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Not too long ago, Google, one of my favorite companies in the world, unveiled its Desktop Search Tool, free software that enables you to search for files and e-mails on your home or work computers with the same efficiency as the search engine superstar does on the Net. Looks like Google will have some competition for your desktop, starting next month, from Yahoo.
The initial beta version of the desktop client will allow users search e-mail and files from their hard drives, and later on, its other services such as Yahoo Mail and Yahoo Messenger. Yahoo will license technology from a startup company in California for its desktop-search client, which will bring advanced query and preview features to the beta.
But, unlike Google's desktop search, Yahoo's version will separate local results from Web results. Local results will appear within the client, while Web results will be shown within a user's browser.
Other tech mainstays look to beat Yahoo to market, however, with Microsoft's MSN Web portal and Ask Jeeves expected to release similar desktop search tools by year's end.
Sorry Macintosh users: The free download of the beta version is only available for Windows PCs.
EWeek December 10, 2004