Desktop Search: A Personal Journey

My Brief History with Desktop Search
There was a time, not long ago, when Desktop Search did not exist. This was a time when searching for a document, some content within a document, or searching for mails was time consuming. I could only the search for strings within the File. This was restricted to text based files and could not be used for proprietary file formats like PDF. If I wanted to search for mails on my Outlook, it meant using the (Very Slow!) "Find" in Outlook.

Then came Google Desktop Search 1.0 (as it is now known). This meant instant liberation from the painfuly slow Windows File Search. The Google Desktop search was effective. But it searched only files in my desktop.

For me, I needed an effective tool which searches my mails. File search was not so important since I pretty much knew where my files were. But mails were the sore point. So Google Desktop did not stay in my desktop for too long. Good start but I now needed something better.

Google Desktop 2.0
Then came Google Desktop 2.0 which was a significant improvement on it's predecessor. There were snazzy things like inline search, search in mails, desktop bar, sidebar (the sidebar was interesting initially but became a pain. I need my desktop real estate, so off it went).

The most interesting feature in this version of Google Desktop was the search in mails (as a tool bar in Outlook). I desperately needed this because my mailbox began bloating up significantly. The search in Outlook was a blessing. My mails could be found, zip zap zoom!!!

Then came a new problem. The search that happens in Google Desktop search is based on a one time indexing of the files and mails on my desktop. Now the problem with this is that I don't keep files and folders in the same place all the time. Some get deleted and some get moved. The same goes for mails. I am always organizing my mail box.

Now the problem that happens with Google Desktop 2.0 is that since the indexing is one time,
many of the search results of mails or folders become dead links if their location is no longer the same. So while the search results are good, double clicking the results to open the mail used to throw an error that "..mail has either been moved or deleted". I had to live with this and my mailbox remained unorganized as a result, since I desperately needed the search feature more than anything. If I wanted to re-index my desktop it meant uninstalling and installing the Google Desktop so that the index would be built again. This I was not willing to do (nor did I have the time to)

MSN Desktop Search
Then came MSN Desktop Search, which came along with MSN Toolbar (about which I posted in my previous blog). It was exactly the thing I was looking for. The search folders are configurable. I could decide what should be searched and what need not be searched (Google was not very good at this since it wants to decide everything). And the indexing is not one time. The Windows Desktop search scans the configured folders at regular interval (or on demand) and build the indexes. If I want to rebuild the index, it is only a click away (through Desktop Search Options).

To test this, I sent a mail to myself with a unique text. Now this mail was in my Inbox and Sent Mail. I search through desktop and it correctly shows the 2 folders. Then I moved the mail to another folder and index again (a very quick process). The desktop search scans my folders. Then I search for the unique text. Now it shows the updated information and Inbox is not there. Now I remove the mail from my mail box and index again. Now the search results in no results.
Perfect fit. Just as I want it.

Now my files, folders and mails can move around freely. And my desktop lives happily ever after (so far 2 days).

Finally!! The multi-tabbed Internet Explorer

Check out the new MSN Toolbar. It has finally fullfilled the ultimate prophecy. Internet Explorer with Mulitple Tab option!! I wonder why the usual Microsoft Publicity machinery kept quiet about this. It offers short cut keys for opening the new tabs (Ctrl+T). So far, my experience has been good. I quite accidently found this new feature. My intention was to check out the latest MSN Messenger.

Other features of MSN Toolbar
The MSN Toolbar otherwise is pretty much similar to Google. I wish they had RSS support on the MSN Toolbar so that I can get the atomic feeds for the news that I wish to see. Also the only news that the MSN Toolbar is pointing to is the MSNBC. I wish the MSN would go to a page like Google News. I guess they would probably be offering this with the Windows Live (which is what MSN would be called as in the future).

MSN Messenger
Now to my thoughts about the new MSN Messenger (it's been a long time since I have used it).
I will compare it to the Yahoo Messenger which I consider to be the gold standard in messenger (I'll pretend that Google Talk does not exist and wait for the final version)

Wink: MSN Messenger's answer to Yahoo Messenger Audibles?
It goes one up on Yahoo Messenger and the winks play around on the screen. Sadly, there is not enough wink in the messnger. If anybody at MSN reads this, please add more Winks. Its got potential but needs more content. Yahoo Messenger scores not because the Audibles can do fancy things but because they are really funny and localized to some of the popular languages.

No Photo Share Feature
The Yahoo Messenger for sharing photos while chatting in the same window is missing in the MSN Messenger. This feature is great when having chats with folks at home. Show a photo and talk about it. It would be great if MSN could better that and put it in the next version.

Voice Clip
I think this is a good feature. I have not used it but it has potential.

Desktop Search
The console for the Desktop Search is better than the Google Desktop Search but I wish the MSN Search was more integrated with Desktop search. I guess Google is still better in this front. I hope when they integrate these when they relaunch MSN as Windows Live. I am also of the opinion that the appearances of MSN Search needs to be changed. I prefer the Live search interface. Simple and appealing.

Japanese Anime

Having grown up in Japan during the 80's, I watched a lot of Japanese Animes. This was much before the Pokemon's came and made the Japanese anime popular again.

One in particular was Dokonjo Kaeru(trans: Frog with Guts). This anime was bradcast on TV in 70s. I used to watch the repeats of this really quirky show. Its about a high school student (Hiroshi) who trips and falls on a frog. What happens as a result is that the frog gets stuck on his sweat shirt (see image). This frog (called Pyonkichi) is quite a character. The frog talks (of course) and is quite a character. The opening song of this was interesting in its usage of the "Kaeru" - this word means frog but also can mean return, change (clothes) and some other usages. As with all animes, this frog runs after girls too.

Now the physics of Pyonkichi was that he was usually worn by Hiroshi but could also move independently. Most of the time, the will of Pyonkichi would prevail in their physical movement.
Their quirky combination resulted in this anime being, in Hollywood terms, a buddy comedy.

The show (like many animes) was 1/2 hour with 2 episodes.

The episodes used to have the funniest (and strangest) storylines. There was one episode where its about Hiroshi running and tripping on a piece of rock and falling, due to which he becomes late to his high school. He keeps getting punished for becoming late. To solve this problem once and for all, Pyonkichi and Hiroshi decide to get the stone out of the way. But he discovers that the stone cannot be removed easily and would require some digging. So he, Pyonkichi and another character (the delivery guy from a Sushi store) start digging. They dig a bit. But still no luck. They dig a little more. Still no luck. After a whole (school) day of digging, that this little was the tip of the iceberg or rather a large boulder. So finally they give up and restore the dug area. Result? He becomes late again the next day and trips on the rock..