Desktop Search: The Next Frontier
As Microsoft has made abundantly clear, search is the major focus of its next version of Windows, Longhorn. Since Google is creating this massive the operating system of the internet, Microsoft is staging the war for control of your computer on two fronts. The first is Longhorn. By integrating a powerful search in the OS, you will rely on Longhorn for all your searches, or at least the theory goes. The first goal will only succeeds if the second one does. The second goal is to make MSN Search at least a decent competitor to Google. Microsoft's goal is to stop Google from taking over your life by trying to... take over your life. Presumably, Google will eventually release Google Desktop Search, and that's when the real war begins. Picasa is a good first step, by organizing your photos in a way Windows never could. Expect Picasa for MP3s within the next six months. Now there's the Recall Toolbar, which searches web pages saved on your computer. Google would be wise to add this functionality to its toolbar.

- posted by Nathan Weinberg @ 8/26/2004 10:37:00 PM