Author Topic: What is the currently best Desktop Search software? (Read 1,110,399 times)

masu · « **on:** February 12, 2006, 11:27 AM »

What is the currently best Desktop Search software?

taichimaster · « **Reply #1 on:** February 12, 2006, 11:44 AM »

I have tried GDS, WDS (MSN), Copernic and Yahoo desktop search.

I ultimately settled on WDS because I have a lot of CHM files that I want to index and AFAIK only WDS support IFilters that could index those. I believe GDS also has a plugin that indexes CHM but I prefer a rich client to a browser interface. Also, from my own experience, WDS gives more accurate search results (though a little slower) and its index size is smaller than GDS.

I would also recommend Copernic as they have a very nice interface and a very good search term highlighting in its preview pane which WDS doesn't have. Copernic also exposes COM API allowing third party developers to create plug-ins enabling new file type but I couldn't find any out there.

jgpaiva · « **Reply #2 on:** February 12, 2006, 11:46 AM »

Quote from: masu on February 12, 2006, 11:27 AM

What is the currently best Desktop Search software?

Since you've got the word search in your question, i'd say it was google

I've only used google desktop search, and it's very good, is there anyone who uses another software like this?

brotherS · « **Reply #3 on:** February 12, 2006, 11:53 AM »

I'm very happy with GDS (Google Desktop Search) in combination with Locate (read http://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=1385.0)! Everyone should test Locate, it's awesome!

m_s · « **Reply #4 on:** February 12, 2006, 12:45 PM »

As far asI know, Archivarius is the only one that indexes The Bat! email - I expect someone will make a GDS plugin eventually - there used to be one, but the author himself said it was buggy. You might like to take a look at my mini-review of Archivarius: http://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=1046.0

taichimaster · « **Reply #5 on:** February 12, 2006, 01:00 PM »

Thanks m_s for the Archivarius review!!! I am definitely going to try it out.

Quick question: Does Archivarius let you specify certain file extension (*.py, *.cpp etc) as text files so it will index their contents? Or does it only index their filenames but not the contents? Thanks.

masu · « **Reply #6 on:** February 12, 2006, 01:12 PM »

too bad that Archivarius isn't free, even it has support for The Bat!

m_s · « **Reply #7 on:** February 12, 2006, 01:43 PM »

Archivarius indexes contents... Give it a try - the student edition is quite cheap, actually: $19.95 - here's the website: http://www.likasoft.com/document-search/

jdd · « **Reply #8 on:** February 12, 2006, 06:10 PM »

I send/receive lots of email and constantly search for previous correspondence, names of people, attachments, etc. I couldn't live without X1 Desktop Search and I keep it running at all times. It will index nearly every file type that I use including Outlook message content and message attachments, pdf file content, and all MS file types.

I use it mainly for its Outlook abilities (also works with Mozilla, OE and Eudora) but it indexes not only the name of the file but its content, and is searchable/filterable in many different ways and allows you to view the 'result' of the search, not just the name or location of the file or message.

Indexing can be set to include or exclude specific file types. I use it on my laptop but I believe there is a server version.

The initial indexing takes a while but incremental indexes are quite fast.

Unfortunatly it's not free. In fact it is pricier than I would like but I have not fund a better alternative.

jdd

m_s · « **Reply #9 on:** February 12, 2006, 06:26 PM »

The Yahoo desktop search is apparently based on X1, so that is an alternative to paying for the full version. My impression is that X1 is the most highly respected of the lot...

jdd · « **Reply #10 on:** February 12, 2006, 09:54 PM »

The freebies are ok but for serious searching you need a more sophisiticated program.

Besides X1 Desktop Search mentioned earlier, which I use mainly for Outlook (although admittedly is does much more), the other 'must have' program is dTsearch Desktop: http://dtsearch.com/PLF_desktop_2.html

jdd

Redhat · « **Reply #11 on:** February 12, 2006, 10:16 PM »

I'm currently writing a review of search tools for the DC reviews

brotherS · « **Reply #12 on:** February 13, 2006, 08:20 AM »

Quote from: jdd on February 12, 2006, 09:54 PM

The freebies are ok but for serious searching you need a more sophisiticated program.

Oh? I'm very happy with Locate and GDS (see above) and can find everything I search for. GDS optionally allows you to search your Google Mails too, which is very helpful.

masu · « **Reply #13 on:** February 14, 2006, 08:55 PM »

Quote from: Redhat on February 12, 2006, 10:16 PM

I'm currently writing a review of search tools for the DC reviews

Great

I am looking forward for that

jgpaiva · « **Reply #14 on:** February 17, 2006, 10:40 AM »

Through the link on this post, i found FileHand. It seems very interesting, but i haven't tried, did anyone ever try it?
I'd like to know your opinion on it before trying. Thanks!

m_s · « **Reply #15 on:** February 17, 2006, 11:24 AM »

That's interesting: I downloaded it last night, after I read the article (about the freeware list) on Downloadsquad. It's nice-looking and very fast, but I certainly wouldn't choose it over Archivarius because it doesn't index The Bat! Given that I can't use it for searching my emails, it seems to me to offer a similar range of uses as FARR, and I choose FARR over FileHand.

Darwin · « **Reply #16 on:** February 17, 2006, 04:44 PM »

Hmph! My previous attempt at posting this didn't get posted - apparently I'd already done so... No evidence of that, though.

At any rate, I used Filehand over a 6 month period 18 months ago or so, and really liked it. Haven't used it since so can't comment on the latest versions, but I found Filehand to be very quick and accurate. Don't remember what its footprint was like but I am sure that it was lighter than Yahoo Desktop Search, which I am using now. YDS is X1 minus the ability to search some e-mail filetypes - Eudora, for example. I use Outlook 2003 as my e-mail client so this is a non-issue for me. I like YDS because of its use of Stellent filters to preview 230+ filetypes - it makes finding the information that you are looking for precise and quick. Plus, the Stellent filters can be used by DOPus' (www.gpsoft.com.au) Multiview plug-in to preview files from with Dopus. You don't even need to keep YDS on your system - just move the Stellent folder out of the Yahoo directory and direct the DOpus plugin to it and you're set. YDS, while out of beta, is still prone to the odd crash and error message, but it recovers well - no loss of its database, for example - and considering how quick its searching is and its advanced file previewing, it's pretty light on resources.

Watching the US women play Sweden for a gold medal berth in Olympic hockey. I LOVE watching the women's game - I missed Salt Lake City in 2002 (no coverage in Britain) so this is my first exposure to women's International hockey. It's far more exciting and dynamic than the men's game.

2-0 USA on the powerplay early in the second. Canada faces Finland in three hours. I'll be a couch potato today...

vamp07 · « **Reply #17 on:** February 18, 2006, 12:09 PM »

I own X1 and like it but the ability in GDS of indexing all web browsing and sharing it amongst multiple computers is just awesome. Now we will surely see a ton of posts about the security issues of storing data on google's servers.

jdd · « **Reply #18 on:** February 18, 2006, 09:40 PM »

Glad to see you like X1. It's a great program.......Can't comment on that GDS thing, though. We don't speak the G-word on my planet where domestic spying has already become rampant.

Another great desktop search tool that I mentioned previously is dtSearch which also has an option to index entire web sites. The program is frequently upgraded and improved.

jdd

ToxMox · « **Reply #19 on:** February 27, 2006, 12:15 AM »

Around every six months or so I try all the top desktop search apps and I've settled on X1 pretty much every time. I really like the responsiveness and seems to be the most power user friendly. It is missing some very minor features that are already available in the betas so I'm looking forward to the new release which doesn't seem to be far away.

masu · « **Reply #20 on:** May 05, 2006, 09:48 PM »

Copernic Desktop Search 2.0 beta is now available.
The interface was completely redesigned

http://www.copernic.com/en/products/desktop-search/beta/download.html

Redhat · « **Reply #21 on:** May 05, 2006, 09:53 PM »

Quote from: masu on May 05, 2006, 09:48 PM

Copernic Desktop Search 2.0 beta is now available.
The interface was completely redesigned

http://www.copernic.com/en/products/desktop-search/beta/download.html

Looking good! Thanks for posting

zridling · « **Reply #22 on:** May 06, 2006, 07:25 AM »

The big search apps — Copernic, Windows, Google, X1, Yahoo — all do roughly the same thing except for some variations, e.g., the file types they won't index. But in the end, it comes down to what interface you like, and how much control you have over the indexing process. 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.

Just my take.

masu · « **Reply #23 on:** May 07, 2006, 03:56 PM »

next version of copernic desktop search seems to be divided into a free and a sharewareversion

Quote

We plan to come out with a paid version of CDS with additional features for advanced users, as we did with our very successful Copernic Agent product

Cavalcader · « **Reply #24 on:** May 07, 2006, 06:29 PM »

A lot of big-name tools are designed to require Windows 2000 or better, but for those holdouts still running the Win95/98 series there's an older search tool that was put out by AltaVista when they were still owned by DEC. I used it for several years around the turn of the century (sounds ancient, doesn't it?) and I found it to be a really good performer that doesn't need to grind away at the hard drive endlessly. I just updated its database about once a week.

There's a blog that discusses it in more detail here, and it also links to the software. The only thing they don't have is a screenshot, but if you're curious there's one in a PC Pro review. (I didn't want to hotlink their pic directly.)

Author Topic: What is the currently best Desktop Search software? (Read 1,110,399 times)

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