I think the point imgabe is trying to make - and I've had a similar experience - is that you occasionally receive information that _you don't even know you need to know_. For example, if I'm familiar with an area, I may have a particular gas station (or whatever) in mind, only to suddenly be given information that shows there is, in fact, a better option available to me. It's not (just) a question of saving clicks, it's the idea of giving you information off the cuff that is contextual to your situation.

Just my two cents.

Well, it's not exactly hard to disable: https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/2824784?hl=en

I'm getting tired of disabling stuff. I want my services to stay unchanged, unless I tell them otherwise.