Google Desktop Search vs Vista Search

Posted on June 26th, 2007 in Productivity, Tools, Web by Jay

There is a side to this story I haven’t seen much about, and that is “why can’t microsoft lock down their own search”?

The way I see it is that search really is an integral part of the operating system, in the same way that file management (like being able to save a document) is part of the file system.  By saving a file on my computer I am using the functionality of the OS to manage the location and indexing of the file on the disk.  Similarly when I go to open that file the OS allows me to find it by navigating, or by searching for it.  So why should Google even have the right to ask for this to be optional or reconfigured to use their own search tool.

I think part of this might relate to the fact that the Vista search functionality is good!  It far exceeds what Google have to offer in this arena and granted, Microsoft’s search in the past has been less than average and at that time if you wanted good search you went to something like Google desktop search or LookOut.  Now that Microsoft DOES have a good search function, Google are potentially loosing market share in this area.

I must admit, i love the new Vista search.  Fast, easy, really quite powerful.  I especially like the ability to filter to email and then by send or ‘has attachment’.

Funny Bone

Posted on June 25th, 2007 in Uncategorized by Jay

Just an odd little JPG I came across the other day, nothing special, but for some reason it struck a chord with me and laughed about it for a few minutes.

Have the Dumb

Web 2.0 Dead?

Posted on June 24th, 2007 in OpenSource, Web by Jay

Stumbled across an interesting read, written almost in the style of a manifesto.  The author proposed that Web 2.0 is dead, however I think he/she missed the mark on describing what web 2.0 is all about.

The description given talks about w2.0 as a toolset, and summarises by saying that w2.0 = simplification.  This is far from the reality in my view.   W2.0 to me is more of a philosophy than a toolset.  I think the trend he is seeing is design that is evident in many sites that like to categorise themselves as w2.0, that clean gradient-filled glass-buttoned big-font design popping up everywhere.  Sure, some of those sites are simple, and useless.

Facebook is a great example of web2.0, embraced on many levels:

  • After creating a profile you can add friends to your network
  • You can define your relationship with those friends and have them ‘approve’ the relationship
  • You can of course communicate by writing on someone’s wall
  • You can find new people with similar interests
  • Generally, you collectively maintain your online life on one page

Additionally, facebook have openned up some development tools (you’ll need to be logged into facebook) for the community at large to build little applications that you can add to your facebook profile.  w2.0 in action!  The community working together for the collective good of the community!  It’s not dis-similar in fact to opensource and I’m surprised that the comparison is not done more regularly.  Perhaps it should have been called ‘open web’ rather than web 2.0?