Some recent changes and new functions (according to AltaVista) :But I'll keep Google anyway...
Fresh, relevant results: AltaVista refreshes 50% of displayed results daily. Results include PDF files as well as Web pages, images, audio and video files.
More Precision query builder is available on all AltaVista sites.
AltaVista Prisma™, assisted search tool, is now available in Spanish, Italian, German, and French as well as English.
AltaVista News 2.0 contains new features, a news archive for English language international sources. A German version is now available.
AltaVista Shortcuts and AltaVista Shortcut Answers find results on Web pages that are usually invisible to search engines. (on the U.S. Site only)
Don't forget Babel Fish, AltaVista's translation feature
AltaVista gots a new look

By the way did anyone noticed that AltaVista gots a new look?