Microsoft is not sleeping
Wanted to spread word about next big thing after Windows XP. This is MSN Toolbar Suite, which is basically providing you search through Windows 2000 or Windows XP local files and e-mail (and of course internet). Even though this software is currently in beta stage and will be released 1st quarter next year, it works perfectly. It provides search through all files, including media, compared to Google Desktop's limited list of Office, Outlook, Outlook Express, Text, AOL IM. If you want to see screenshots and read some more before installing, look here.
I let it index my drive during night and now it works like a dream. My suggestion: install it now!!!
For some background, Microsoft did not move its ass without help of competitors. Google came out with similar product and Apple promised to be ahead of Microsoft in providing local search in its next version of Mac OS X (by the way, for current users upgrades tend to costs $129). Microsoft was faster this time. There has been long talk about Microsoft excluding fancy next generation file system in its next Windows release, but seems like this has not held back possibility to provide fast local search - the main promise of new file system. I suppose (might be wrong) that new file system might have natively allowed search through file system, while current system needs to create and update a separate index database that allows searching. So this indexing must take up some computer resourcees occasionally and it is a downside.
I let it index my drive during night and now it works like a dream. My suggestion: install it now!!!
For some background, Microsoft did not move its ass without help of competitors. Google came out with similar product and Apple promised to be ahead of Microsoft in providing local search in its next version of Mac OS X (by the way, for current users upgrades tend to costs $129). Microsoft was faster this time. There has been long talk about Microsoft excluding fancy next generation file system in its next Windows release, but seems like this has not held back possibility to provide fast local search - the main promise of new file system. I suppose (might be wrong) that new file system might have natively allowed search through file system, while current system needs to create and update a separate index database that allows searching. So this indexing must take up some computer resourcees occasionally and it is a downside.
posted by Kaido at
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
3 Comments:
Kaido, I am absolutely unenthusiastic about this indexing stuff. I believe, it's just another product we don't need. But the need is created. I can't remember myself loosing a file so that I can not find it in my PC. But I do remember with pain how useless and helpless are MS search tools. You say indexing takes the whole night! OH MY GOD! And what file am I supposed to find after that night? ;)
By
Tadas Zibuda, at 7:52 PM
Kind of agree with you that I have not usually lost my files because I have reasonble folder structure helping me to find things. But ocasionally it happens. And when people are having thousands of photos and e-mails on the computer, it really helps to have a useful search possibility.
Also, I can find everything related to specific person or company (let's say cover letters and e-mail correspondence) with one search and have them pulled together from wherever they are to one page.
Remember, this search goes through full text of all documents, e-mails, pdf files etc, helping you to find stuff you did not even know about.
By
Kaido, at 8:13 PM
i don't want to run Another Probably Useless Service all the time. i'm ready to wait for regular find for more time if necessary.
indexing service and search from that index in WinXP is so ugly that even people @ microsoft don't want to advertise it
indexing thousands of photos through keywords? too basic i'm afraid
By
Anonymous, at 2:12 AM
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