Google today released their new Desktop application that will enable computer users to find content and information stored on their computer quickly.

Google's new desktop search program will index emails, instant messages, web pages you visit, and documents stored on your machine. You can then use an interface to connect to the application that looks very similar to the Google webpage and search through the indexed information found on your computer. From there you can search the content that it has currently indexed.

For those with privacy concerns, you have the ability to disable the sending of any usage information back to Google. You can also specify what types of documents should be indexed, and what should not be. For those with security concerns, the application listen on port 4664 but only binds to the loopback, 127.0.0.1, address so is reachable outside of your computer.

I have not been using Google Desktop for too long, but I am suitably impressed. It is very easy to use and anyone who uses Google will have no problem using this program. It indexes my AIM messages in real-time and I have not noticed any slow downs as it indexes my computer only when it detects I am idle.

I have only two gripes with this product so far. The first is that it only supports a limited amount of documents that it will index. The second gripe is that it only supports a limited amount of programs such as IE, Outlook, Microsoft Office products, and AIM. Though they have said they will add additional functionality in later versions, not having Firefox support is a huge mistake.

Overall for a first beta it is an excellent application and I can only see it getting much better. Thanks to Koan for passing this bit of news to me.

Too powerful IMHO.

In two seconds a person sitting at your computer can view every document and e-mail you ever participated in containg any word. Care to have someone sit at your computer and searh for the word _____ (put in your most embarassing word)?

LOL Haroldo.. thanks but no thanks to Google. I will pass on that one.

In addition, it currently does not support PDF files, OO.o files, or browsers outside of IE and only one IM client. Hopefully, since this is a BETA offering, it will become more inclusive in what it can search. It is of little us to me until this happens.
Moreover, it needs more user controls over what is archived, and certainly strong password protection for those sharing a computer. It also needs some sort of monitor/control system so you can selectively delete unneeded archived items; if for no other reason than to control the disk space it uses.
Cheers,
John