October 30, 2004

Copernic Desktop Search

(CDS search bar integrates into the Windows taskbar)


I love software tools that make computing a more enjoyable and efficient experience - you know the tools you really use. The Copernic Desktop Search (CDS) tool has the potential to make it on to my short-list of really valuable tools. The CDS is a client-based search tool that can quickly search your PC for files, e-mails, and email attachments stored anywhere on your hard drive.

The "smart indexing" feature (patent pending) is one of the things that sets the CDS apart from the search feature included with Windows. A keyword-based search generates results almost instantly. I love the fact that e-mails and e-mail attachments are searched as well. You can type in a search term like "spring vacation" and the CDS will return a list of e-mails, pictures, Word files, or anything else on your computer meeting the search criteria. The "smart indexing" feature is also good about managing an index that could quickly become too huge to be useful and efficient. This is a "light" application - it doesn't suck up a bunch of resources.

For now, Copernic is giving the tool away for free which makes it even cooler. I think they're using it as a viral marketing tool to promote their other products. Right now I'm using this tool more often than the Google Desktop Search tool simply because it does a better job of organizing the search results. I fully expect this to become a new "hot" area for software development. I doubt Microsoft likes the recent activity in the desktop search arena. More to come.

Posted by Cale on Oct 30, 2004

Categories: software, tech.commentary
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