Desktop Search

I've been using Google Desktop Search at work. What I like most about it is that it can search through Outlook mail and even your offline .pst files. Another feature that I initially did not think I would like but now adore is that when searching Google.com results from the Desktop search show up also. This comes in handy when searching for a Cisco configuration command for example. In my Google results I'll get to see results from the web plus any E-mail messages that may contain the command I'm looking for. Very nice. If you have to use Windows you might as well add Google Desktop Search.

For a nice introduction see Google Your Desktop at oreillynet.com. If you are worried about privacy be sure to opt out of sending information back to Google.

Us Mac user's will have to wait for Spotlight in the upcoming Tiger release of OS X because the rumours of Google Desktop Search (GDS) coming to OS X were greatly exaggerated.

From what I have seen Spotlight will not quite be what GDS is and I'm worried that Apple may have it only work with Mail and Safari.

GDS seems to have the search once, find anywhere concept down whereas Spotlight will only search your computer. There is a Java program called x-friend. I have not tried it yet but the concept goes even beyond what GDS can do. From the description:

x-friend's search functionality includes full text search and meta data search. Search results will be displayed within seconds and can be categorized by file type, date, size etc.

Additionally, x-friend searches the internet, product catalogues, internet news (RSS-feeds), emails and other search services.

x-friend offers a P2P-like search in external shared folders of other x-friend users.