we tried to take all the things we strive for at Google and make them better: powerful technology, snappy results, simplicity and a fun and quirky personality
Yes! This is totally what was missing for me. I had great search results from Google every time, but where was the fun? Where was the quirky personality damn it?
You make an interesting observation amid that sarcasm. Google's persona may be fun (in some ways, sort of, I guess), but their products are not. At their best, they're unobtrusive, minimal, and super functional. That's much better than "fun". The stuff people produce when they're striving to make something "fun" doesn't wear well.
One other thing Google have been good at in the past is rolling back mistakes. I bet this one doesn't last long.
Yes! This is totally what was missing for me. I had great search results from Google every time, but where was the fun? Where was the quirky personality damn it?