Manage updates with the Download AppCNET Editors' review
Simple, small, and free, Google Desktop indexes your hard drive the way the company's own servers index the World Wide Web. Your search results are returned in a Web-page format that looks very similar to the Google Web site. This application offers some excellent features and searches the most important documents and locations, including local Microsoft Office files, PDFs, archived files, e-mail messages, chat transcripts, and the Web browser cache. You also can download or develop plug-ins for searching other types of documents and customizing the display of search results. Like other local-search products, Google Desktop installs an indexing engine on your computer that runs whenever your PC is idle. Once the index is built, search results return blazingly quick. If you have multiple machines, Google lets you save indexes centrally so you can run remote-desktop searches across all your PCs. Also, you can now drag the Sidebar around the screen and share panel items directly with friends.
Version 4 adds Google Gadgets, which are desktop applets that offer a range of tools including a music player, sports and stock tickers, a file shredder, and an interactive plant. The Web-based interface will be second nature to Google regulars, but we're not yet convinced it's the best way to scan local search results. Other programs with lighter feature sets 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 cap.
Google Desktop 5:Publisher's Description
From Google:
Instantly find your e-mail, files, media, Web history, and chats. By making your computer searchable, Google Desktop Search puts your information easily within your reach. It frees you from having to manually organize your files, e-mail, and Web pages you've viewed.
Version 4 adds Google Gadgets, which are interactive mini-applications that offer everything from games to search tools to media players.
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All versions:
3.3 starsout of 431 votes
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Current version:
3.1 starsout of 47 votes
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My rating:
Write review
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"so far, so good"
Version: Google Desktop 4
Pros
With the arrival of Windows Vista, every computer user feels the urge to find some replacement of its features in the otherwise excellent XP. So here I go. I must say this thing is absolutely fine. And you can configure it any conceivable way. So there is no way to say it is messing with your space. It will take only the space you give it. So far so good. Search is lightning fast. Truly awesome. As far as searching and sidebar are concerned, Vista can wait.
Cons
I am concerned about two things. Resources usage and privacy. I don't want this thing to consume a lot of resources and I wouldn't want anybody messing with my searches. I am not sure about any of these two issues. I am going to seriously learn about the two because this thing is really proving to be something great and useful.
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"excellent program"
Version: Google Desktop 4
Pros
it is a very easy search tool and gives u all info from email to news to new technology ..and the gadgets are the new features which make it even better and easier to use
Cons
its slow at start up
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"Great to search on a network"
Version: Google Desktop 4
Pros
Its a great feature if you need to search a network for that missing document.
Cons
I would not install it onto a computer connected to the internet. Where do the logs of your search results go? Google by any chance?
I don't like the idea of people searching my computer index. If you need to search your PC use the inbuilt one its called "SEARCH".
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"Very fast, but not easy to locate details from files (like yo yahoo)"
Version: Google Desktop 4
Pros
Very fast
Cons
Not easy to search details like yahoo desktop
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"Heading Down the wrong path"
Version: Google Desktop 4
Pros
Stable
Easy to use
Plugins/Expandable
Cons
Gadgets/Sidebar - in a rush to beat MS they tagged this into the search program. Nice distraction but, essentially no improvements have been made in terms of searching & organizing your personal data.
If I want gadgets or widgets I'll use a program for them. A desktop search program should be exactly that.
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"Solid Program... But do YOU need it?"
Version: Google Desktop 4
Pros
Desktop search programs are useful- mainly for those of us that have excessive amounts of folders where files are placed that are hard to find without browsing for awhile. Desktop search allows for easy finding of these sorts of files and because Google Desktop indexes these files, it finds them quicker than the default Windows Search Companion.
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Google Desktop is much like Windows Desktop Search although many users like myself prefer the Google Desktop because of the many available gadgets you can plugin and because the program seems to be more stable. But as I said, programs like this aren't really necessary for the average user and just really take up valuable RAM and increase start up times and the indexing service really only ultimately slows your computer down. I would only recommend this to business users that need quick file access and that have plenty of available system resources.
Cons
-uses a lot of system resources
-doesn't benefit average users
-possibility of people accessing your hard drive through Google's server if you enable the "search across computers" feature which saves your files to Google's server.
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"boring"
Version: Google Desktop 4
Cons
after awhile it just gets boring...remove
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"The best search tool!!!"
Version: Google Desktop 4
Pros
I like Google search engine and now I also like Google Desktop 4. It does a search very fast and returns the good result as I want. It's the best search tool!!!
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"Good search tool!!!"
Version: Google Desktop 4
Pros
I like this tool. It searches very quickly and helps me find my stuff in my computer better.
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"It just formal way to install a worm or spying soft on your PC"
Version: Google Desktop 4
Pros
Well good search capabilty, free, easy to use.
Cons
Its a big CON in itself, your data goes to google, Local files get mapped to their server, The Indexing feature stays in RAM eating up you memory. The more files u access the slower you PC becomes. Uninstall leaves lots a junk...
Well Save your privacy.... get rid of it.. Save data in better format or use Other search s/w's....
All the best
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