Google searchlight??

[munkle]

This is a half arsed attempt as far as I'm concerned, it doesn't even compare favourably to the likes of Quicksilver/Launchbar/Butler etc. Not having the ability for instant search like the above apps or iTunes is a big no no in my book. Having to submit a search is going to make it more cumbersome to use.

This is competing with the likes of Quicksilver et al on the Mac platform, Spotlight is in a different league.

 

[DavidLeblond]

First and foremost after install the app should bite the bullet and just index everything. Period. Get it over with. As it stands I'm sitting at only 112 items indexed. At this rate it might be done by the time it comes out of beta.

If you let your computer go idle for about half an hour it usually finishes. It did on mine.

But if you keep using it, it won't index at all.

The searchable items are WAY too rudimentary. Right now it only supports: Outlook and Outlook Express, web pages in your history, AIM, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, text files. That's a good start. How about PDF's? How about saved HTML\XML documents?

It indexed my HTML files and a bunch of C++ files. I won't be surprised if they add PDF files seeing how Google supports them, and I'd be VERY surprised if they don't have it search GMail evenutally.

It is, after all, a beta.

Then again, so is everything else at Google (except google itself)

 

[RIP]

Speaking of F@H

I had to pause the F@H service for the Google indexing service to begin its index.

Something tells me that for this Google desktop search to operate properly and give me up-to-date results, F@H will have to go.

There won't necessarily be a slow-down. Indexing can be done using idle CPU time (like Folding@Home).

Apple on indexing: "This process occurs transparently and in the background, so you never experience lag times or slow downs during normal operation."

(From the Spotlight tech details page:
http://www.apple.com/macosx/tiger/spotlighttech.html)

 

[ASP272]

Can't we just have one very fast way to search? Why so many options? Isn't the Mac supposed to be simple!? Unless Spotlight takes over all searching on the system.

 

[ijimk]

All aboard this is the band wagon on apples %&*#.... jeesh next thing you know microsoft will start calling their stuff cat names... GET YOUR OWN IDEAS MICROSOFT!

 

[x86isslow]

All aboard this is the band wagon on apples %&*#.... jeesh next thing you know microsoft will start calling their stuff cat names... GET YOUR OWN IDEAS MICROSOFT!

the thread is about Google. the company famous for its search engine. not microsoft

 

[~Shard~]

I’ll just wait for Spotlight, thanks. To me, it seems like this Google tool would be a little bit CPU-intensive and use up system resources (maybe not a lot, but they add up over time...) Also, due to the business that Google is in, I don’t know if I want them searching everything on my computer, collecting data about it and then, what, sending it back out on the Internet to who?...

 

[NovacaineX]

some of you people need to take your tinfoil hats off. Why is it more likely that google would take date from your computer and do somethign with it than apple or microsoft? In fact you better just unplug your internet conenction "the man" mnight be watching you.

 

[~Shard~]

some of you people need to take your tinfoil hats off. Why is it more likely that google would take date from your computer and do somethign with it than apple or microsoft? In fact you better just unplug your internet conenction "the man" mnight be watching you.

Seems like there is a fine line between paranoia and naiveté. I'll play it safe, be educated and aware, and choose paranoia, thanks...

 

[homerjward]

no metadata searching! i thought there would be even thought it didnt mention it but i tried it and no...other than that it's cool. i like searching image and audio files cause my music and pics are very disorganized (itunes library is fine but it links to at least 30 diff directories on my hard drive)

 

[munkle]

Can't we just have one very fast way to search? Why so many options? Isn't the Mac supposed to be simple!? Unless Spotlight takes over all searching on the system.

You do realise that Google desktop search is for Windows not Mac. And yes you do have options on how to search on the Mac, from Apple and third party developers, options are a good thing. Different vendors offer different things, you choose which one works best for you, you don't have to use them all!

And yes spotlight will search your entire system but it is so much more than what is being currently offered. It searches throught the meta data and gives you results instantly. Here's a link if you actually want to find out about Spotlight.

 

[legacyb4]

Just started playing around with it on a computer at work and I'm not convinced that I do want Google-style searches of bringing all the content to me in a single list of results for all the content on my computer. Kinda creepy, to be honest.

After all, I generally know that I'm searching for information in an e-mail or in a Word document, but I rarely would I have to sit down and just search my whole computer because I can't remember where I typed the phrase "Detection of 6-Acetylmorphine in Vitreous Humor and Cerebrospinal Fluid"...

 

[Nermal]

It seems to ignore 'ownership' settings

Users of the Google Desktop Search software beware -- it indexes your files across all users on your PC, bypassing user protections. The Google cache feature allows all users to browse the contents of messages and files it has indexed, irrespective of who is logged in. 'This is not a bug, rather a feature,' says Marissa Mayer, Google's director of consumer Web products. 'Google Desktop Search is not intended to be used on computers that are shared with more than one person.'

 

[dubbz]

Also and this is a big one. The searchable items are WAY too rudimentary. Right now it only supports: Outlook and Outlook Express, web pages in your history, AIM, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, text files. That's a good start. How about PDF's? How about saved HTML\XML documents? How about picture names and descriptions? How about Lotus Notes or even G-Mail searches? (Yah there are other mail clients out there guys.) How about iTunes or simply music file searches? There is a whole host of data types out there to be queried and while this util does an adequate job at getting the basics covered its hardly comprehensive.

You can always send a Suggestion to Google, if you feel there's something missing. Like you've said yourself, it's a BETA, so you can't possibly expect it to be functionally complete yet.

I’ll just wait for Spotlight, thanks. To me, it seems like this Google tool would be a little bit CPU-intensive and use up system resources (maybe not a lot, but they add up over time...)

The tool use only idle CPU time. It will stay put until the system has been idle for 30 seconds (IIRC). So performance shouldn't suffer in any way.

 

[nmk]

It seems to ignore 'ownership' settings

If you're going to post a Slashdot story, why don't you also post that almost everyone on Slashdot has dismissed it as FUD. The software is designed for single user systems. Google is simply being honest about this.

 

[~Shard~]

The tool use only idle CPU time. It will stay put until the system has been idle for 30 seconds (IIRC). So performance shouldn't suffer in any way.

Cool, good to know, thanks for that. With all these little applications running in the background, etc., system performance and resource usage is always a concern of mine.

 

[Blaaze]

I just tried out QS, and I don't think it's for me. Personally, it's appears to be too "bloated", because when I access it, it gives me a huge bezel.

LaunchBar on the other hand keeps everything in the corner. For my needs, LaunchBar does everything QS does. Could be a little faster though.

Try out LaunchBar

 

[munkle]

I just tried out QS, and I don't think it's for me. Personally, it's appears to be too "bloated", because when I access it, it gives me a huge bezel.

LaunchBar on the other hand keeps everything in the corner. For my needs, LaunchBar does everything QS does. Could be a little faster though.

Try out LaunchBar

If you a smaller interface, you can change it in preferences. The other options of 'Window', 'Flashlight' (copy of upcoming Spotlight) or 'mini' (!) are a lot smaller, you can move them round the screen too.

And as for the app itself, it is the furthest thing from bloated. The developer has implemented a module system, whereby you only install the modules you want, to specifically combat against this.

Play around in preferences and settings to configure Quicksilver to how you want it. Get rid of the dock icon and menu bar icon if you want to keep it lean. It's highly configurable.

If you've already shelled out $20 you're prob pretty committed to Launchbar and if it suits your needs great, but give Quicksilver another go some time and play around with the settings, it might surprise you!

 

[t300]

Thought I would post this here...

Today I was at the Digital Life expo and Google had a pretty amazing setup there...Well I got a chance to talk to the product manager of Google Desktop and he CONFIRMED that Google IS currently making a web browser, as he is on the team. Then he also said that a Mac version is not currently planned right now but has been brought up a repeated amount of times. He told me that they have also been working on the browser longer than Google desktop, but are taking their time and really integrating everything into this browser. He also said this, when prompted the question of Google Desktop for Mac "No, the Mac already does it perfectly and with Tiger will do it even better, so there is, unless I have a change of heart, no chance that there will be a Google Desktop for the Mac."

Take it all for what you will, but it's straight from the horse's mouth.

 

[Rower_CPU]

Does this "horse" have a name? Just curious about some corroborating info to take your claim past the realm of anecdotal evidence...

 

[t300]

Does this "horse" have a name? Just curious about some corroborating info to take your claim past the realm of anecdotal evidence...

His name was Raj. He was not a "horse" but a great employee of Google. In fact, every Google employee there was very cool and full of energy. Google seems like a great company to work for.

 

[Rower_CPU]

His name was Raj. He was not a "horse" but a great employee of Google. In fact, every Google employee there was very cool and full of energy. Google seems like a great company to work for.

Hey, you started the horse thing.

You didn't happen to catch Raj's last name, did you?

 

[t300]

Hey, you started the horse thing.

You didn't happen to catch Raj's last name, did you?

lol...True.

You know, when I replied, I stared at the computer for at least 10 minutes trying to think of it, But I truly can't remember. I will PM you if I do.

 

[chanoc]

I'll stick with the Finder -- color me old fashion.

 

[Nermal]

If you're going to post a Slashdot story, why don't you also post that almost everyone on Slashdot has dismissed it as FUD. The software is designed for single user systems. Google is simply being honest about this.

All I did was copy/paste what was posted on the front page of Slashdot. I didn't read any of the comments, because it didn't really interest me.

It's funny that Google's app can get around Windows' security though - it tells you something about how well Microsoft's going about security