Earlier this week we asked you which desktop search apps were the best. You responded with tons of great suggestions, but we only have room for the top five:
Alfred (OS X)
Alfred is a combination app launcher and desktop/web search utility for OS X. Once installed, Alt+Space brings up a search bar that you can use to lauch any application on your system, search the web, and of course, search your system for files, folders, images, and more. You can add and remove folders from Alfred's search scope, and use its built-in engine to search for documents, or you can turn on Alfred's search "Extras" to make it index and present file and folder results as you type. It's a little slower (especially when you can press space again after bringing up Alfred's search bar to look for files) but it gives you everything up front. The beauty of Alfred is that it's an app launcher and desktop search tool in one, but it's also much more. Alfred sports an iTunes mini-player, built-in calculator, support for customizable hotkeys, and has a wealth of available extensions to add even more features. It's free, although the Alfred Powerpack will set you back ?15 (approx $23 USD) and toss in some extra useful features.
Everything (Windows)
Everything originally came out back in 2008 (I should know, I covered its launch for another publication!) and quickly rose to become one of Windows' most popular search utilities. It's not the only one by any means, but Everything was fast?fast like no other desktop search tool at the time really was. It builds its search index while you use it, making it easy to start searching as soon as you download it and get even more accurate results the longer you leave the app running. It won't search the contents of your files like the other apps do, but its speed is pretty enticing as a result. Everything stopped development in 2009, and the last official version is still from then, but Void, the developer, reappeared last month on the forums with a new beta version designed for current versions of Windows. So far, it works like a charm, and retains the speedy search capabilities that made Everything great to begin with. It still needs admin access for best performance, and it still only works on NTFS volumes (and some features have been removed for privacy or performance reasons), but Everything is definitely back. Worst case though, you can still grab the old version. Everything is freeware, although the developer notes he may release some features as add-ons in the future.
Quicksilver (OS X)
Quicksilver has a long and storied history. For a while, it was the best app launcher and customization tool available for the Mac. We loved it then, and when its future looked a little grim, we mourned. Still, it went open source, and when independent developers picked it up, we were happy. Since then it's been updated frequently, and is still our favorite app launcher for Mac. Even though it's an app launcher, it's also a great file and document search tool, and allows you to browse and search your Mac's file system quickly and with a few keystrokes. Right out of the box, Quicksilver lets you search files, folders, documents of all types, contacts, bookmarks, and more. It can chain commands, so it can search for a file, then give you options of how to open it, or find a file and then move it to a file location for you. It also has a wealth of independently created plugins that can extend its search and scripting features, which let you really play with what the app can do under the hood. The latest versions of Quicksilver are really sharp, and it's completely and totally free (although the team behind it definitely appreciate donations to keep the project running.)
Launchy (Windows/OS X/Linux)
Launchy is our favorite application launcher for Windows, and as we pointed out when we explained why you should be using an app launcher, it can do much more than just find and launch the apps you want to use when you want to use them. Launchy is super-fast, cross-platform, and makes finding files, launching applications, and chaining activities (finding files and then opening them in a specific application, or searching for a term and then opening it in Google in your favorite browser) really simple. It needs a little time to index before it's really effective, but you won't notice it working in the background. Launchy stays lean and trim by cutting out the bloat and other added features that other app launches include, but for the purposes of desktop search, it works like a charm and is super-simple to use. It's completely free, and works just as well on OS X and Linux as it does in Windows.
Windows Search (Windows)
Windows Search is pretty terrible on its own, and it's not really as useful as some of the other contenders in the roundup. It leaves out tons of search locations and file types from its index and indexing is slow and often incomplete. Thankfully, we've shown you how to make Windows Search much more powerful, and many of you noted that once you amp it up a little bit and tweak it so it works better, it's just as good as having a third-party utility on your system. Some of you noted that you'd rather just use what you have than install something new, or that Windows Search is "okay," and combined with just being organized, you didn't need a special search tool. Whichever camp you're in, enough of you noted Windows' built-in search that it's a contender. Still, if you are going to stick with Windows Search, at least tweak it so it's more useful.
Now that you've seen the top five, it's time to put them to a vote to determine the all-out winner.
Honorable mentions this week go out to Google Desktop Search, which was discontinued in 2011, but many of you still use and love even though Google doesn't officially make it available for download, and isn't offering security fixes, patches, or updates for it. There are various installers floating about the web if you're still interested in trying it (or still have it installed), and it really is a great desktop search tool, but getting it to work with current OSes can be challenging. Still, if you have it and it works for you, enjoy it!
Have something to say about one of the contenders? Want to make the case for your personal favorite, even if it wasn't included in the list? Remember, the top five are based on your most popular nominations from the call for contenders thread from earlier in the week. Don't just complain about the top five, let us know what your preferred alternative is?and make your case for it?in the discussions below.
The Hive Five is based on reader nominations. As with most Hive Five posts, if your favorite was left out, it's not because we hate it?it's because it didn't get the nominations required in the call for contenders post to make the top five. We understand it's a bit of a popularity contest, but if you have a favorite, we want to hear about it. Have a suggestion for the Hive Five? Send us an email at tips+hivefive@lifehacker.com!
Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/3kTOtVQQEo4/five-best-desktop-search-applications
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