Best Desktop Search

[breadandbubbles]

of course there are important differences between each one that one must consider. for one thing, MSN's desktop search is incorporated into a toolbar. if you dont like having extra toolbars (like me) then you might not want this one. If you look at Copernic (at leats the versions ive tested) ive found that its excellent and in depth (it even find JPEG's by searching embedded comments) but it cant search compressed files. Other programs are not so In depth like Yahoo. Yahoo only searches file names, not inside the actual files themselves, like most other desktop searches.

Many times, limits with desktop searches, like Google Desktop Searches inability to search Rich Text Format, compressed, XML, and other popular formats, can be fixed by simply downloading some plug-ins, which i sucessfully did with Google. (Actually, Google desktop search also searches Thunderbird files, should that help anyone). One thing that bothered me about Google is that you cannot choose when indexing occurs, but you can pause the process if its hogging your CPU.

so there it is! Im hoping everyone will not only Poll, but explain what is is you like about each option, and even potential downsides.

Edited November 17, 2005 by breadandbubbles