Desktop Search Engines : Ratings of Sources

Our AssessmentThis head-to-head comparison of recent versions of Windows and Google desktop search engines tests each one for indexing speed and usability, categorization of results, ease of use and other features. Google searches are faster, but Windows Desktop Search is easier to customize and the results are better organized, reviewer Brad Linder says.

Our AssessmentMakeUseOf.com is a website created by a software/app enthusiast, and the site primarily reviews free software. This recent roundup compares four desktop search engines plus the search tool built into Windows Vista, based on their features plus the anonymous reviewer's hands-on experience. Pros and cons are covered well, and although the review doesn't rank or rate the applications, two of them -- Everything and Yahoo! Desktop Search -- do stand out.

Our AssessmentWe'd rank this review even higher if it were more current. This objective comparison review covers the search tool built into Windows XP plus Windows Live Search and four other popular desktop search engines, including Google Desktop 4. Reviewer Michael Lowe performs objective measurements of indexing time, index size and search time as well as ease of use. Additional charts provide the best specifications we found for comparing desktop search engines, though, again, the article is outdated. There's also a list of desktop search engines (with links to their websites) that includes 17 additional applications.

Our AssessmentPCMag.com has reviewed several desktop search engines, though none in the last few years. In 2006, Davis Janowski reviewed Google Desktop 4, Google Desktop 3 and Windows Live Beta 2. Tests are conducted on a variety of computers with different specifications. These reviews update Cade Metz' March 2005 roundup of 12 desktop search engines. Yahoo! Desktop, reviewed in 2005, remains the top-rated desktop search engine, but Google Desktop is also highly recommended. Janowski notes that out of more than 150 gadgets available, users are sure to find some amusing or handy or both. Windows Live has a nice image search feature, but gets a lower rating of 3, judged less convenient overall.

Our AssessmentEditors rate a number of desktop search engines here, including Google Desktop Search for Linux, which rates much higher here than the Windows version. Quite a few versions of Copernic, Windows Search and Google Desktop Search are covered here, but the reviews and ratings seem to stay the same throughout. We'd rank this review site higher if editors gave each version closer attention.

Our AssessmentThis forum discussion includes results of a poll of about 130 people who report on their favorite desktop search engine. Only a few people add comments, but the poll and discussion are interesting partly because they highlight some desktop search apps that are often overlooked. The emphasis is on searching e-mail.

Our AssessmentEditors at this download site give Copernic Desktop Search their highest possible rating. The two dozen user-written reviews of Copernic Desktop Search cover several versions, with the most recent reviewer concluding that version 2 is better than version 3. Several users note that Copernic may not work well with Microsoft Outlook PST files (archive files) stored on the hard drive, a major drawback.

Our AssessmentThis comparison chart gives the specifications for 21 desktop search engines. Although there's no evaluation or ranking (the applications are listed in alphabetical order), it's still useful to see the file types indexed and the operating system requirements of each app all in one place. Other details include the e-mail programs that can be searched, whether or not the program indexes audio, video and/or image files, whether or not it searches network drives and more.

Our AssessmentThis review recommends X1 Desktop Search for Enterprise use, especially since it was available for free. (According to the X1 website, it's now available as a free 30-day trial, but pricing isn't otherwise listed.) The main drawback is that like Yahoo! Desktop Search, X1 indexes Adobe Acrobat files and PowerPoint files as image files, making it difficult to copy and paste from them. Copernic is better on that score.