such. Heh, take out menus would really be useful as well. Car brochures? Government forms, currently you have to go to all the different departments, INS, IRS, DOT and such and there find the ones that you can fill out or only print. One place for all the forms.
posted by tiaka at 8:45 AM on December 14, 2001

How much will it cost me to have these beautiful ladies at my place for a night?
posted by kchristidis at 8:48 AM on December 14, 2001

Isn't this just another cool idea from Google that they'll test for three days and then withdraw forever? Personally I liked the "answer a question for a dollar" service they trialled a while back.
posted by skylar at 8:48 AM on December 14, 2001

Doesn't most anyone that's selling things by mail-order catalog these days already have everything on their website? And do they provide the forms to (snail!) mail in to order stuff? I'm not sure I get it.

(PS to mhowie: You could just make the comment text database field a unique one to avoid the multiple posts problem...)
posted by endquote at 8:49 AM on December 14, 2001

I think that this is *awesome*. Useless (as of yet). But awesome none the less. The OCR. The highlighting (which is just a function of the OCR, right?).

The fewer pieces of paper I have to look through, the better. Imagine getting every magazine like this.

And no endquote, you often can't get at data in the websites of catalog merchants because most don't have static HTML pages for items. Databases are bad for search engines.
posted by zpousman at 8:55 AM on December 14, 2001

I think this is pretty neat. I like looking at catalogs sometimes, but I hate the fact that some places send one, like, every week. Plus, now I know that I can get a dell laptop that matches the station wagon that my family had in the 70s.
posted by eckeric at 9:14 AM on December 14, 2001

This is very neat; there's many a time I want to check out a mail-order company's wares but if I'm not already on their mailing list, I have to call them and wait for a catalog.

enquote - there's a large number of mail-order companies that don't have everything on their website.

I've just added a couple more catalogs they should carry..
posted by SiW at 9:35 AM on December 14, 2001

Dear Google,
Where can I buy the stock? Please let me buy the stock. I want to give you my money.
posted by owillis at 9:42 AM on December 14, 2001

I'm sorry if this is a stupid ?, but how does Google make $.
posted by thekorruptor at 9:45 AM on December 14, 2001

In other Google news, has everyone seen Google's take on the news headlines?
posted by danec at 10:07 AM on December 14, 2001

This is fantastic. If it works, I won't have to keep a four-foot high selection of indutrial and arts supply catalogs next to my desk when I'm doing a job. Thanks for pointing this out - would have missed it. Just the Grainger and McMaster-Carr catalogs alone are worth it.
posted by videodrome at 10:07 AM on December 14, 2001

Dear Google,
Start charging for your service. I'm not kidding. Also, change your logo to something attractive so I can buy gear with your company name on it.
posted by anildash at 10:36 AM on December 14, 2001

This is dope.
posted by sudama at 10:45 AM on December 14, 2001

Isn't it weird how all the portals like yahoo used to talk about how they were going to take over the world and it end's up being a straight forward search engine like google that starts the process of systematically putting the paper world on the net? Not to mention that I google about ten to twenty times more than I yahoo.
posted by rdr at 11:20 AM on December 14, 2001

rdr: exactly! actions speak louder than words, eh?
posted by zerolucid at 12:45 PM on December 14, 2001

This ranks high on the "gee whiz"-o-meter for me, but not yet on usefulness. tiaka's idea of doing this to instruction manuals is a brilliant idea, though - and I'd pay for that.
posted by hijinx at 12:58 PM on December 14, 2001

Dear Google,
Where can I buy the stock? Please let me buy the stock. I want to give you my money.

I second that!
posted by rushmc at 2:33 PM on December 14, 2001

the first result for "porn" (i have a perfectly good excuse... somewhere.) was the Delia's catalog. those who know what it is, probably would agree with me that that's just wrong.

but google is so right!
posted by lotsofno at 3:01 PM on December 14, 2001

If it's obvious, pardon my stupidity, but how does one go about finding out when and where beta sites for google exist such as the one for the topic of this thread? I tried searching for a link on the google site but couldn't find one.
posted by EatenByAGrue at 10:34 PM on December 14, 2001

We could tell you, but then we'd have to kill you.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 10:52 PM on December 14, 2001

Well, at least my heirs would get the insurance money.
posted by EatenByAGrue at 11:56 PM on December 14, 2001

This is the ultimate shopping service. Most companies are still mail-order catalog oriented and dont have everything on the web. This is VERY COOL AND REVOLUTIONARY. I know where Ill be doing my XMas and gift shopping.. Google!
posted by stbalbach at 9:31 PM on December 15, 2001

Google is the bomb!

If Google ever vanishes, how could I possibly use the Internet?
posted by Down10 at 2:03 PM on December 16, 2001