Google Desktop

Google Desktop was a computer program with desktop search capabilities, created by Google for Linux, Apple Mac OS X, and Microsoft Windows systems. It allowed text searches of a user's email messages, computer files, music, photos, chats, web pages viewed, and the ability to display "Google Gadgets" on the user's desktop in a sidebar.

In September 2011, Google announced it would discontinue a number of its products, including Google Desktop. The reason given was that "In the last few years, there's been a huge shift from local to cloud-based storage and computing, as well as the integration of search and gadget functionality into most modern operating systems. People now have instant access to their data, whether online or offline. As this was the goal of Google Desktop, the product will be discontinued." which integrates the user experience with the vendor's appliance, exists as well. Google Desktop was officially discontinued on September 14, 2011.

;Microsoft Windows

The first release of Google Desktop Search was released as a beta version on October 14, 2004.
Version 2 was released as a beta version on August 22, 2005. The new feature that distinguishes Desktop 2 from Desktop is the addition of Sidebar, a panel that displays personalized information, which can be placed on either side of the Windows desktop and can display real-time news, e-mail, photos, stocks, and weather, among others. Sidebar includes a search box that can search just the PC or Google's other search types (like Web, Images, News, Groups.) Google Desktop 2 graduated from beta on November 3, 2005. New features include a sidebar plug-in for Google Maps and more plug-in developer support.
Google Desktop 3 Beta was released on February 9, 2006. It includes support for searching multiple computers on a network. Google Desktop 3 graduated from beta on March 14, 2006. Notable in this version is the quick search box, which appears anywhere on the desktop after pressing "control" twice.
Google Desktop 4 Beta was released on May 10, 2006. It features Google Gadgets, modules that can deliver an array of information. It also introduces option to automatically remove deleted files from search results. Google Desktop 4 graduated from beta on June 27, 2006.
Google Desktop v4.5 was released on November 14, 2006, adding a transparency aesthetic to the sidebar and "floating" gadgets. The graphic interface of the sidebar was also enhanced with more stylized icons for news, stocks, weather, photos, etc. Release 4.5 also added support for Windows Vista.
Google Desktop 5 Beta was released on March 6, 2007.
Google Desktop v 5.1 (the first post-Desktop 5 Beta release) is made available for download on April 27, 2007.
Google Desktop v 5.5 was released on October 2, 2007.
Google Desktop v 5.9.0909.30391 has been released.
Google Desktop v 5.9.0911.03589 has been released.
Google Desktop v 5.9.1005.12335 was released in May 2010.
Google Desktop was discontinued entirely on September 14, 2011.

;Mac

In April 2007, Google released Desktop 1.0 for Mac OS X, which can function alongside the Spotlight search tool in Mac OS X v10.4.
On November 29, 2007, Google released Desktop v1.4.0.826 beta for Mac OS X, which plugs into Dashboard for Gadgets support.
Version 1.6 of the Mac version of Google Desktop does not function under Mac OS X Snow Leopard.

;Linux

Google released Desktop 1.0 for Linux on June 27, 2007. It currently features the basic functionality of the Windows version and the sidebar functionality.
Google added 64-bit support to the Google Desktop for Linux with version 1.1.1.0075, which was made available for download on December 18, 2007.
Google Desktop for Linux version 1.2.0.0088 was released on April 11, 2008. in Google Desktop that could allow a malicious individual to achieve not only remote, persistent access to sensitive data, but in some cases full system control as well. The significant impact and the ease of exploitation forced Google to change some of Google Desktop's logic in Google Desktop version 5.

Privacy

Many privacy and civil liberties groups such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) have concerns that personal information on people's computers could readily be copied from users' hard drives. Also, those who have confidential data on their work or home computers should not enable this feature. There are privacy laws and company policies that could be violated through the installation of this feature, specifically, SB 1386, HIPAA, FERPA, GLBA and Sarbanes-Oxley.

Other more far reaching concerns arise around the packaging and end user license agreement – specifically the level of intrusion on the local machine and the disclaimers that users implicitly agree to future changes in the license agreement without actually being able to see them immediately.

Outlook indexing

There had been some issues with Microsoft Outlook indexing. Deleted email listings were not removed and required re-installing Google Desktop for any new archived mail to be listed. Several versions have been released to patch the Outlook indexing.

During the first half of 2009, a large number of Google Desktop users reported that the product stopped indexing suddenly, when the index file reached approximately 4GB in size. A full uninstall (including manually deleting the indexes) and then reinstall would fix the problem temporarily, but the problem would recur when the index file reached 4GB again. The problem has been resolved as of Google Desktop Search version 5.9. Currently, Google Desktop does not index email or contacts in Outlook 2010.

Thunderbird indexing

By default, Google Desktop does not index email in Thunderbird 3.

Google Desktop

Privacy

Outlook indexing

Thunderbird indexing

See also

References