Love it or hate it , Spotlightis pretty much the de facto pick when it comes to searching your Mac ’s files . Until today , that is .
Google has released a Mac interpretation of Google Desktop , its desktop search app previously uncommitted only to Windows user . Google say its lookup program and OS X 10.4 ’s Tiger are complement , not competitors . Still , many Mac user dissatisfied with Spotlight might approach this new product with the next enquiry in head : By convey Google ’s considerable expertness in all things lookup - related to bear on your Mac , could Google Desktop outshine Apple ’s Spotlight ?
Let ’s take a preliminary look at this program , which you candownload for yourself , provided you ’re run Mac OS X 10.4 .
Search party
you could muster up Google Desktop ’s hunt window by hitting the command key double in straightaway succession . ( That keyboard cutoff can be changed in the orientation . ) typewrite a enquiry in the schoolbook box will expose a live list of answer , much as limelight does . In my informal tests , Google Desktop seemed zippier than Spotlight , show solvent with little or no delay .
Google Desktop easy let you use powerful hunting manipulator to narrow down your query .
Google Desktop will match search against files , einsteinium - mail service messages , addresses , and chew the fat copy — by default , the app program will display the first ten outcome but you’re able to shorten that to the first five or inflate it the first 15 via Preferences . An icon to the side of each event lets you know the character of file you ’ve found and its consociate lotion ; selecting any answer from the list will open that papers in the associated program , just like in Spotlight . For model , if I do a lookup for “ Apple ” and penetrate on an e - mail issue labeled “ Apple eNews , ” that e - mail will unfold in my default due east - mail client .
At the bottom of the lean there ’s an option to expose all resultant role from your background or search the entanglement with the same twine ; take either of these choice will open your default web internet browser and call up the appropriate results .
One feature that ought to have Spotlight users ( particularly Spotlightdetractors ) jumping for joyfulness is the ability to use the same query operators that Google.com apply . For example , inclose a string in quotes will only search for instances of that complete phrase ; you may also require or exclude full term with
Among the most knock-down options Google Desktop brings is the stash of deleted files . If you by chance trashed that report you involve for tomorrow ’s meeting , you may still be able to recover the mental object via Google Desktop .
What’s your preference?
Like Spotlight , Google Desktop builds an index of your files to enable quick searching . Google Desktop ’s preferences , which are installed as a preference pane , allows you to choose which volumes are index and whether or not you desire your Gmail news report and web account index as well .
Indexing begins as presently as you add the coating , and while I did n’t notice a substantial lag in using Google Desktop , I did notice that the fans on my MacBook kicked into action . A quick cheque of Activity Monitor demonstrate the indexing processing take anywhere from 15 to 85 percentage of central processing unit Hz during the initial process .
By integrate with Google.com , Google Desktop can return results from your Mac whenever you apply search on Google .
There ’s also an option to mix Google Desktop with Google.com . Once enable , whenever you search for anything on Google.com , you ’ll also be alert to how many issue seem on your own car . Google enjoin that these solvent are keep individual ( even from the companionship ) , but you’re able to disable this functionality in Google Desktop ’s preferences if you prefer .
Concerns
Since Google Desktop is not drag - and - pearl and it does n’t habituate Apple ’s received installer , there ’s no information about what files are being installed and where . Google Desktop does proffer an option for uninstalling via the preference pane .
Also , though Google Desktop offer an option of whether or not to display results from edit file , disabling this option doesnotprevent those files from being squirrel away — it merely hide the result . Those user who work with sensitive file should be cognizant of this fact .
Naturally , this being a Google app , Google Desktop is still in beta , but in the brief meter I ’ve used it , I ’ve experienced no problems . While it may not offer the same level of integrating into the OS that Spotlight has , it seems a more than able-bodied competitor when it comes to the nitty - gritty of search your Mac .
Macworldwill have a full review of Google Desktop as we get more of a opportunity to put the software through its pace .
[ Dan Moren is the co - editor program ofMacUserand a frequent contributor toMacworld andPlaylist . ]
