Yeah I know I said it was way too cool for words, but this is a blog after all words are what defines it.  Google desktop is available for download from http://desktop.google.com/  

Google desktop is two distinct products rolled/wrapped into one juicy morsel. First is the widgets sidebar. Sidebars are nothing new they eat up screen real estate so you can have a larger clock, weather forecast and other kitsch. Eventually the depth of widgets available for the Google sidebar will astound me and force me to re-evaluate losing and inch or two of screen but for now they are only an amusement/occasional diversion.

The power of Google desktop is in it’s desktop search. Properly configured this tool will index all of your local and network drives compiling a search database of all of your files and their contents. This desktop search uses Googles vary same search algorithms and is almost foolproof. By hitting the ctrl key twice quickly a search box pops up for you to enter you query. The search executes in no time flat and produces a short list of relevant matches. (You can click the more button to see a detailed web page of results which is further sortable by file type.) The best part is one of the file types it also searches are your Outlook emails.

You can click on any of the results to launch the files or right click the result to open the folder it resides in. I can do a Google desktop search, find my file and open it, quicker than I can click my computer and drill down through the folders to where I know the file is and open it.

I know others think Google will one day defeat Microsoft and become ruler of the world, I for one  look forward to that day! Next up I’ll review Google Chrome. Chrome is Google version of a web browser.