Is the jury back on Desktop Search apps?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Franklin
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Franklin

It must be a year or so since Desktop Search products became very
popular. And most of them are freeware. At one stage I was running
several at the same time to compare them.

Are there any firm favorites emerging?

I settled for Yahoo Desktop Search.

I loved some things about Google DS and its smooth integration with
Internet Google but in the end is not for me.

Copernic DS was evolving when I tried it. Nice but seemed outclassed.

I will try MSN DS as it gets good reviews
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/apps/desktop-search.ars/7 (7 pages)


I found this PDF report very useful but now it is dated
http://www.pcmag.com/download_thank_you/0,1220,d=3016,00.asp
 
It must be a year or so since Desktop Search products became very
popular. And most of them are freeware. At one stage I was running
several at the same time to compare them.

Are there any firm favorites emerging?

I settled for Yahoo Desktop Search.
Click to expand...

Can you explain why a desktop search program is better than the built
in search program of the OS?
 
badgolferman said:
Can you explain why a desktop search program is better than the built
in search program of the OS?
Click to expand...

The thing is, I think when you refer to the 'OS', you only refer to the
big three. For Microsoft (<XP), we're talking the simple search
function with Clippy. Try using it (winkey + f). The interface is
clunky, and it's slow. I'd reccommend a freeware alternative like Agent
Ransack http://www.mythicsoft.com/agentransack/

In the Apple's quarters, we're talking Spotlight I think. I'm not too
sure about it, never used it before, but it's 'type as you find'. Check
this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotlight_(software)

In Linux, we have something called the Beagle. It isn't the only search
program, but I think Beagle is the 'fanciest' one. Again, check this
article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beagle_(software)

I ask you then, does the Windows one compare with the two others?

That's why Windows in particular needs a thirdparty search program,
because third parties seem to write program's so much better for
Windows than Microsoft itself. (No, let's not start a debate about
this. :D )
 
Can you explain why a desktop search program is better than the
built in search program of the OS?
Click to expand...

The OS's search is not indexed, it is far far slower, it reads
binaries as a flat file, it has no compound boolean search arguments,
it is not even as effecient as third party freeware such as Agent
Ransack, it has no omit/include for individual folders, etc.

Something like Locate32 on Windows knocks the brains out of the OS's
native search for file names but it is still not as good as a Desktop
Search for locating file content.

Microsoft has brought out MSN Dsktop Search and that is in addition
to its native OS search so someone somewhere thinks the difference is
great enough to justify it.
 
badgolferman said:
It seems my Windows XP does have indexing although I have not used it.
Click to expand...

Don't ever ever use the Indexing Service on XP. If you look on the
fabled Blackviper webpage (yes, it's not actually the webpage, but
someone gathered the info when it went down, you'll see why):

http://www.dead-eye.net/Windows XP Professional Services Details.htm#Indexing Service

"Indexing Service ~ This has always and forever been a major resource
hog. I never recommend having this service enabled. Remove the function
via the "Add/Remove Programs" icon in the control panel (Windows Setup
Programs.) It uses about 500K to 2 MB in an idle state, not to mention
the amount of memory it takes to actually INDEX the drives. I have had
people (and witnessed it on other people's computers) report to me that
the Indexing Service sometimes starts up EVEN while the system is NOT
idle... as in the middle of a game. I feel this is unacceptable. "
 
What's it called, so I can check?

TheManifold said:
Don't ever ever use the Indexing Service on XP. If you look on the
fabled Blackviper webpage (yes, it's not actually the webpage, but
someone gathered the info when it went down, you'll see why):

http://www.dead-eye.net/Windows XP Professional Services Details.htm#Indexing Service

"Indexing Service ~ This has always and forever been a major resource
hog. I never recommend having this service enabled. Remove the function
via the "Add/Remove Programs" icon in the control panel (Windows Setup
Programs.) It uses about 500K to 2 MB in an idle state, not to mention
the amount of memory it takes to actually INDEX the drives. I have had
people (and witnessed it on other people's computers) report to me that
the Indexing Service sometimes starts up EVEN while the system is NOT
idle... as in the middle of a game. I feel this is unacceptable. "
Click to expand...
 
It seems my Windows XP does have indexing although I have not
used it.
Click to expand...


Apologies. I didn't realise you were referring to XP's native
indexing. It is so crap I wasn't even thinking about it. Someone
somewhere must use it but it is a system perfomance killer. Best
left alone.
 
It must be a year or so since Desktop Search products became very
popular. And most of them are freeware. At one stage I was running
several at the same time to compare them.

Are there any firm favorites emerging?

I settled for Yahoo Desktop Search.

I loved some things about Google DS and its smooth integration with
Internet Google but in the end is not for me.

Copernic DS was evolving when I tried it. Nice but seemed outclassed.

I will try MSN DS as it gets good reviews
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/apps/desktop-search.ars/7 (7 pages)


I found this PDF report very useful but now it is dated
http://www.pcmag.com/download_thank_you/0,1220,d=3016,00.asp
Click to expand...

I settled on Copernic after reading several reviews. Still using it,
have not tried anything else.

Ross
 
Franklin said:
The OS's search is not indexed,
Click to expand...

At least in the case of XP Home with SP2, if you open Windows Explorer,
right click on a hard drive or partition, select "Properties" and then
put a checkmark by "Allow Indexing Service to index this disc for fast
file searching", it will do so unless you have that service disabled.
it is far far slower, it reads
binaries as a flat file, it has no compound boolean search arguments,
it is not even as effecient as third party freeware such as Agent
Ransack, it has no omit/include for individual folders, etc.
Click to expand...

All true unfortunately.
Something like Locate32 on Windows knocks the brains out of the OS's
native search for file names but it is still not as good as a Desktop
Search for locating file content.

Microsoft has brought out MSN Dsktop Search and that is in addition
to its native OS search so someone somewhere thinks the difference is
great enough to justify it.
Click to expand...

My main concern with the offerings from Google, MS and Yahoo is that the
searches and indexing may not be as private as one would like. None of
those programs have a valid reason for calling out to a server, but it's
my understanding that all of them do so. You can block them with a SW
firewall, but still...

--
Regards from John Corliss
I don't reply to trolls like Andy Mabbett or Doc (who uses sock puppets)
for instance. No adware, cdware, commercial software, crippleware,
demoware, nagware, PROmotionware, shareware, spyware, time-limited
software, trialware, viruses or warez for me, please.
 
John said:
At least in the case of XP Home with SP2, if you open Windows
Explorer, right click on a hard drive or partition, select
"Properties" and then put a checkmark by "Allow Indexing Service to
index this disc for fast file searching", it will do so unless you
have that service disabled.



All true unfortunately.



My main concern with the offerings from Google, MS and Yahoo is that
the searches and indexing may not be as private as one would like.
None of those programs have a valid reason for calling out to a
server, but it's my understanding that all of them do so. You can
block them with a SW firewall, but still...
Click to expand...
I know you can ramp up the privacy in Google DS after they took a
serious PR hit for open indexing HTTPS sites.
Copernic Dials home to check for updates, but defaults to nothing else
that my firewall can see.

I tried Yahoo search, didn't care for the interface.

Tried Google, and was not impressed with how the results were displayed
"Okay, you found it, but where?"

Copernic was initially glitchy, but is more stable now. It's saved lots
of time searching, and on a few occasions, saved my job.

Why a free search program than the native one in the OS? Results as fast
as I can type, plus, everything is indexed:Files, media, emails,
appointments, contacts, tasks, web history.

John Hood
Web Site www.jhoodsoft.org
"The best home and business free software, no time limits, no fluff."
"No kidding."
 
John said:
I know you can ramp up the privacy in Google DS after they took a
serious PR hit for open indexing HTTPS sites.
Copernic Dials home to check for updates, but defaults to nothing else
that my firewall can see.

I tried Yahoo search, didn't care for the interface.

Tried Google, and was not impressed with how the results were
displayed "Okay, you found it, but where?"

Copernic was initially glitchy, but is more stable now. It's saved
lots of time searching, and on a few occasions, saved my job.

Why a free search program than the native one in the OS? Results as
fast as I can type, plus, everything is indexed:Files, media, emails,
appointments, contacts, tasks, web history.
Click to expand...

Another one is Svizzer Personal http://www.svizzer.com/
Requirements: Windows 2000+ and .NET 1.1
 
John said:
At least in the case of XP Home with SP2, if you open Windows Explorer,
right click on a hard drive or partition, select "Properties" and then
put a checkmark by "Allow Indexing Service to index this disc for fast
file searching", it will do so unless you have that service disabled.


All true unfortunately.


My main concern with the offerings from Google, MS and Yahoo is that the
searches and indexing may not be as private as one would like. None of
those programs have a valid reason for calling out to a server, but it's
my understanding that all of them do so. You can block them with a SW
firewall, but still...
Click to expand...

This is why I use Copernic DS.

- Frank
 
I'm currently using GDS. Liked YDS but it wouldn't index my Outlook
tasks.

MDS is surprisingly good, but I believe I stopped using it because it
wasn't indexing my source code (I do computer programming so I have a
ton of source code files on my hard drive).

Jon
 
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