I had a discussion with someone tonight that told me about his Google Desktop experience, In a word “unbelievable” but he did have some comments. He travels a great deal and has 2 computers that he keeps synchronized. He does this synchronization both ways and he updates the PST files on his static machine from his travel machine. He wonders what it takes to get Google Desktop to re-sync the pst files or if it is not even needed. We came up with a short list of ideas
1. Advanced Search functions as found at Google
2. Index the text inside Autocad Files.
3. Index PDF Files
4. Create an Interface that would allow people you trust to search areas you specify as open for search. This would allow co-workers, friends, family members etc to allow content that is on your PC to be shared. Sort of a authenticated buddy list type of thing. The interface would have to be improved to allow you to easily define areas you would allow to be searched.
5. Exclude a specific PST files. (I have nearly 40,000 archived e-mails)
6. Allow network mapped drives to be indexed then exclude results when unplugged from the network
7. Allow external hard drives to be indexed and then excluded when unplugged.
8. Index contents of compressed RAR, ZIP, ARJ, LZH files.
9. Index only websites that you give the application permission to index
10. Spider and index domains that you specify.
We want to hear any other ideas you have. We came up with this list over a 45 minute dinner imagine if we really took some time. [Google Desktop Server]
All look like good ideas but i dont see google allowing indexing of network resources or they will limit what you can index.
The reason http://www.google.com/applicance I dont think that google would want to compete with already avaliable services but your guess is as good as mine.
I would like to see Google Desktop allow for the indexing of multiple computers (as you suggested); however, I would like the files that I specify for indexing to be uploaded to a server where I could access from any computer I want.
It seems like this might solve your friend’s problem of syncing machines. Instead, you could sync your files to a central location and access them from either machine. The Google desktop software on both systems would keep them in sync. I guess you would need to have some sort of upload functionality when you are using your files on a PC that doesn’t have Google Desktop installed, but that’s not a deal breaker.
I posted more on this on my website on Friday:
http://www.smorty71.com/2004/10/suggestion-for-google-desktop.html
Google Desktop Search Proving Popular
Google has trumped Microsoft by releasing its new desktop search tool, which allows you to search documents on your own…