Google Desktop 2.0: Almost There

 
Aug 13, 2005

by Judith Dinowitz

Google has come out with v2.0 of Google Desktop Beta, and the breadth of features in this release are stunning. These include a new sidebar that displays RSS feeds (both photo feeds and web feeds), a Gmail inbox, news, a scratch pad, weather and stock tips and much more. They've got additional plug-ins that further expand the use of this sidebar, adding such features as a to-do list, a clock, and more. They've released Sidebar APIs that let the user add his or her own plug-ins. The article on Slashdot says that it looks like Google is trying to do away with the need for browsers like Firefox and Internet Explorer altogether! This isn't quite true ... Until Google actually pioneers or acquires its own browser (and can the day be that far off), they are still dependent on Firefox, IE, and other browsers to access anything on the Web. What I would say is that this is designed to extend the access that the user has to information and (of course) to extend Google's sphere of influence.

Having read about this, I decided to try out the new Google Desktop and to play around with it.

When you accept Google's terms and conditions, the download is pretty painless. I got a message that I had less than the recommended amount of RAM (256 megabytes) and that I could expect poor performance. Despite that message, if I didn't see the Google sidebar sitting there, I wouldn't even know anything was going on. Google is currently indexing the files on my machine, and I have experienced no slowdown whatsoever. It's all going on in the background as I speak. They're indexing my photos as well, and the scratch pad function is a great way to take notes on your work as you go. As I'm sitting here, I'm typing this article out in CF Studio 5 with all of my current workfiles open. I've got the Google Desktop beta searchbar open in Mozilla (which Google Desktop immediately realized was my browser of choice) and I've got my Yahoo messenger open at the same time. Google does all of this indexing during my idle time, so I can close down applications and even shut off my computer, and it won't (according to them) interrupt the process of indexing.

I can't seem to get to my email through the Email icon on the Google sidebar (which is what I'd expect.) I'm still waiting for my Google email to be indexed to view my messages, and I suspect it will take a while for this to happen. I also can't figure out how to add the Search options to my Outlook.

Clicking on a specific news item opens up Mozilla to that URL. The current format gives me a listing of recent news of all sorts, but gives me no option to set up my own news alerts to appear on Google Desktop. (For example, I currently have email news alerts from Google that send me any news about ColdFusion and Macromedia. I'd like to have that appear automatically on my desktop as well.) The "About" button for the News options states, "View news that is personalized based on the articles you read. For example, if you read lots of sports news, you'll see more sports articles. If you read technology news less often, you'll see fewer of those articles." So basically, this is a system you have to train.

Another nitpick: Clicking on a news item opens up a new browser window in Mozilla. What I'd like is to have it open a new tab. (I hate having umpteen browser windows open.)

There are other issues of fine control that Google needs to solve. I was able to add the Fusion Authority RSS feed but there was no space for me to give it a title, so it's listed as untitled on my desktop. The House of Fusion lists that I get from Google were automatically added to the Desktop. (Happily, I can remove them if I don't want them there.)

These are issues that I'm sure will be resolved in time. As it is, despite the slightly smaller desktop space because of the Google sidebar, I'm finding it a big help when it comes to writing notes on what I'm doing (Scratch Pad), adding RSS feeds that I'd like to keep track of, and viewing interesting news items throughout the day. Though Google Desktop needs some fine-tuning before it will become a highly intuitive, personalized desktop, I'm sure that, as with everything Google does, these options will improve. And I will continue to report on my use of Google Desktop as I get more familiar with it.


This is how my desktop currently looks with the Sidebar sitting on it. I can customize it by removing panels and minimizing them.

One caveat: In an Information Week article from December 21, 2004, the Gartner Group warned businesses against using desktop search tools that were in beta, such as Google Desktop. This was two months after the first version had come out, and a security hole had been found in the software (which Google patched fairly quickly). (See the Fusion Authority article on that security hole for more information.) As always, when using a beta tool like this, one is taking a chance with security.

A person with even a tiny bit of paranoia will look at this and say it is another way to track a user across the Net. Of course, Google has said that they're not collecting any personal information, but there are still more things about you and your movement that can be tracked, if they ever decide to change that policy (or if they're lying.)

As is normal of Google, I'm sure there will be more alterations and improvements to this, and we will provide that news as it comes out. In addition, on bottom you'll find a number of links to related articles, both on Fusion Authority and elsewhere.

Google Desktop Beta

Google Desktop Plugins Page

Google Releases GDS 2.0 (Slashdot.org, August 22, 2005)

Google Takes Another Swing at Desktop Search (ZDNet UK, August 22, 2005)

New Google Desktop Tool Offers Customization (CNET, August 22, 2005)

Google Desktop Search: Take Two (Silicon.com, August 22, 2005)

Google Debuts Sidebar to Challenge Microsoft, Yahoo (Update1) (Bloomberg.com, August 22, 2005)

Gartner: Don't Use Google Desktop on Enterprise (Information Week, December 21, 2004)

Google Desktop Finds Holes (Fusion Authority)

Google Patches New Desktop Search Holes (Fusion Authority)

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