CNET 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, and the app's sidebar shows regular updates to your favorite programs, from e-mail to your My Pictures folder to RSS feeds and weather.
Although the initial indexing process can take a very long time--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 lives 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 even some "wacky" items like an interactive plant. Along with e-mail updates, the weather, and current chats, the Desktop sidebar has a built-in to-do list, notepad, and the ability 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, allowing the user to swap one Big Evil Corporation out for another. 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 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.
Google 5 revamps the sidebar interface and many gadgets, while adding a new dialog for adding gadgets. Also new are previews of search results and security alerts for suspicious Web links.
What's new in this version: Version 5.0.703.5398 includes unspecified changes and fixes.
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All versions:
3.3 starsout of 431 votes
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Current version:
4.2 starsout of 13 votes
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My rating:
Write review
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"Amazing Product"
Version: Google Desktop 5.0.703.5398
Pros
Google desktop is very easy to use.It make it easy and simple to do all you web searching on your desktop.You can also read mail and do lots of other stuff too such as checking the forecast.It fully customizable and doesn't use too much memory.Best of all it's free.
Cons
None.
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"Great program, simplistic design, resource hog"
Version: Google Desktop 5.0.703.5398
Pros
This is one of the programs, that once you try it, you wonder how you ever lived without it to begin with. I love having my entire computer, my emails, browsing history and pretty much anything you could imagine avaible from a small search bar on your desktop. The accompaning gadgets generally fall into three categories. 1.)Neat but will never use 2.) Absolutely Worhtless 3.) And very handy. I'll admit that they don't look as nice as the Vista equivalents or the Yahoo widgets, but they are clean and crisp and simple.
Cons
This does take it's share of memory. If I was running an older computer or even a laptop, I'd probally disable most (if not all) the gadgets and use the search feature only.
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"Good and useful, but has a major problem and contact is difficult"
Version: Google Desktop 5.0.703.5398
Pros
My main reason for having this is that every month I backup my emails into individual "*.msg" files, but Windows XP cannot make internal searches. Google Desktop solves this problem.
Cons
If Google Desktop is running in the system tray and I go to a site with Windows Media Player, Windows stops running. Buffering takes forever and it also takes a long time for Windows to pull itself together. And there does not appear to be a simple way of reporting this fault to Google.
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"goood"
Version: Google Desktop 5.0.703.5398
Pros
It is Free
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"not for dial-up connections"
Version: Google Desktop 5.0.703.5398
Pros
The program functions are very good, as they have been in previous versions. Excellent search features.
Cons
This version is constantly accessing the internet. Even though G-mail, gadget, search across computers, the side-bar, advanced features, and safe browsing are disabled, Google Desktop is constantly using the connection. (It has to be Google...once the program is exited, the connection usage instantly ceases.) This may be acceptable for a broadband connection, but it sure as heck slows down browsing on a dial-up connection.
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"I love it. Theres so much to choose from."
Version: Google Desktop 5.0.703.5398
Pros
There is alot to choose from & new features are always being added. I go through it every few days to see what it there, espcially if I may have missed something or want to add additionals. I have alot already that dont need to be downloaded & then there are those that I dont. Its worth getting or at least looking through ---just in case.
Cons
Sometimes I may come across an item that is not what I expected. At other times I may not find what I want/need. I downloaded one feature & for some reason it is no longer exists but is still on my screen (unless I overlooked it). Only thing I am not sure of yet is how much can I put up to on the right side of my screen without over doing. The more you add the smaller it gets.
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"Very useful software"
Version: Google Desktop 5.0.703.5398
Pros
I love Google Desktop. The search goes through your .txt or .doc files so if you forgot what the file name was, no problem. Google will search within the files!
I love the sidebar. It is easy to customize with plenty of add ons to choose from.
It looks good also. Especially the transparency on this version...it looks like it belongs there.
Cons
Google Desktop does take up a lot of system resources (if the sidebar is open), but it doesn't seem to slow down my computer visibly.
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"I am wary of it. I want to see some of the 3 star and less reviews"
Version: Google Desktop 5.0.703.5398
Pros
Sorry, waiting to view the negative reviews, if 3 star is average.
Cons
Sorry, waiting to view the negative reviews if 3 star is average.
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"It's nice"
Version: Google Desktop 5.0.703.5398
Pros
It is Very useful for me
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"Great tool, love it!"
Version: Google Desktop 5.0.703.5398
Pros
It looks just great
It faster than the older version
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