Is Google whining about Microsoft’s Desktop Search?
By Rob Fleming
In an article posted by Seattlepi.com Google Inc. has complained to U.S. antitrust officials about the hard-drive searching tool built into Microsoft Corp.’s Windows Vista, saying that it stymies Google’s similar search program.
The key points of this article do not even address the main questions this writer has about Google’s allegations. At which point will Google and other technology providers stop whining about the development of technology by Microsoft? And furthermore what makes Google think that it is the only company that can develop such technology without competition? As a Computer Engineer I have tested both the Google and the Vista versions of the desktop search, and at the time of this witting i am using both only because my desktop which runs XP Professional does not have the built in Microsoft feature. My laptop is running the Vista business version and my first thought when seeing this feature in Vista was “I hope this version doesn’t run like a slug like the Google version does!” In my many years as a consultant i have come to find that end users really only want thing.. “The ability to do all of their work from one place with out confusion, complication, and worry”.
In a e-mail message Sunday, Google spokesman Ricardo Reyes said Microsoft’s "current approach with Vista desktop search violates the consent decree and and limits consumer choice." It seems that while Google was the only provider of a desktop search tool, and doesn’t that make it hard to choose when there isn’t a choice at all to begin with? Maybe all Microsoft has to do is add the ability to turn off the feature with the click of the mouse. There are currently a few methods in which this can be accomplished (see 4Sysops for the details), but most less tech savvy end users will probably not find these instructions easy to follow. I have found that the Google version of the desktop search is a bit sluggish on computers that have less than 1Gb of ram and most older computers in general. And another irritating feature that the Google version has is that when i run a Google search via Google’s search engine i get that silly web link and text message at the top of the search results telling me i have X amount of results stored on my computer. There is a small link that says hide, but that means that i have to do this for each and every search i run while using Google’s website.. Ummm choice? gee i wonder if that is what they meant?
All in all Google is doing way too much pissing and moaning about Microsoft, and as far as i am concerned they spend too much time trying to be more than all i really what them to be any way.. Just a good reliable source for web search information!
Rob Fleming is a Computer consultant in Northern Michigan. he can be reached @ www.boynecitypc.com
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