Google Desktop... worth it or no?

I was reading about the features regarding Google Desktop. Is this program really worth having or is it not so worth having? It sounds like it would be a nice program to have but can I trust Google to index my computer, etc?

 

Hello,
I don't think you need it. In my opinion, it's rather surplus.
What are you trying to achieve?
Mrk

 

Check out Copernic Desktop Search. (Free).

 

We went Copernic Corporate (paid version) at our office. GD looks like it would have probably worked ok but I had concerns about how tightly GD may be tied to the web. I had no proof of my suspicions but still felt better about the situation...

 

locate32 ftw.

What features attract you in Google Desktop?

 

Hi All,

I appreciate the suggestion for other desktop programs. Actually, the feature that attracts me most is just being able to locate files on my hard drive quickly and easily which I believe that's what Google Desktop does.

 

organise your filesystem better?..
have 1 server & 6 pc's at home.. i wouldnt need any indexer to locate files.. just by keeping your stuff organised, makes it easier to backup aswel

 

Hello, that's a very good idea! Thank you, I will think about better keeping my computer organized... Google Desktop also might slow down my computer I thought too....

 

If you do want fast searches, i'd recommend locate32. When installing, choose the desktop icons for instance. Then you use the updtdb32 icon to update the index, and run locate32 to search.
On demand, clean and fast.

Here's a preview:
http://www.donationcoder.com/MiniReviews/Locate/

 

Well thank you very much!! I might give it a try

 

I fully agree. This is a great piece of software.

It doesn't slow down the boot up and finds files instantly as you type the name or words you are looking for.

 

It's worth pointing out that desktop search programs such as Copernic are much more than simple file searches. They catalog emails (including attachments), PDFs, Word docs, Excel spreadsheets and much more. Need some kind of document (you can't remember what kind) from an email you received 3 months ago that was an attachment that contained the phrase Quantum of Solace? Copernic will find it in 1 or 2 seconds.

This is the reason we needed something at our office. To be able to search down to that level in seconds has become something we can't do without. Some users have from 5 to 10 thousand emails being cataloged. There is no other way to keep things organized and obtain such detailed search results in seconds. I was sold on Copernic the first time I tried it.

This all said, I have no need for it at home. I don't have the volume of files or emails to deal with...

 

That's a very good point Han. locate32 can't do that, if i remember correctly.
I never needed that myself, and i rarely used locate32. But that is a good feature.
A comparison - http://lifehacker.com/400365/five-best-desktop-search-applications

 

Ok, just tested it briefly, and it can search text, but it looks limited.
I tried a text file, and it got the file i wanted, but with a pdf it couldn't find it.

There are lots of options i'm not aware of, but i suspect it won't do much.

 

I find Windows Search 4.0 more powerfull for searching inside the documents... but is also the slower one in indexing.

Panagiotis

 

That's possible yes... I have seen it do some odd things on various PCs, so depending on your horsepower, it could have an undesirable impact... I'd go for either the other one mentioned, or maybe just use Windows built-in search stuff if you just need to find file names.

 

Hy.Can any of these program search inside ,open office documents?

 

Copernic does,
WDS does not.
And IRC GDS does

 

Back to back test and I have found Copernic to be better at locating text within files and emails.

One issue I have with WDS is that it does not refresh/remove stale data very well, on 2 machines.

 

thanks for this discussion locate 32 is the one i wanted

 

Since they are related with the search feature here are two great freewares for cataloging your external disks, cds, dvds. etc.

Cathy
and the open source CatalogShaman

Cathy is a bit faster but CatalogShaman has a nicer interface.

ps. Does anyone know if locate 32can be used to catalog external disks?

Panagiotis

 

And i found why the search is limited:

This is from the help file.

 

Thanks Pedro,

I just tested it but it is not as "smart" as CatalogShaman.

Catalogshaman search/update is based not only on the drive letters but also at the serial numbers of the drives. If the drive letter of an external disk is changed it will automatically find the correct path.
For making an example I changed the letter of my samsung 200gb drive form G: to K:

Panagiotis

 

Bookmarked, and downloaded to check it out later.

 

Pedro,

Thanks very much for the tip. Locate32 is fantastic for file searching. Since I mostly search for files, I now use Copernic in manual mode and only for contents searches. I use locate32 for file searches. Very fast and lite on resources.

Silver