Google desktop search: Take two

Google launched a new beta version of its desktop search tool on Monday, which features updated web navigation software and an innovative tool-bar.

The move puts Google in direct competition with AOL, Lycos and Yahoo!, as well as Microsoft's new search engine.

The search giant may be hoping the beta version of Google Desktop Version 2 will be better received than the first version, which was criticised by analysts at Gartner who advised firms to steer clear of it.

The most striking feature of Google Desktop version 2 is a pop-up sidebar that shows at a glance the range of features that Google now offers. These include integration with Gmail - Google's web-email system - and Microsoft Outlook, news headlines, data from RSS feeds, photo archiving and information from other data sources, such as a stock ticker, weather reports and the latest movies.

While the sidebar, which can remain in view all the time, is an obvious feature of Google Desktop 2 it also fits in with other new capabilities which help the user search for and retrieve information from their desktop. These include a range of plug-ins including one that integrates with Apple's iTunes.

Another new feature of Google Desktop 2 is Quickfind, which allows the user to launch an application by typing in the first few letters of its name.

The new features have, in the main, been designed to load and work automatically. For example, the RSS feature automatically analyses the users most commonly visited sites that offer feeds and automatically downloads the latest headlines. Like most of the features in Google Desktop 2 it is entirely user-configurable.

The first beta version of Google Desktop Search was launched in October 2004. Two months later, Gartner published a research note warning IT managers to discourage users from adopting the Google software and said instead that they should opt for a more business-ready and secure search engine.

Colin Barker writes for ZDNet UK