Now that both MSN and google have made public their desktop search tool, although beta, let take a look at them.
Google is the first one to make the idea become true, hands down to google. It is simple, fast, just as google web search. However, I don't like the idea that intergrating the desktop search in the web browser. Also GDS takes too much memories, probably one of the reasons is the intergration to browser. No pdf file searching. No customizing of folder. There are a lot of room for google to improve.

MSN's destop search is as fast, the indexing is the fastest among varous desktop search tools. also you can customize which folders you want it to index. It taks far less memories. It also index and search pdf files when you install an addional abobe filter. But I don't like the intergration of desktop search with toolbar. I never used MSN toolbar and I have to desable it in IE add-on management. I don't like that MSNDS don't give preview of the search results, only the firts several lines of the file. I am an extensive pdf and word searcher, without a preview on the terms I search, it is very hard to find the exact file I want quickly. MSN also need to introduce the "search as type" feature and the search history.

Emails, I don't use outlook, and both only deal with outlook/OE. They need to add support to other programs like firefox, lotus notes (which I use), et al.

None of them support MSN messenger history, which I found surprising.

They need to establish file open history, many times I was searching the same file not long ago I searched.

 

 

 

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Personally, I believe that Google Desktop is better than MSN. Below is my complete analysis on why.
Download Speed:
Google has a faster database, which allows quicker downloads, although both programs are small on your computer.

Location:
Google Desktop allows you to choose if you want a floating sidebar, deskbar, or a sidebar, while MSN only allows you to choose if you want it on your taskbar, or as a floating text box.

Search Quality:
Being the leader in searches, Google has a wider variety of web searches, because of popularity.

Annoyance:
If you choose the deskbar, it is annoying whenever your mouse accidentally scrolls over to the right of your monitor and Google Desktop comes out, but if you want it to come out so you can read data, Google Desktop has a better base theme.

Overall:
Google Desktop: 9/10 (Quick POP-UP when cursor moves to right end of monitor)
MSN: 7.5/10 (See above)

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I actually use a search I wrote myself in Java. It's faster and gives more results than the built-in Windows search.

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each toolbar is trying to destroy the other

toolbar wars

more than 1 toolbar = bad combination

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Im always a google fan, plus everyhting msn has come with adds, google however has no adds.

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yes ,of course,
google is best(until now)

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Google seems to be best at everythign they do, email, toolbars, programs, search... Altrough in the future there might appear company's beating Google, I think they will continue to be very strong with their products in the near future. Espessially since they bring out new products on a very active base...

About the Google Desktop Search, I like it very much. When I first got Mozilla Firefox I thought I had enough use of the Google search box, but the Google Desktop has so much more use... Microsoft doesn't even get close to the quality of Google Desktop search, because Microsoft uses microsoft search which sucks compared to Google search in my opinion

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I actually use a search I wrote myself in Java. It's faster and gives more results than the built-in Windows search.

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Having not used MSN Desktop Search extensively this may not be a fair comparision. My favourite of the two is Google Desktop Search, this choice is based pretty much solely on the 'Quick Results' feature, which I know MSN has an equivelant, its just more clutterd and less intuitive than the Google offering. That and the sidebar any way. I also thought that from using the two of them that Google Desktop Search seems to be noticably faster in returing results (although I have read reports that Coppernic Desktop Search is faster, but lacks a similarly intuitive 'Quick Results'). Then again I do pretty much choose the Google option for all available applications (apart from online Bookmarks, they pale when compared to the mighty del.icio.us; any way thats off topic so just ignore it.)

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yes
I actually use a search I wrote myself in Java. It's faster and gives more results than the built-in Windows search

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