(Yahoo) Search becomes a priority in Splashtop

DeviceVM is literally putting search at the forefront of the upcoming version of Splashtop, the quick boot Linux-based OS that is embedded in millions of PCs. In the new home screen, users will find a search box right on the main screen, making the search function one click closer. The update should appear in new computers in September. It is up to each PC maker to decide if existing users will get an update.

We think that calling it “Instant Search” (that’s the official feature name) is a bit overkill as the search itself is not any faster, but what’s interesting is that Yahoo is the default search engine for the U.S (Baidu and Yandex are used for China and Russia). Given that Splashtop ships in millions of PCs every month, we wonder if this will have a visible impact on Yahoo’s business. (Note that it is possible for users to select a different search engine in the settings). In the future, more Yahoo services could be embedded in SplashTop…

The Splashtop home screen before “Instant Search”