CNET Editors' review
Simple, small, and free, Google Desktop indexes your hard drive the way Google's own servers index the Web. Your search results are returned in a Web-page format that looks very similar to the Google Web site. The application's sidebar regularly updates the status of your e-mail, photos, RSS feeds, and weather.
Although the initial indexing period can crawl--especially if you have a lot of e-mail, contacts, chat transcripts, and documents for it to parse through--it's well worth the wait to be able to search any of them from a text entry box that's installed next to the Quick Launch bar. You'll still find the same basic gadget content: a music player, sports and stock tickers, a file shredder, and wackier items like an interactive plant. We like the Desktop sidebar's built-in to-do list, notepad, and the capability to integrate other gadgets with ease.
Version 5 is fully compatible with Windows Vista, emulating the rounded corners and translucent panels and capable of overriding the native Vista sidebar. There's also cross-indexing for multiple machines and sharing panel items directly with friends. The sharpest new feature is the preview window for search results, which saves a lot of time on clicking, opening, and closing.
Other programs with lighter feature sets may offer quicker and easier indexing and searching. Nevertheless, the efficient and feature-rich Google Desktop Search stands as yet another feather in the company's quite decorated cap.
Watch the CNET video review of Google Desktop:
Publisher's Description
From Google:
Google Desktop will offer full text search over your email, computer files, chats, and the web pages you've viewed. By making your computer searchable, it puts your information easily within your reach and frees you from having to manually organize your files, emails, and bookmarks. It introduces new ways to access relevant and timely information. When you view a web page in Internet Explorer, it caches or stores its content so that you can later look at that same version of the page, even if its live content has changed or you're offline. It organizes email search results into conversations, so that all email messages in the same thread are grouped into a single search result.
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All versions:
3.3 starsout of 422 votes
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Current version:
3.4 starsout of 42 votes
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My rating:
Write review
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"ok.. great app but it is taking some days.. to indexing"
Version: Google Desktop 5.9.1005.12335
Pros
taking lot of time..
Cons
very good utility
Summary
must have... but accept good updates also...
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"Very Good and Must Have"
Version: Google Desktop 5.9.1005.12335
Pros
I think this is so good and indispensable for anyone with the current windows system.
Cons
None that I could find for it's class.
Summary
Really good and blend with current windows superbly.
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"Old technology, not updated since 2007"
Version: Google Desktop 5.9.1005.12335
Pros
Free, easy to use technology
Cons
Outdated, very few "widgets"
Summary
There's really not much to say. For software made by Google, this really drops the bar. It's outdated, there aren't many choices of widgets to use, overall it's a lost cause.
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"it will not & does not work so don't download it"
Version: Google Desktop 5.9.1005.12335
Pros
there is not one good thing i can say about it i used to have it and it worked good but TAKE IT OFF THIS SITE ASAP THANK YOU
Cons
are you freakin kidding me this download sucks and you need to take it off this site because the download file is not on here and besides that Google discontinued the ability to be able to download it because it is obsolete
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"Google Desktop is good as most Google products"
Version: Google Desktop 5.9.1005.12335
Pros
It was useful for "at-a-glance" emails, news stories and personal photos. And it could index web sites and keep them even if you were not online. Some people complained that it doesn't work with Outlook 10. I use, Gmail, so that is not an issue. I downloaded for at-a-glance data, so I would not miss any email or news stories that I may have been interested in. I loved this for that!
Cons
I only have a duel processor, and when running other programs my computer seemed to slow down after installing Google Desktop. Another issue was the emails did not update within fifteen minutes, and ones I did delete, still showed on the Google Desktop for an hour or more. I believe Google stated you have to be inactive before emails and so on would catch-up. I do not understand why that is. The news stories appear right away.
Summary
I am a google fan. I like using their products and apps. I never had virus or was mislead by their search engines. And the Google Desktop is a great item if you are using a quad core. Someday I will be able to aford one and will use their desktop again.
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"always very good"
Version: Google Desktop 5.9.1005.12335
Pros
good site as usual
Cons
nothing negative
Summary
plenty to like about google
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"Good, but no longer officially supported"
Version: Google Desktop 5.9.1005.12335
Pros
Searches your desktop like the web - fast once it indexes your hard drive/s, which only happens when your computer is idle, i.e. you are not using it. Install last thing at night, leave to index till dawn.
Can also index gmail account, needs user account details.Cons
Google has discontinued its Desktop software, as of September 2011. I was an early and enthusiastic user of Google Desktop, but eventually uninstalled because it was such a memory hog. I was keen to try it again with a new computer, only to find a whole bunch of 404 errors on help and other links associated with Google Desktop - and then the closure announcement >
http://googledesktop.blogspot.com/Summary
Those wanting uptodate dekstop search will have to go with other software offerings, like Copernic, which gets thumbs up, apart from the lack of a graphics or photo viewer.
http://download.cnet.com/Copernic-Desktop-Search-Home/3000-2379_4-10314159.html -
"Best utility available"
Version: Google Desktop 5.9.1005.12335
Pros
Extremely fast at finding documents on my hard drive
Cons
Only my inability to recall words that may uniquely identify what I am looking for.
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"Used to be terrific"
Version: Google Desktop 5.9.1005.12335
Pros
Fast searches of my files and email. Easy to use interface
Cons
Does not support Outlook 2010. Unfortunately, this is a fatal flaw for me. I am uninstalling and moving on.
Summary
Not useful if you live out of MS Outlook
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"Fairly mediocre"
Version: Google Desktop 5.9.1005.12335
Pros
It does simple search well and reliably. Searches email well.
Cons
However, it does not search PDFs for content at all. Given that this is where all my content is, its search function is rather limited indeed.
Summary
PDF searches let this down.
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