Ever wonder about Google’s fondness for “beta” releases? Well, they’ve been at it since the beginning.
Google’s first ever incarnation was–you guessed it right–as “Google Beta.” Do check out the archives.org cache of the Google homepage, circa December 1998.
It’s not a pretty sight.
Who would’ve known that this little-regarded startup would be one of the world’s most sought-after tech companies less than a decade after?
That’s a later version.
You’re right. I remember Yahoo! used to license Google’s search technology, but this is the earliest Google look I do remember. Do you have any screenshots?