Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Search-engine indexers for your computer
Warning! hese indexers are, for the most part, Windows-only. I suspect
that as the Apple brand has gotten very popular (thanks to the iPod, iTunes,
and other Applesque innovations), we'll be seeing a greater efort to support
those folks who use a Mac. Watch the oferings from the search engines to
see if they take the lead in ofering Mac support for their products.
Ask Desktop
Ask Desktop (sp.ask.com/docs/desktop/) requires Windows 2000 with
SP3 or Windows XP on a computer with at least 500MHz and 128 MB
RAM minimum.
Once you've installed Ask Desktop, as with any other indexer, you'll have to
wait for it to inish indexing your computer before you make the most of it.
When you irst install it, Ask will open a browser window and show that it's
indexing your computer, along with a notiication of the last iles indexed
and how many iles total have been indexed. How long the indexing takes
depends on how large your hard drive is and how good your computer's
processor is. My experience is that it usually takes an hour or so. Ask keeps
refreshing the number of iles that you have indexed.
Once your hard drive is indexed, you can search within your browser, or
you can open up the client interface. (I prefer the client interface, as it gives
me access to the preferences for the program, allows me to download the
latest version, and lets me set the indexing speed for slow or fast.) Searching
is by simple keyword; you can search the computer, the Web, or your e-mail
(Outlook or Outlook Express e-mail). When you run a search, your results
will be divided up into tabs (
Figure 13.2
).
Some types of iles can be previewed in the right pane. he irst tab will
have all the results, but the other tabs will be divided into folders, pictures,
applications, and so on. On the let of the screen will be results, while on
the right is summary information about each ile as you click on it. Some
iles, like audio and graphics iles, will actually preview in the right side of
the screen (sounds will play, you'll get a thumbnail of images, and so on).
Double-click on the ilename to open the ile itself.
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