@oblongcircles: "Simple fix..."

Except, no!

First of all, the main gripe right now, is Google ignoring search terms, thinking it knows better. Not only that, but it's damn near impossible to force it to accept your phrase exactly as you spelled it, if it gets the idea that you're wrong.

Also, your easy fix regarding instant search is not good enough. I'm a system administrator and our department manages several hundred Windows servers. Instant search is a particular pain, when the real-time updates are sent through RDP over high latency satellite links. I have to disable this abomination on every damn server I logon to. Not only that, since Instant Search is opt-out, my preference not to use it, is stored in a cookie, which eventually expires/gets discarded/is ignored - back to Instant Search again.

Even my workstation, where I'm signed in with my Google account, keeps reverting to using Instant Search every now and then - even if the opt-out should be stored in cookies and my Google Account settings.

Leave that load of garbage disabled by default and let users opt-in to use it if they want.