Beyond beta
Google reports it has formally launched Google Desktop Search. Available for free download here, Version 1.0 searches over the full text of PDFs and the tagging stored with music, image and video files. Additional enhancements include support for the Firefox and Netscape browsers, Thunderbird and Netscape e-mail clients and new Chinese and Korean language interfaces.
Google claims V. 1.0 is the first desktop search tool to access the full text of Web page history and the only one to search AOL instant messages. Further, says the company, the release can be used to recover accidentally deleted or misplaced information. All results are accompanied by cached snapshots of each Web page and document so users can access information even if they're not connected to the Web or if a document has been deleted.
The software also includes application programming interfaces (APIs) that enable software developers to create new and applications using the desktop search product. Plug-ins developed with these APIs will be made available for download here, enabling users to search new content types such as Trillian chats and the full text of scanned images, such as faxes. More information on the Desktop Search APIs can be found on the Web here.
Additional enhancements to Google Desktop 1.0 include a free-standing search box that users can place anywhere on their desktop. It allows users to block HTTPS Web pages and excludes all password-protected documents from Microsoft Word and Excel.