Google Unveils New Desktop Search Software
 

http://toolbar.google.com/deskbar

Google Unveils Web-Searching Software

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Internet search engine Google has unveiled free software that lets people search the Web quickly -- without launching a Web browser.

Google Deskbar, released Thursday, appears as a search box in the Windows toolbar. After the search words are entered, a resizable mini-viewer pops up with the results. Users can jump to the site within the mini-viewer or launch their browser.

Unless a program is filling the screen or the user has set the taskbar to automatically hide, the search box is always visible. With a keyboard shortcut, the cursor can be moved to it without moving the mouse.

Though the software is free, Google does get some exposure on the desktop: The company's logo appears faintly in the search box when words aren't being typed into it.

Beyond Google's main search, the box can be set to search Google non-U.S. sites, Google News, Google Images and others. There are options to find stock quotes, movie reviews, word definitions and synonyms. Users can add custom sites to search, too.

The software, which is about 400 kilobytes, requires a PC with Windows XP or Windows 2000, at least Internet Explorer 5.5 and an Internet connection. Windows 95, 98 and ME are not supported. Google Deskbar also does not run on Macintosh or Linux computers.

The program was developed at Google Labs.

I can't understand why I still type in google.com when I have the google toolbar installed.

same thing here lo, evrytime I search i always type in automaticly google.com

everytime i search i use the toolbar

this deskbar would probably good for ppl who dont have the actual web broswer open in front of them..

Cool new feature but I don't much gain over the toolbar. If someone needs to perform a search, they need to see the results. For the results to be of any value, they need to actually look at the pages which means your going to use your browser anyways. You may as well just open IE and use the toolbar. This just shortens it by one step. A nifty little feature but something I think that should be made as an option within the toolbar, not a seperate application.

WG

It's a cool little tool, the way it opens a mini desktop browser, but like Charles said, I don't think I would use this over the browser toolbar.. there's not really a need.

I like the "word definitions and synonyms" part. Then I don't have to go to m-w.com every time I wanna look up a word.

I like it :thumbsup One step closer to Google Global Domination :evil-laug

OH, now I see the Googlebar already has that hehe. Ok, my bad :1orglaugh

I somehow like Yahoo better. Not sure why though. just do.

it's usefull :)

Strange thing... I never use google-bar for search, but I have it...

i don't have google toolbar on my IE. its just the same thing, i don't have problem typing the url.

i like it :-)

:1orglaugh I do the same thing, I just installed the google taskbar myself a few mins ago. I like it it smaller then the yahoo bar which I just got done removing.

Agreed. Isnt this just a re-hash of the Mac Sherlock? My understanding is that sherlock was a flop.

Yep. This is a case of doing something just because you can, not because it's of any real use.

how do you do that in the current toolbar?

looks like they're trying to head off Microsoft when they integrate their search thing they're working on into their next gen operating systems

i installed it and i like it.

I love the BAR :-)

Btw, can you install the Google bar on OPERA ot just IE? I'm browsing with Opera for the last 2 weeks and I like it A LOT...

People used it.

It was better than this... used multiple search engines.

And Webferret <i>was</i> better than that before zd bought it and frigged it.

This jumps the gun on <b>Longhorn</b>.

what about copernic? they were around long before anybody else.

Hey, this topic is right in my wheelhouse.

This deskbar by Google looks contrived. No real advantage to using it over the integrated toolbar.

Copernic relies on a lot of proprietary protocols and techniques, which limits its usefulness. Plus, it has no markup language support, you cannot browse with it, and it relies on fixed templates to access search results. This limits the number of sites it can access.

WebFerret has a very limited interface. In fact, it is only one application for searching, which means if it does not work for you then you are stuck. It also has the same limitations of Copernic (no web browsing, no markup language support, and a reliance on proprietary technologies).

Of course, if you want a truly robust and powerful technology platofrm for browsing and searching the web, don't look at the Google's and Yahoo's of the world. Their good ideas ran out at least 3 years ago.

I do the same thing -- I think it's a good habit... once google gets cocky it will start to suck and we'll all jump onto another engine... What google doesn't realize is that we don't give a shit about them -- all we care about is the results -- and good search results come cheap... IMHO they don't really have a valuable product -- otherwise i'd have been in that biz years ago -- fuck google.

same thing with me :1orglaugh

I think they are on the right track though with a Windows application -- maybe they are gearing up for some cooler stuff... Back when I was reading the Adult Centro specs I was trying to tell them that this really needed to evolve into a full windows app with a more dynamic/responsive graphical interface -- it's silly to hahahahaha applications into the browser with java and flash when you can go direct to the internet from your application... Right now there's a lot of hype about web-services... Personally I think these google guys are dipshits -- like I need to save 2 seconds to do a search... They would be way smarter to at least work on some better bookmarking tools -- there needs to be a better way to preserve states also -- so you can bookmark within password protected areas and inside sites that require cookie/hidden field preferences, etc. etc. you could spend years and years developing code just for that little idea that would be way more useful than a gay little toolbar -- more junk resident gobbling memory that we don't need... Bad move for google. I bet they go downhill from here. I got no respect for lame pointless software.

Like I need a damn web-browser in Winamp either -- and why the fuck do I need playlists and skins for Windows Media Player -- give me a fucking break Bill. These fags get feature happy and rest on their laurels instead of pushing the limits like they did back when they were living off pizza and pepsi in the basement. :1orglaugh

:2 cents:

your website says nothing of interest about your supposedly non-proprietary technology, whatever it is.

your download is blind.

you ghost riding proxies or something?

as far as webferret goes... it isn't supposed to be any of those things. it's just fast.

I think the point is to say fuck you to the Justin Frankels of the world.

Google is just trying to capture market share before Microsoft does the same thing. In their next OS release they are going to seamlessly integrate Search/Internet into the O.S.

Watch

That's how they plan on moving into the SE game.

msn's new bot has been crawling around since june or so.

The download link is fixed.

I am not exactly sure what interests you. But, can you simply name me one major software maker that has an interesting website that talks about their technology? I have seen the websites for WebFerret and Copernic and they do not seem all that interesting to me.

What do you expect from a technology website?

My software platform is not strictly search-oriented. You can build search functions for it, but that is not the only thing it does. That is why I say that WebFerret and Copernic are extremely limited.

They only focus on search and do not support HTML, XML, RSS, or any other markup language. Sure they might be fast, but so is going to google.com or yahoo.com and doing a search in a web browser.

If you need any evidence of how directionless they are, look at how much they have advanced their technologies over the past 3 years. Copernic is an especially egregious example because it seems like they cannot make up their mind what they are and what their purpose is.