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Windows Search 4.0 vs. Google Desktop 5.5
Anyway, we've been using Windows Search for the past few days and we thought we'd let you know how it stacks up against Google Desktop. Read on for the results.
Windows Search gives you far more control over which files and folders you want to index. While Google Desktop says that "all fixed drives" are indexed by default, Windows will only index drives that you select. While this means Google Desktop is easier to setup, it also means that you wind up with a larger index file if you have hard drives and folders that you don't really need indexed.
On our test machine, Google Desktop indexed over 270,000 files, while Windows Search indexed 65,000. Google Desktop's index files took up about 1.7GB, while Windows Search used just 374MB. Advantage: Windows Search.
Windows Search does an excellent job of sorting search results into distinct categories. When you type a term into the search box, Windows Search will display a list of image files under a pictures category, MP3s under a Music category, Outlook contacts under Communications, and applications and other items under Everything.
Google Desktop, on the other hand just sort of spits everything out at once, without dividing your results up into categories. Advantage: Windows Search.
Ease of Use
Now, here's where things get interesting. You can launch Google Desktop in a variety of ways. You can add a search box to your Windows taskbar, enable the Google Desktop Sidebar with a search box, or pull up a search box by hitting the Ctrl key twice. Windows Search on the other hand, can only be launched two ways. You can either add a search box to your taskbar, or launch the application from your Start Menu (or other program launcher). Update As Scott Zarold points out in the comments, you can launch Windows Search by pressing Win+F. This brings up the Windows Search application, which takes a little longer to load than the Google Desktop search box. But since you don't need to launch a web browser window to display the results, the effect is similar.This is probably just a matter of personal taste, but we hate the idea of adding a search box to the Windows taskbar. It just takes up too much screen real estate. But if you want instant results, this is the only way to go with Windows Search. Launching the application from the Start Menu takes significantly longer than opening a Google Desktop search box with a keyboard shortcut. And while you could assign Windows Search to a hotkey, that launches the full application, and not just a search box.
Both programs will start to spit out clickable results as soon as you begin entering your query. But while Google Desktop requires you to open your default web browser to display additional results (which can take a few seconds if it's not already open), Windows Search launches a standalone application which loads much quicker.So if you can deal with a taskbar search box, Windows Search would seem to have the advantage right? Well, not exactly. Google Desktop has one killer advantage here: It's faster. When you enter a query in a Google Desktop search box, you get results almost immediately. But if you try the same query with Windows Search, you might have to wait a few seconds. The more files you have indexed, the slower Windows Search seems to get. Advantage: Draw.
Some other things to consider
Google Desktop is more than just a desktop search client. It's also a widget engine and desktop sidebar. If you don't want or need these features, you don't have to use them. But there's no way to install just the desktop search application.
Windows Search 4.0 will search encrypted files, something which Google Desktop cannot currently do. On the other hand, there are a ton of plugins for Google Desktop which will allow you to index files that are not officially supported by either application.
Conclusion
So which desktop search client is better for you? Umm, we don't know. While we give Windows Search 4.0 points for a well organized search engine, and more control over your indexing, Google Desktop is still faster. And we really prefer using a keyboard launch key over an always-present taskbar search box.
Which application do you prefer, and why? Or if you use another desktop search client, let us know in the comments.
Comments
56
Subscribe to commentsMikeMar 31st 2008 3:08PM
Let's not forget about the WDS's tight integration with the outlook 2007. You can search your emails inside the outlook program without leaving your email client. If you use Outlook as most of us do at work, Windows Search beats all.
MEKKManMar 31st 2008 3:48PM
Windows Search 4.0 doesn't work with win 2000 so our company can't use it. Both Google and Yahoo do. Strange that the OS manufacturer's software doesn't work with their own OS while other folks software does. But that's Microsoft for ya!
DonMar 31st 2008 8:13PM
WDS has these and a lot more:
https://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/desktopsearch/technicalresources/advquery.mspx
stevenApr 1st 2008 9:46PM
Copernic for sure. Google only indexes the first 10,000 words of a document if it figures there's enough space in the index file. Forget it. Previous versions of MS search tanked my cpu big time, and I had problems indexing pdf files. I was told that I needed to install Acrobat 8. No thanx!
Steven IckmanApr 1st 2008 1:00PM
I would be suprised if Copernic doesn't limit the amount of text they index as well, just as Google & WDS do. You have to, otherwise the random 1gb - 2gb log file you index will mess up the distribution of your index and kill your performance.
I can't remember what we limit a document to in WDS (I worked on the search results UI) but its a fair amount higher then Googles limit. It doesn't really matter though because on average the terms you're looking for will be found in the first several 'k' of a document. There are exceptions of course but its not worth the perf hit you' take just to improve the recall of 1% of your documents.
-steve
stevenApr 1st 2008 11:22PM
Hi,
Thanx for your reply. I respectfully disagree with your view that 1) Copernic limits the indexing of the content of files. I'm sure there's some limit, but it's not really a comparable issue to the one I'm raising about Google search. 2) I grant that most documents will be shorter and this won't be an issue. However, I'm working on larger documents and this is a deal breaker for me for sure, and I'm sure I'm not alone. Anyhow, I think most who've tried Copernic prefer it. WDS has a long way to go still before it's close to the stability, usability, and conservative resource use of Copernic.
jonApr 2nd 2008 11:16AM
Microsoft limits to the first 1MB
Copernic default is 10MB but can be raised to whatever you like.
I have 30,000 files, mostly word processing, PDF, scanned documents (I am a writer). The MS limit of 1MB was awful. The MS response: Well, little old ladies don't write or scan long documents. Gee, thanks for giving me a choice.
I did a search of my 30,000 files and only a handful were above 10MB. Copernic flies through them much faster than MS or Google (the latter is a dinosaur -- I have to wait a day for it to finish an index! The same index takes 30 minutes with Copernic).
The FILE SIZE LIMIT must go! Up to 10MB, at least.
ConstantineApr 3rd 2008 2:33PM
I use the old version of Windows Search 2.6 - it can do all that can do 4.0 plus the aliases:
-typing "g 111 " will search google for 111,
-typing "i cute guy" will search my photobank istockphoto.com for picture of a cute guy.
See? I use it every day. It all has to be taught through @ symbol.
Brandon PaddockApr 7th 2008 3:20PM
Constantine - you can continue to use the Deskbar shortcuts on WDS 3 and WS4.
Or on Vista, you can use Start++ which offers the same functionality and much more.
ajryanApr 5th 2008 9:12PM
Locate32 is hands-down the lightest, fastest search http://www.locate32.net
Paul TaylorApr 15th 2008 8:09PM
I mainly use search for emails and mainly at work. GDS isn't an option there owing to the privacy thing but I use it at home although mainly for the sidebar.
At work, I use X1 http://us.config.toolbar.yahoo.com/yds . To me, speed of use is the key and this app wins hands down over WDS 3 but I will give WDS 4 a try. One nice feature of WDS is the ability to view all emails from a conversation in one click. I haven't found that anywhere else.
CliveApr 21st 2008 10:13AM
Hi, at the moment i am playing around with a Exalead Desktop, which seems to be fast and most important no problems.
http://www.exalead.com/download/exaleadDesktop
NoblejokerApr 25th 2008 6:09AM
I like the sound of WDS4 especially as it is an ugrade of my existing Vista components rather than a duplication
Only deal breaker for me - will it index Thunderbird email?
Cheers
HrishieMay 1st 2008 5:07PM
I use google but it returns me searches (for files which I have moved to other locations) at previously stored location which is quite annoying. I installed windows search today and though I dont particularly like windows applications I will give this a try.
ChifrehMay 16th 2008 7:47AM
I use copernic which work pretty well with documents. Not really satisfied with the preview pane but I like the results appearing as you type; I have tried exalead in the past and think it was slowing down outlook.
For emails I just found out about Xobni; incredibly fast and rich interface that integrates nicely with outlook.
I was reading the article and comments to figure out if windows search is worth trying or not (on XP).
mattMay 19th 2008 9:30AM
I have tried almost all of these,
Copernic was great but had a fatal flaw in that it would use anywhere between 500-800mb of my 2gb of ram at any given time (even with real indexing and all that turned off) and no help docs could fix the problem.
WDS 4.0 looked like the answer until i hit a software glitch that would not let me choose which folders to index (I could choose initially but as soon as the comp restarted, it defaulted back to only indexing outlook express and my docs)
I then landed on GDS and while its been alright so far, showing me old/deleted files in my results is pretty annoying (happens even with the remove deleted items from index checked) And i'm not in love with the having to load FF every time I want to see my results.
I'm thinking of going back to X1 which I haven't tried in years and can only hope has improved. You wouldn't think this would be all that hard...