Google + 200 years of news = not that helpful (yet)

Don't get me wrong. I think Google's new archived news feature that allows surfers to search through 200 years of news a) further establishes Google as the most influential information index around and b) might even make my job a little easier when I need a headline from 1967. But have a look at it. So far, I'm not finding it the most user-friendly Google feature. Many articles are still on a pay-for-access basis, and while the features that allow you to search by year and source are helpful, they are by no means comprehensive (in the sense that it's limited to those sources cooperating with Google). Technical tweaks and additional sources can clearly change that and make it a better search feature. But attempt a few searches and the results, which Google claims are ordered by relevance, are a bit disappointing. Looking fast for how the major dailies handled the fall of the Berlin Wall or the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi? You'll still have to do a bit of clicking through. But let's be honest. It's still an incredible feature. And more evidence that it's Google's world, and we're just living in it.