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Poll

Which Desktop Search Tool(s) do you use? (Choose up to 2)

Google Desktop Search
15 (6.2%)
Copernic Desktop Search
36 (14.9%)
MSN Windows Desktop Search
15 (6.2%)
Yahoo Desktop Search
4 (1.7%)
X1 Desktop Search
24 (9.9%)
Locate
40 (16.5%)
Archivarius
14 (5.8%)
other...
61 (25.2%)
none / no comment
33 (13.6%)

Total Members Voted: 200

Last post Author Topic: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?  (Read 761614 times)

jdd

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Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?
« Reply #25 on: May 07, 2006, 05:28 PM »
... I got rid of all of them because more and more apps want to index the crap out of my HD, and I'm sick of my HD platters spinning and spinning and spinning when I'm not there.

I agree with zridling's comments regarding the fact that a major difference between these search programs is the interface.  However, I respectfully disagree with the issue of continually spinning HD's. 

With X1, the user determines exactly when, if ever, the index should be updated, either on a scheduled or manually selected time. The initial indexing takes a while but incremental indexes are quite fast. 

The user determines the scope of the searchable index, ie. specific drives, specific folders or combinations, and whether or not Outlook Maill is included.

jdd

Cavalcader

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Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?
« Reply #26 on: May 13, 2006, 01:09 AM »
I agree with zridling's comments regarding the fact that a major difference between these search programs is the interface.  However, I respectfully disagree with the issue of continually spinning HD's. 

With X1, the user determines exactly when, if ever, the index should be updated, either on a scheduled or manually selected time. The initial indexing takes a while but incremental indexes are quite fast.

By the way, a lot of people know about the Indexer that comes with XP (Pro? and maybe even 2k) or later. What most don't seem to know is that it can really be tweaked so that it stays out of your way. Its default settings have it getting in the way of doing anything else on the machine while it's updating. This is made worse by the "tweak" settings being not only left off of the menus, but they're only on one of two otherwise identical (or nearly identical) context menus. :tellme:

Just a quick once-over in case it helps some of the folks here: once you go through the Administrative Tools (or Run dialog) to get to the Microsoft Management Console and then the Indexing Service, you right-click the resulting pane on the right, winding your way to this menu:
Menu.png

Then you work your way through a couple of dialogs and you're (finally!) able to customize the performance settings.

Dialog.png

Each of the two settings have 3 steps, and with Indexing set to "lazy", and Querying set to "High load", the system then waits for you to have stopped any activity for a period of time before it'll start indexing anything not already in the Catalog. As soon as you start to use the mouse or keyboard, *poof*, it stops and waits for you again. Makes a huge difference. :Thmbsup:

You may even get good performance with the Indexing at the middle position, but you're guaranteed for it to be getting in your way working regardless of your own activities if you set it on Instant, and you can count on a performance hit even with a peppy machine.
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« Last Edit: May 13, 2006, 04:23 AM by Cavalcader »

mouser

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Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?
« Reply #27 on: May 13, 2006, 01:18 AM »
nice post cc - i had no idea about that feature.

Cavalcader

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Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?
« Reply #28 on: May 13, 2006, 04:21 AM »
Thanks -- it's really nuts how deeply buried something like that is, considering the difference it makes. Have you seen the new Office that's coming out? They've really done a major redesign of the UI so that stuff you need related to what you're doing is easy to find, and stuff that's not related is not in your way. Here's hoping they'll do the same with Windows...
Windows XP.gif
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justice

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Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?
« Reply #29 on: May 18, 2007, 10:48 AM »
Has the situation changed? I'm running Vista and debating whether or not I should include more data to the built in WDS or install an alternative. I found GDS too resource consuming..

I love Locate maybe someone knows a desktop search that is light like Locate but does indexing too?

Darwin

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Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?
« Reply #30 on: May 18, 2007, 12:03 PM »
Archivarius is very lightweight. It is under constant development and gets better with each release. Two points to keep in mind:

1. It's shareware
2. Support for searching and manipulating Outlook PST files is there but the implementation is via OLE, which means that initial indexing takes over an hour (worth it though) and updating the index takes upwards of 10-15 minutes. A switch to COM (used in other indexers) is planned for a future release.

I love this app, having come to it as a longtime YDS/X1 user. Archivarius is obviously more expensive and is not as capable in terms of previewing content but it is infinitely faster, more configureable, and lighter on resources. Just to stress an earlier point, it's also actively developed. Also, I've found the developer to be extremely prompt in replying to bug reports and suggestions and to be very courteous.

YMMV.
« Last Edit: May 18, 2007, 02:34 PM by Darwin »

justice

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Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?
« Reply #31 on: May 18, 2007, 01:54 PM »
Before purchasing our software you may try it in a fully functional version. The trial period is 30 days. If you need more time for testing, just ask us and we will gladly grant you free additional time!
Right well that's the perspective on software that I've come to appreciate, Archivarius is definate going for a trial then.

justice

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Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?
« Reply #32 on: May 18, 2007, 06:59 PM »
Performance looks good but the trial can only index 10.000 files, not nearly enough for me to test the performance of it  :( I might ask for a less restrictive trial but on the other hand that sounds a bit cheeky. Also licensing per pc.. means I'll need two copies hmm.

Grorgy

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Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?
« Reply #33 on: May 18, 2007, 07:19 PM »
be cheeky, they want to sell it to you

Darwin

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Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?
« Reply #34 on: May 18, 2007, 07:27 PM »
Yeah... the developer strikes me as being REALLY reasonable. Also, note that academic pricing is much cheaper than the regular pricing (but there is no functional difference at all), so that might be worth exploring. Anyway, I'm with Grorgy - be cheeky  :P

justice

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Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?
« Reply #35 on: May 19, 2007, 07:30 AM »
Wow the author is more than reasonable and responds within the hour. I definately will have to write a full-review about it now!  :-[ :Thmbsup:

Darwin

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Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?
« Reply #36 on: May 19, 2007, 10:14 AM »
That's great Justice - looking forward to the review!

Curt

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Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?
« Reply #37 on: May 19, 2007, 02:55 PM »
Each of the two settings have 3 steps, and with Indexing set to "lazy", and Querying set to "High load", the system then waits for you to have stopped any activity for a period of time before it'll start indexing anything not already in the Catalog. As soon as you start to use the mouse or keyboard, *poof*, it stops and waits for you again. Makes a huge difference. :Thmbsup:

You may even get good performance with the Indexing at the middle position, but ....

I don't think you should have added that "but .."! I use Windows Desktop Search 3.0 and the 'middle' settings, and I have not been able to detect any CPU usage from WDS at all.

Armando

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Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?
« Reply #38 on: May 19, 2007, 03:24 PM »
What are your computers' specs like ?

MrCrispy

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Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?
« Reply #39 on: May 20, 2007, 02:05 AM »
So how do these tools compare to Vista's builtin search? I'm using Vista Enterprise at work and I have to say the search integration in the Vista UI (explorer, start menu) really does make a difference as far as usability is concerned. I know its basically WDS 3, but I wish it was more of a system service. As it exists, you can never really tell what state the index is in and how much content is being indexed, so the search can be funky at times.

Curt

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Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?
« Reply #40 on: May 20, 2007, 02:59 AM »
What are your computers' specs like ?

I have a quite common PC, 512 MB 265 MHz RAM, Celeron D processor 3.33 GHz. But I would imagine a better question could be, how many documents? I only have in the neighbourhood / neighborhood of a thousand, and I only add a few a day. [Edit: 9.501 elements are indexed] So the search engine's indexer maybe don't have a job to do worth mentioning. To my understanding, once the docs are indexed, the indexer will only look out for changes.

Edit: MrCrispy, Remember to check Control Panel > Indexing, to see 'where', and > Avanced, to see 'what' -are being indexed. I know nothing about computers, so I have added .chm help files to 'what'.
« Last Edit: May 20, 2007, 03:12 AM by Curt »

Armando

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Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?
« Reply #41 on: May 20, 2007, 03:15 AM »
To my understanding, once the docs are indexed, the indexer will only look out for changes.

Maybe...
I don't know about WDS, but X1 seems to to a lot of work even for minimal changes. But it might be because I have around 57.000 files indexed.
I won't complain to much though : I love the detailed search options I get with X1 and the accurate results.
« Last Edit: May 20, 2007, 03:18 AM by Armando »

Curt

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Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?
« Reply #42 on: May 20, 2007, 03:17 AM »
I love the detailed search options I get with X1 and the accurate results.

I can truly understand this, because I tested X1 and was impressed.
But with WDS 3 being FREE....  ;)

Armando

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Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?
« Reply #43 on: May 20, 2007, 03:19 AM »
I love the detailed search options I get with X1 and the accurate results.

I can truly understand this, because I tested X1 and was impressed.
But with WDS 3 being FREE....  ;)

well, X1 (client) is was free too...  :)

Might be a bit more of resource hug though.
I tend to prefere Copernic, for speed and resource consumption.
But X1 offers more options...

EDIT : WOW, that's weird. X1 client was free for a short while, and now it's 50$ !!! Sorry about that. I guess I'll keep a backup of my version somewhere!!

Edit#2 : Yup. It used to be called "Enterprise Client" (mine is version 5.6.2), and now its "Professional Client" (v5.6.4)
« Last Edit: May 20, 2007, 03:31 AM by Armando »

Grorgy

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Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?
« Reply #44 on: May 20, 2007, 03:47 AM »
lol well i got rid of it when it was free, it slowed me down too much, and that was on a amd x2 3800 with 1 gb of ram, so go figure, it was obviously very good at what it did but it was overkill for my needs, i dont have a lot of files and i know where most of em are, but i do lose them sometime :-[  ive been trying that locate32 for a little now, its much more my style

Grorgy

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Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?
« Reply #45 on: May 20, 2007, 03:48 AM »
and locate works great on my little celeron 1.5 laptop  :)

Armando

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Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?
« Reply #46 on: May 20, 2007, 03:51 AM »
lol well i got rid of it when it was free, it slowed me down too much, and that was on a amd x2 3800 with 1 gb of ram, so go figure, it was obviously very good at what it did but it was overkill for my needs, i dont have a lot of files and i know where most of em are, but i do lose them sometime :-[  ive been trying that locate32 for a little now, its much more my style

actually, it doesn't slow me down that much. I chose the least agressive settings...

Armando

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Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?
« Reply #47 on: May 20, 2007, 03:53 AM »
and locate works great on my little celeron 1.5 laptop  :)


don't like Copernic or... Archivarius ?

Grorgy

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Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?
« Reply #48 on: May 20, 2007, 05:00 AM »
ive not tried them, as i say, my needs in that area are fairly basic, so i find that locate can index all quite quickly when i need it to and i understand it, always important, so unless / until my needs change im going to stick with it, i dont think i can cope with trying to find another utility, been going thru file managers, media players note pad replacements, clipboards and so on and so forth which is all good fun but, and now im pretty close to having what works for me so i can concentrate on using all this stuff instead of forever changing things, actually do something with it lol

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Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?
« Reply #49 on: May 20, 2007, 05:24 AM »
I love the detailed search options I get with X1 and the accurate results.

I can truly understand this, because I tested X1 and was impressed.
But with WDS 3 being FREE....  ;)

well, X1 (client) is was free too...  :)

Might be a bit more of resource hug though.
I tend to prefere Copernic, for speed and resource consumption.
But X1 offers more options...

EDIT : WOW, that's weird. X1 client was free for a short while, and now it's 50$ !!! Sorry about that. I guess I'll keep a backup of my version somewhere!!

Edit#2 : Yup. It used to be called "Enterprise Client" (mine is version 5.6.2), and now its "Professional Client" (v5.6.4)

I really like X1 (esp. as the outlook email bug I found is fixed) but $50 is too much.

If you want the final free version (5.6.3) grab it quick from http://www.snapfiles.com/get/x1.html