Microsoft’s latest go at the search engine market’s been a respectable effort so far. But it seems the jury’s still out on whether or not Bing will actually challenge Google’s overwhelming lead in the cyberspace race.

Most reviews of Bing have been moderately favorable, but nobody’s professing to be blown away by the new tool that was introduced by Microsoft after great fanfare and a wide-ranging ad campaign.

The big question in the marketplace of search engines: Will Yahoo continue to be a competitor or will it abandon its place in the search race, leaving Bing to battle Google alone?

Two factors may decide who wins and who loses the search engine fight: Which tool smartphone makers wind up liking best and how well each can be integrated into other top tier software, like Outlook.

The smartphone market is now the dominant force in mobile technology, with sales of these units outpacing ordinary cell phones at a rapid clip. The search engine that creates the most easily integrated and accessible search tool will win this category.

Ditto for the company that comes up with the best plug-ins for other software apps that often need search capability.

Have you tried Bing yet? It might be time to go Bing and then Google yourself to see how different the experience can be. Let us know what you think.

Tags: Bing, Google, Microsoft, plug-in, search engine, Software, Yahoo