Friday, August 10, 2007

Google Desktop Search

There are quite number of desktop search software available in the market. These are the fews:

Not enough? You can check out the complete list here. But what's the point to check it out all these Desktop Search Software since there is already the best one, Google Desktop Search?

You may get mad if I'm telling you that out of all these Desktop Search products,, I have only tried Google Desktop Search. That's why Google Desktop Search is the best. Honestly, I didn't have a single chance to try others. It is not that I don't want to try out the others but this is due to the fact that the GDS has already satisfied all my needs and solve all my problems.

Some of the benefits or the main reasons I use you:
  1. Searching Speed
    • Try to search a file in Windows, how fast the windows can search? You can just do it in 1 second or less. So you said, should I use you or not?
  2. Missing Files
    • One of the amazing things you can do is you are able to search the missing files. Imagine I lost my file (e.g. I accidentally deleted it) and I need the content, you are able to retrieve the content to me. Your caching ability is really impress me.
    • Not only just files, this is especially useful for my emails. As you know we delete emails very often and there are higher chances I delete my email accidentally. Wow, you able to retrieve all my old deleted email. Once again, thank you.
Yes, basically these are main reasons that I have in mind why I use Google Desktop Search. If you want to know about it's complete features, you can check it out here.

To download Google Desktop Search, click here. It supports Linux and Mac as well.

After you download, it may takes sometimes to index your Desktop or PC. Let me share my Google Desktop Preference Settings to you which you may find it helpful.



The following are the settings that I will set:
  • Under search type, disable "Secure pages (HTTPS) in web history"
    • I will always disable this guy. Secure pages basically means confidential content. Of course, I don't want Google to cache it. I don't want to share my secure stuff with people who accidentally or purposely use my PC.
    • It is really up to you. Remember what you allow to be cached by my friend, he won't keep your secret. He will just tells everyone as long as someone ask him. Make your own judgment.
  • In the display tab, under the search box, you can choose "Sidebar", "Deskbar", "Floating Deskbar" but don't choose them. Instead, choose "None"
    • Ok, I have to admit that these features are really sucks. I hate them and they're some more enabled by default. Unless I have a very large wide screen monitor, then I can probably consider enable them. These features will just make your screen smaller.
  • Enable "Quick Search Box"
    • With this option, I really don't see what the purpose of the Deskbar and Floating Deskbar. Why with this option, they are still exist? They're just useless.
    • I like this features, as I can just "Click Ctrl Twice" anywhere to do a Web Search. This is so cool!
  • Select "Search Web" for Default Search Type for Search Boxes.
    • As I don't do local desktop search that often as compared to web search, setting this option as "Search Web" is a better choice for me.

  • The last one is Enable "Safe Browsing" in the other tab.
    • Ok, I'm not sure this is exactly useful. If I turn it off, does this mean I'm in danger even I have anti-virus installed and I'm using Firefox browser with security? I don't know. I"m scare, that's why I leave this option enabled.
Technically, Google Search Engine is really amazing. It search fast and most importantly it's indexing database is not very large as I expected. Try to see it's database file size. It is really awesome small. How other desktop search engine can do? Can they be better than Google Desktop Search?

4 Comments:

Yushi said...

Google Desktop indexing database is not very large because it does not indexes all files at your desktop and not full each file. And if you bother about privacy and security you shouldn't use Google Desktop. By the way Gaviri Pocketsearch (http://www.gaviri.com/) can perform search fuctions at your desktop, network drives and even portable devices fast, easy and secure.

Anonymous said...

The Google Desktop Search indexes all my files so far. I can search every single files from my PC using GDS. As for the privacy concerns, I thought GDS respect it too as far as I concern? Your computer's content is not made accessible to Google or anyone else without your explicit permission. GDS allows you to search on network drives and portable devices too.

FriendinME said...

I have tried all the available desktop search programs... free and commercial. For my use, the best is Copernic... hands down.

I found Google sluggish and not very flexible. I didn't care for the presentation of search results at all.

:)

ChampDog said...

Hmm... Copernic. Sounds cool. Ok, I will give it a try one day. Thanks for the recommendation.

Also, I'm afraid Yulia is right that GDS doesn't index all the files. I start seeing not all the files are searchable.


Didn't find what you want? Use Google Search Engine below: