X1 Professional Client

CNET Editors' review

by: CNET staff on March 14, 2011

X1 Professional Client is an enterprise-class desktop search application that indexes and searches more than 500 file types, including all major e-mail clients, as well as local and networked drives, folders, and files. It can find e-mail messages and attachments, system files and documents, appointments and calendar entries, contacts, and even pictures, music, and Web sites. It's suitable for corporate networks in both small and large companies, including excellent support, but it's not out of the range of individuals looking for a comprehensive desktop search option.

X1's interface looks like it means business, with the familiar Windows layout of toolbars and tree-view navigation panel anchoring a main view with tabs for Email, Inbox, Attachments, Tasks, Contacts, and other categories. X1 began indexing our system's files as soon as we opened it, populating each tab's view with individually searchable file lists. X1 displays results while you type, a speedy method that often jogs the memory or suggests a potentially better answer. We jumped right in, entering several searches on various tabs, and X1 instantaneously returned hits with our search term and the specified file type highlighted in the list of results. X1 made quick work of our most annoying searches, those items we should be able to find easily but never do. We clicked "See all X1 search rules" and received an HTML page of search functions that included not only basic Boolean operators but also column, range, and negative searches as well as advanced search options that can, for example, distinguish an exact phrase from an abbreviated one. From the X1 interface, we could copy, save, zip, and move results; reply to, forward, and archive messages and files; and even schedule meetings. The program can also place a handy search box on the Windows taskbar.

Do you use more than one e-mail client or browser? Have you changed clients or accounts? Do you use SharePoint, remotely hosted files, or a company network? Have you ever tried to find an attachment to an old e-mail message, or a contact's phone number, or an appointment from last year? X1 Professional Client can handle it all. It's not only the fastest and most powerful desktop search tool we've tested, it's one of the easiest to use, too.

Editors' note: This is a review of the full version of X1 Professional Client 6.7.2. The trial version is limited to 14 days.