This is the third or fourth installment of my peek at Windows Vista which I have been beta testing for about a month now. Although, I don't think there is any Earth shattering changes in the function of Vista, one feature stands out as being well integrated. That feature is Windows Search. Microsoft did not get a chance to totally revamp the way we save and retrieve files as they had hoped with Vista, but they did integrate the Search function in every aspect of the operating system. And I do mean every aspect. All program and operating system windows have a search box in the upper right hand corner. Even the revamped Start menu has a Search box integrated into it.
Desktop search is not new and of course, Microsoft didn't invent it. Google Desktop Search (free) and the vaunted X1 Desktop Search (not free) are available for Windows XP machines right now. Desktop searching gives users the ability to search through documents, programs, and email all at once. For example, if you are looking for a document or email about John Jones, you can type it in the desktop search box and be rewarded quickly with a list of documents and/or email that contain that phrase. It works well and makes sifting through large amounts of data much easier. The functionality comes at a price, however, because you need a powerful processor and lots of RAM for these products to work well and not slow down your system.
Windows Vista search works quite well and quickly. I like the fact that Search boxes are every where in Vista making it very accessible. As I mentioned, however, the same technology is available today as an add-on to your existing system, so although Microsoft seemed to get this feature right, it is not a sole reason to upgrade to Vista next year.
