Top 3 Desktop Search Suites

Over the last few years the concept of “desktop search” has become increasingly popular. Though file-searching has been around since, in recent times this feature has now grown to include not only file indexing, but indexing your email, documents, surfing habits and other activities. Looking to capitalize on this new development, OS makers, Apple and Microsoft, bundle integrated searches in their respective OS’ which allow you to search for virtually anything under the sun.

While OS X and Windows Vista come with comprehensive integrated search options, users of older operating systems like Windows XP are left out in the cold. However all is not lost. There are a huge no of freely available desktop search packages, which offer excellent search functionality and other innovative add-ons. In fact there were so many free packages and such good ones, that it made shifting even through the freeware an experience.

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Here is a list of the 3 best search suites.

Google Desktop Search

Publisher Google Inc.
FileSize 1781 kb
OS Windows (ALL)
Download 1
Google search for the desktop. Nothing needs to be said beyond those 5 words. An application offering from the company, which put search on the map. Much like the rest of Google’s offerings, this application suite is a polished performer that has a huge no of actually usable features. Apart from your files, it can index your office documents, outlook mails and web surfing history.

This excellent suite apart from its obvious search functionality, also offers a good “widgets” packet. Widgets are little graphical programs, which extend the functionality of your desktop by putting you a click away from commonly needed applications.
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Yahoo Desktop Search

Publisher Yahoo
FileSize 7659.52 kb
OS Windows (ALL)
Download 1
Though Yahoo was a late entrant in the desktop search market, it has found quick acceptance among power users. The reason for this is that Yahoo’s search suite is powered by X1 technologies a well known application that has the capability to index over 370 file formats, Outlook mail, Microsoft Office documents and an excellent display interface.

Another great thing about Yahoo’s suite is its integration into its portal services. Unlike the rather jumbled and often confusing services that their competitors offer, Yahoo’s portal services are well defined and easy to use.
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Windows Desktop Search

With two of its primary competitors having jumped on to the desktop bandwagon, how could Microsoft be left behind? Windows Desktop Search faced a lot of flak when it came out initially, having been accused of being a system hog, bad document indexing and for being too spartan. However over time it has evolved into a fine application suite that offers great functionality.

This great suite like its competitors, can not only index files and office documents, it offers real time completion of names, good integration with the OS ( but naturally) and even allows you to share search index across a network for finding files that do not reside on your PC. This is the same version that has been built into Windows Vista.

Publisher Microsoft
FileSize 4290 kb
OS Windows (ALL)
Download 1