Information Technology Reference
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You can also add or remove iles and folders from your indexing, as well as
encrypt your index and data iles (though this will impact your computer's
performance). Finally you can choose to have your desktop's indexed iles
available for search across several desktops. Because Google stores your
iles on its servers, you can search your iles via your Google account from
no matter where you are. his has serious privacy and security implications;
think carefully before you decide to do this.
Google Desktop supports a variety of formats including Microsot Oice,
MSN and AOL Instant Messenger, Google Talk, PDF, music, images, and
ZIP iles. In addition Google, as previously mentioned, also ofers dozens of
plug-ins for searching more obscure ile types.
Google Desktop not only ofers lots of plug-ins for extreme lexibility, it
also ofers the ability to index across computers, if you do your trapping
from more than one place. However, this ability comes with some privacy
and security risk, as your data iles will be stored away from your computer.
hink carefully about using it.
Yahoo Desktop
Yahoo Desktop (desktop.yahoo.com) requires Windows XP or Windows
2000 SP 3+.
When you download Yahoo Desktop, you not only get the application, you
also get the Yahoo Toolbar, which is an installation option when you irst
install the program. When the program has been completely installed, you
also have the option of logging in with your Yahoo account so that Yahoo can
index your Yahoo Messenger conversations and Yahoo address book contacts.
If you don't have a Yahoo account or don't want to share that information, just
click Cancel. When you irst launch Yahoo Desktop, you get the should-be-
familiar-by-now search on the let and preview on the right (
Figure 13.5
).
Unlike the other two desktop indexers, Yahoo Desktop has a client inter-
face and doesn't work through the browser. Furthermore, Yahoo Desktop
defaults to showing just results from your e-mail. You'll have to view the All
tab, furthest to the right on the results page, to see all your results. Other-
wise, the Yahoo Desktop results page is excellent, showing Microsot Oice
documents in preview mode and even playing multimedia (
Figure 13.6
).
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