Google Desktop and its impact on Lookout

Real Dornfest wrote an objective review of the new Google Desktop which I have linked to in the title of this post. I put the application on my machine last night after reading about it on several blogs. I have a lot of storage so, I left my machine running all night and allowed it to index my files. This morning I have been using the app and I am very impressed! For example, when Google finds an email in Outlook, it provides some data to help you identify the souce and then you can launch the email directly from the Desktop results page. I have not found out whether it indexes zip files, which I would like. Today, I found emails and other content that I have misplaced, so it was immediately helpful to me. It also finds mp3s, photos and other images easily, allowing me to aviod my regular practice of searching through the higherarchy of files. I have had a small application that works form within Outlook called Lookout do much of the searching through my file system. Lookout is lightning-fast search for your email, files, and desktop works with Microsoft Outlook®. Microsoft bought Lookout and I understand is incorporating it into their MSN search product. I wonder how this Google introduction will effect Microsoft's plans. Here is a note from one of the Lookout Administrators regarding the Google Desktop:

So, Lookout Fans, anyone tried the Google product yet? What do you think? I'm completely unbiased, of course, but here are some of my thoughts. I think the Google product is a good product and will definitely be received well. They did a great job of making a small, compact product, and the desktop-into-web-results is really cool. There are lots of articles out there on this already. But, it also definitely misses on a few things that I had hoped Google, being the king of search, would address: Notably: * Finding email is at least 4 clicks away from outlook: go to IE (click), type in a query (click), select a result (click), hit the "view in outlook" button (click). Thats a lot of clicks! * The search is pretty primitive. No fielded queries (e.g. search by folder, recipient, sender, etc). No wildcard searching. No date ranges. * The search results is even weaker than Lookout's - only 10 results per screen. Can't sort by subject, sender, recipient. Can't do full actions on results - delete, move, copy, categorize, print. * Doesn't search contacts or calendar items. * Doesn't search public folders The approach of doing web-first probably resonates well for Google. But for solving the problem of finding email items, it seems like it is a pretty entry-level offering. So, what do you think of my unbiased opinion? :-) Thanks, Mike BTW - these ideas are solely mine and do not represent those of my employer.