Dare Obasanjo (RSS Bandit) has an interesting comparison between Google Desktop Search and what to expect from WinFS. Some are saying "Google Desktop is WinFS but available today” however his article details the fundamental difference between text/index searching and what WinFS will offer.
The comment "Tools like Lookout and Google Desktop Search are a crutch to get around the fact that the file navigation metaphor on most desktop systems is past its prime and is in dire need of improvement" struck home. I use & like Lookout and have tried Goggle’s Desktop Search a little this week. The need for crutches indicates a problem but I'm not sure Google Desktop is the answer:
Does it do anything better than Lookout other than integrate web searches with local file searching?
Do I want to search local and web content together anyway?
I have fairly structured filing habits so finding local content is easy (with one exception) and I generally only go to the web looking for something I don’t already have. The exception is Outlook due to the need to look at the current + multiple archives. I have messages sent/filed over 2 months old auto-archived, which keeps Outlook lean & fast, but I often need to see items sent over several months/years as stores take a while to plan & construct. For this reason alone I regard Lookout as essential since it can search the current Outlook content, multiple Outlook archives, My Documents and network project folders all from one place, rapidly.
I know we need something better as one of the most common things I see at work is people trying to find content they know is there, somewhere.
Have a look at: Apples and Oranges: WinFS and Google Desktop Search (Dare Obasanjo aka Carnage4Life)
