- Quick specs
- Price: Free
- Operating system: Windows Vista, Windows XP
- Date added: March 07, 2007
- Total Downloads: 332,208
- Downloads last week: 770
- See full specifications
A newer version of Google Desktop is available.
(Download doesn't provide access to previous versions of this program.)
- CNET editors' rating: stars
- Average user rating: stars out of 334 votes
See all user reviews
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: CNET Staff
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.
Watch the CNET video review of Google Desktop:
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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User reviews of Google Desktop 5.0.703.5398
- Average user rating: 3.3 stars out of 334 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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Showing 5 of 13 user reviewsSee all 13 user reviews
This software version | All versions -
18 out of 28 people found this review helpful
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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29 out of 33 people found this review helpful
Version: Google Desktop 5.0.703.5398
"Exellent program keeps getting better!"
Pros: The new translucent look and overhauled sidebar make this a great update to the Google Desktop legacy.
Cons: There are privacy concerns if you choose to have your files accessible from another computer. It would be better if Google just included a client that gave you access to your computer remotely, rather than hauled off your files to their server. I don't use this feature, though, so it's not that important to me.
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6 out of 7 people found this review helpful
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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4 out of 5 people found this review helpful
Version: Google Desktop 5.0.703.5398
"Great program, simplistic design, resource hog"
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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4 out of 5 people found this review helpful
Version: Google Desktop 5.0.703.5398
"I love it. Theres so much to choose from."
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.
- See all 13 user reviews Write review
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