I finally broke down and installed Yahoo Desktop Search, so far I really like it.
Yahoo! Desktop Search Beta is a free, downloadable desktop search application that enables you to instantly find any file, email or attachment on your computer. Yahoo! Desktop Search puts the power of Yahoo! Search on your computer, ensuring that you can always find what you’re looking for – instantaneously.
What’s great about desktop search for me right now is the ability to index and organize my email easier. Outlook’s find functionality sucks, is feature limited, and is really slow. Now I have been able to do things like search for a keyword, and then search for the from/to, and then sort by date. It rocks, plain and simple.
To get into the market quickly Yahoo basically partnered with and repackaged the x1 desktop search tool. Nobody has figured out how any of the search providers are going to make any money with desktop search. Speculation seems to be leaning towards; 1. using it to re-inforce brand loyalty, and drive web based searches originating from the desktop, and 2. giving a what’s related advertisement to the search.
My biggest concern is privacy and what the programs on my desktop are doing. Reason #1 for not installing the Google Desktop search tool. If I where to find out that Yahoo was secretly sending data off of my computer I would freak out.