The world is going crazy about searching. From Yahoo, Google, Microsoft then Apple. A couple of months back, Google released their desktop search and Microsoft followed with it's Beta version of MSN Desktop Search.
The idea of searching files within the computer is nothing new, but the speed and the accuracy in which these applications offer is way superior than the aging search methodology which literally searches through each file and folder on the drive.
I was one of the early adopters of both Google's and Microsoft's offering. The verdict was that Microsoft's offering with better integration into the operating system and support for more file formats is more superior than that of Google's.
It has been a couple of months since Microsoft released their beta version of desktop search. I found that the search product has left it's beta stage and is now ready for general public use.
I downloaded a copy from MSN Desktop Search's official site and got the application installed - overriding my beta copy.
So what's new?
Aesthetics
- The Desktop Search Bar (sitting on the taskbar) looks more sleek and refined
- The little MSN Desktop Search icon on the system tray resembles more of a magnifying glass
- There is now an official application in the start menu called - "Windows Desktop Search"
- More intuitive
The search results are now more intuitive - in a way where a preview of the file/picture/contact/appointment/e-mail etc. is shown when a file is selected - Quick access to programs
It now indexes programs! Just type "Word" hit the "Down Arrow Key" hit "ENTER" and voila! Microsoft Word launches! Imagine, no more going through the super duper long list of programs from your start menu. Just type, arrow down or up and hit enter... SWEET! - Shortcuts
You can now add shortcuts to desktop search. If you have a couple of files which you open pretty often, simply type "@shorcutname,c:\documentpath" hit enter and the next time you type "shortcutname" and hit "ENTER", voila... out comes the file... - Better integration with MSN Network
Apart from emphasis of shortcuts for the desktop, Desktop Search, thanks to it's affiliation with MSN Network allows you to search MSN Content such as Encarta, MSN Movies, Expedia etc all from within the desktop search interface - Extensibility
If Microsoft Desktop Search doesn't support a specific file type by default, simply get to Microsoft Desktop Search's site and chances are, you'll find a plugin to enable support for the file type of your choice.
If you have got a Beta version of MSN Desktop Search and have performed the indexing, the new copy of Desktop Search will require you to re-index the entire drive - it's still indexing as I type this blog.
What about performance?
- In the past, what I didn't like was the fact that desktop search requires an "initialization time" which can take anything from 5-10 minutes after Windows have completely loaded.
Update: 1:57pm - it's been fixed! Yay! - Also, new files added or created were not indexed immediately. Thus the search results were not as up-to-date as I would like it to be.
Update: 1:50pm - the same as before.
The solution?
Leave your computer on all the time. Desktop search indexes the new files you added while you are away from your computer. That way, the next time you return to your machine, the new files would have already been indexed and thus results will be up-to-date.
If your machine cannot be left switched-on all the time or if you saved a file a couple of minutes ago but completely forgot where you saved it, simply right click on the "magnifying glass" icon on the system tray (the clock area - bottom right corner), hit "index now", give it a minute or two and try searching again.
Absolutely and most definitely YES! Microsoft's Desktop Search with it's improved features is, in my opinion, the best Desktop Search Engine available for the Windows platform. It's free, it's useful, it's FAST! - you'll never go "where did I save that file?" again... :)
Grab it now from MSN Desktop Search's official site
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