Indexing the Desktop - Features of the Google Desktop Application
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The move by Google is bold and almost seems to have been rushed into public use -- it will index your Microsoft Outlook email files, but due to the JavaScript-driven nature of Google's own Gmail interface, Google Desktop is not capable of indexing emails stored in Gmail.
The Google Desktop application is a small download (400k) that takes only a few seconds to install, though it takes at least two hours to index all the files on your hard drive. Once the initial indexing is completed, however, future indexing is done on an "as needed" basis. Searches are executed quickly and integrated into the main Google interface -- when you perform a search on Google it also searches for relevant results on your local machine, or if you so choose, it will search just your desktop, truly blurring the line between the web and the desktop. Take that, Bill!
One of the best features in my opinion is Google Desktop's ability to index every webpage you visit through Internet Explorer (for now, the application works only in IE) and include those pages in local storage in your search results. What's more is this: Google Desktop is capable of indexing text contained in many proprietary document formats, including MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook data files, as well as Adobe PDF documents. On top of that, the desktop application enables Google to truly personalize your search results by using documents and web pages you have viewed in the past as criterion to evaluate your personal habits.
This is Google's first attempt at true personalization and if successful, the impact could be huge, particularly for Google's often disenfranchised competitors. The application even catalogs your previous searches to build up a reference of your personal habits. Even instant messaging conversations and music are searchable.
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