Thinking about Google Desktop? Version 5.9 Released

If you didn’t already know, Google models its desktop search experience, Google Desktop, around the idea of its search engine.  With some desktop search applications that attempt a similar experience, this can often be a hindrance, but with Google, this is definitely not the case.  If you know and understand the Google web search experience, you can definitely deal with Google Desktop 5.9 – the latest free version.

The application supports full-text searching of Outlook Express, Outlook, Thunderbird, and Netscape email as well as Word, PowerPoint, and Excel files.  It also searches through videos, images, and PDFs.  Though it covers a wide gamut of information, other products on the market currently offer more search facilities.  However, with Google Desktop it all comes down to the management.

Google Desktop has a feature known as Google Gadgets that you can place anywhere on your desktop.  It will show you new email, photos, and feeds.  Though it seems a little gimmicky, they also provide a more professional version known as Google Desktop for Enterprise, which is aimed at businesses and offers email support as well as IBM Lotus Notes.  It also works in conjunction with Google Search Appliance and Google Mini.  What this means is that you can search not only your PC but also a corporate intranet and the Internet all in one fell swoop.

One other awesome thing worth mentioning about Google Desktop is that if you accidentally delete a file, then fear not – a cached copy will inevitably be on standby.  This is all thanks to the way Google Desktop creates cached copies of the files each time you view them.  Certainly a handy addition – we recommend checking it out (it’s free after all).

Source – computerworld.com