Google Deskbar!

[I.am]

http://toolbar.google.com/deskbar/images/deskbar.gif

Google Deskbar (http://toolbar.google.com/deskbar/index.html)





Google Deskbar enables you to search with Google from any application without lifting your fingers from the keyboard. Installs easily in your Windows taskbar.

Key Features: 

Search using Google, even when your browser isn't running

Preview search results in a small inset window that closes automatically

Access Google from any application by typing Ctrl+Alt+G

Use keyboard shortcuts for multiple Google searches, i.e., Google News (Ctrl+N),Google Images (Ctrl+I), or Froogle (Ctrl+F)




Sidenote:

Is Google tracking some information?

Yes

Is the Google Deskbar tracking any information about me at all?
Yes. The Google Deskbar does collect information about the number of times you use each of its features when the Feedback Statistics option is turned on. By counting uses of specific features, we get an idea of which parts of the Google Deskbar users find most helpful. However, no personal information about you (name, address, phone number, etc.) or your searches is collected. And you can turn tracking off using the Options dialog box.

Also note that Google Deskbar checks once a day to see if a new update is available. This check is recorded by Google and cannot be disabled. In addition to ensuring you always have the latest version of the application, this connection to Google lets us know approximately how many active Google Deskbars are in use.

Google Deskbar FAQ (http://toolbar.google.com/deskbar/help/faq.html)

When you install it asks whether you want to send stats or not. Just say no.

Google is always ahead in the game B)

[DarkReality]

I don't get what makes Google any better than say, Yahoo. I've searched with both, yes I got different results but it's all the same. Mostly I use Yahoo, force of habit.

[Russo]

Google is the best. they give great spell checking. but.

What difference does it make if you can use Google Desk Bar without a Browser. when you click on a link you still have to open your browser.

[Cl1mh4224rd]

Unless you have Google as your start page, it saves a few minor steps.

Pretty cool idea. I'll have to try it out.

[addendum]

Just installed it. I don't know why, but I fell it should be noted that this is beta software (version 0.5), and I'm a bit drunk.... and laughing. Ok, maybe not just "a bit". Umm...

Very cool little tool. :)

[Cygnuz-Y]

wow this really come in handy, thanks I.am

[basics]

i have installed this before but as i can remember it caused more hassle and took up more resources than needed.

google is only a click away anyhow?!?!?

[Cl1mh4224rd]

Originally posted by basics@14 November 2003 - 15:05
[...] took up more resources than needed.
It's only using 400K of RAM on my system. :huh:

[I.am]

Yahoo uses googles indexing but their page ranking is different. So obviously, you cannot compare yahoo and google since yahoo uses google's indexing technology. Although, Yahoo recently bought INKTOM but they havent implement it yet.

[I.am]

@Cygnuz-Y , :) you are most welcome.

@Russo, yup it still opens a new window. But i guess it saves one step of opening a new window...going to google and search for it. Or if you have a google toolbar you still have to open the browser before searching. Google has some nice tools eg: calculator, reverse phone number lookup etc. which you can just type on your deskbar and search. Many time you dont even need to click on a link for these purposes. But this is definetly not a breakthrough. Just an addon.

@Cl1mh4224rd, how is it coming along?

[muchspl2]

its not like the toolbar is it with page rank or anything is it :unsure:

[I.am]

Originally posted by muchspl2@14 November 2003 - 17:41
its not like the toolbar is it with page rank or anything is it :unsure:
No page rank :P but still spyware in the sense it collects the statistics of what function you are using in the deskbar. So they know what the user likes ;) However there is an option to disable it when you are installing. read my post on, it has some info.

[Cl1mh4224rd]

Originally posted by I.am@14 November 2003 - 23:28
@Cl1mh4224rd, how is it coming along?
Pretty damn nifty. I like how you can check out the search results within it's little window there.

[I.am]

What I don't like about deskbar as compared to toolbar is that you lost the functionality of highlighting each word of your search like you could do in toolbar. It was really helpful if the result was a long page and you could just highlit the words where you interest lies. Unfortunately, its not in deskbar.
However, if you have both installed then it populates the list of word into the toolbar to do the same. But I wanted to chose only one of them ;)

Seems like google has to work quite a lot to make this worth more.