Recommendation: Google Desktop

[benjidog]

Google desktop is software you can install on your desktop or laptop computer that let's you search for stuff on your hard disk in the same way as you use Google to search the internet. It will work away in the background examining and indexing all your emails, documents, spreadsheets and other files on disk when you are not using the computer (e.g. when you slope off to get another g & t). I have a very comprehensive filing system on my computer so that everything is in its right place - the trouble is it is so sophisticated I can never remember what the right place is after a couple of days. Google Desktop digs it out in seconds. As a hard-bitten IT professional for over 25 I can say that this is one of the most useful piece of software I have ever come across. I use it daily at work and at home.

What is more it is available for free download from http://desktop.google.co.uk/en/

If you give it a try, make sure when you install it that you check the setting so that it does not communcate any information about your machine to Google or elsewhere - apart from the need to do that I and many of my friends have been using it for several months and found no drawbacks with it.

Benjidog

[newda898]

Have to say that I use it too. Although I rarely use the search I find the extra features such as the sidebar on the desktop brilliant!

With the customisation on it I can watch my systems profile, have news delivered to me, have a to-do list and a scribble pad for brief notes.
I heard that Windows Vista is due to have a similar feature, but it seems Google have pinched it from under their noses!

[Alan Hill]

Benjidog: Thank you for your suggestion above. After reading of its existence from you I added it to my desktop at home and have been using it ever since. A tremendous way to cut thru all of the "stuff" on my computer. Again, thanks. Alan Hill Bridgeport, Pa. USA

[ruud]

Ahoy,

I'm using this already from the very beginning, and is a part of my PC,very usefull and I'm using always the sidebar, nice stuff.

[david smith]

Another tip - if the toolbar gets in the way then press F11 and it's gone! Press F11 again and it's back!
magic things these compooters.

[airds]

Another tip - if the toolbar gets in the way then press F11 and it's gone! Press F11 again and it's back!
magic things these compooters.

Of course have always been able to do that while in internet exploder ..... then if you RIGHT click on a blank area of that toolbar and check auto hide, that toolbar will slide completely away out the road for a nice clear screen. Again F11 to get it all back. (Pointing the cursor at the top of the webpage, temporarily displays the toolbar while it's in the hidden mode)

Another tip for internet explorer - roll the mousewheel backwards & forwards while holding the shift key and see what happens ...... there is plenty more tips in the help file (F1 !) under shortcut keys.


But everybody should be using Firefox .... :-)


rdgs