Google Desktop

The Google Desktop is a handy tool that not only gives you the ability to search the web but also to search your own hard drive for files and folders, outgoing and incoming emails, IM chats and web browsing history. It creates cached copies of your files to make it easy to find an earlier or accidentally deleted version. It also allows you to install Google Gadgets on your desktop.

The Google Desktop is essentially your own private search engine. After installation, it sits in the background and indexes your files, emails, instant messages and browser cache during inactive times, only going to work when the system is idle for 30 seconds or more. As soon as the mouse or keyboard is used, it ceases its indexing to it won’t interfere with other uses. After the initial inventory, it moves to the background to await new indexing opportunities.

The Google Desktop indexes text files, MS Word documents, Outlook and Outlook Express emails, Excel workbooks, AOL Instant Messenger conversations, Powerpoint presentations and browsed Internet Explorer pages. MP3s, photographs and movies are indexed by their file names. It makes your computer searchable in the same way as the web. A search query is entered just as it would be for web search with the “Search Desktop” button clicked instead of “Search the Web”.

While the Google Desktop is available for Windows, MacOSX and Linux users, the sidebar feature that can serve Gadgets is only available for Windows. It comes pre-installed with some gadgets including a Gmail email panel, a scratch pad, a slideshow display using photos from the “MyPictures” folder, weather and time and others. They can be easily removed and new ones added. They can be docked in the sidebar or placed anywhere else on the desktop.

The disadvantage of the Google Desktop is that it consumes a significant amount of hard drive space with no way to limit the index size or determine what is taking up the majority of the space.

Categories: Glossary
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