(August 4 2005) Microsoft is previewing a new search service called Start.com. It is a start page that can be customized to include news, weather, stock quotes and more.

The personalization is easy: There is a pull-down menu in the top left corner that lets you choose from different feeds. In the top right corner, you can change the number of columns on your page and choose between three skins. Your chosen feeds can be rearranged using drag-and-drop.

In fact Start.com looks a lot like Google’s “personalized Home” page. So even if Start.com seems like a good idea, it is not Microsoft’s own idea.

That being said, Start.com has a lot going for it. For us at Pandia, the greatest news is that it is a search centered uncluttered service that is easy to use and easy on the eyes.

Start.com also surprises in that it is a Microsoft product that is, at this stage, totally standards-compliant. And, breaking with traditional Microsoft Web architecture, the personalization is done without transmitting personalization data to Microsoft servers.