Google's ever-growing market share

Or maybe you know, it does provide better results.

How would you know? I haven't used anything but Google for probably 8+ years now, except the one or two searches in IE7 or something when I first installed Windows.

For all I know, Yahoo and MSN are both better. I doubt most Google users ever check. Comparing would be rather laborious.

I do check occasionally and usually Google has been better. YMMV.

The search industry has grown to a point where the different options return very similar results, however, Google does do many things better than its competitors. For one, they have cemented themselves as a part of internet culture itself. It isn't exactly a secret that Google has been compiling private information from users for years, but the company's shiny exterior keeps them coming. It's hard to imagine the internet without the catalog of Google products we all take for granted today, but realistically the day will come. Small companies will inevitably be able to use their nimbleness to attack various offerings of the bloated Google empire.

"There might be a certain status equated with using Google."

Maybe for the .1% of search queries you conduct with someone you know watching.