Google Desktop Search Patent and Why @Google's Alphabet will organize your 1TB SSD Drives

Google isn't content with giving you the power to search the Internet.

A recently filed patent points to them developing a Windows or Mac desktop search tool that can search for your local files as reported in the article “Google could soon be searching your desktop too”, published August 16, 2015 By David Nield, Digitaltrends.   

The patent, titled Computer Application Data In Search Results as reported in the article “Google Files For Patent To Search Your Desktop Files, Apps And Cloud Storage”, published August 17, 2015 By Menchie Mendoza, Tech Times covers the search for the following on your desktop:

1.      Native Applications

2.      Remote Services

3.      Registered Applications

Curiously, this sounds a lot like Google Desktop Search that Google had cancelled back on Friday, September 2^nd, 2011 as reported on their last blog post “Google Desktop Update”.

Their reasons given was that the users had shifted away from Desktop Storage to Website and Cloud Storage, which possibly prompted them to upgrade their Google Drive offerings from 5GB to 15GB in April 2013 as reported in my Geezam blog article entitled “Google Drive, the Dropbox clone, now ups the ante to 15GB of Free Storage during Google I/O”.

You cannot download new versions of Google Desktop to search your Windows or Mac computer as they've discontinued the service.

This is also a lot like Apple's Spotlight, their serviced in Apple iOS 9 that allows you to search for apps, files and virtually anything on your smartphone as well as in Apple iCloud as reported in my Geezam blog article entitled “Apple WWDC 2015 debuts OS X 10.11, Watch OS 2.0 and Apple Music”. 

Google Desktop Search Patent hints at Return - Why Google's Alphabet is based on the coming of 1TB SSD Drives

If implemented, most likely Google will ask your permission to search your desktop as explained n the article “Google could soon search your desktop, too”, published Aug 14, 2015 by Chris Burns, Slashgear. 

Google basically wants to pick your brain to send you more advertising while you search for stuff you cannot find using Windows Explorer to locate the item. Especially if it's tucked away deep in your computer's 1TB SSD (Solid State) hard-drive and you’re having difficulty finding it in a minefield of folders!

Something tells me that this service will be met with a lot of skepticism, especially with Google's track record relating to privacy.

Still, very few viable alternatives that users approve of to search your every growing Terabyte Harddrive storage exist as listed in the article “Five Best Desktop Search Applications”, published March 3 2013 by Alan Henry, Lifehacker and “What Are the Fastest Tools for Windows Desktop Search?”, published July 29, 2015, Make Use Of.

Here's the list for Windows users, with a few surprise entrants:

1.      Windows Search

2.      Everything

3.      Listary

4.      Lookeen Free

5.      Copernic Desktop Search 5

There are special Desktop Search Applications for Mac and Linux Users, albeit if you have Finder and now Spotlight now coming in September 2015 with Mac OS X 10.11 El Capitan, you might now want these third-party alternatives if you're a Mac user:

1.      Alfred for Mac OS

2.      Quicksilver for Mac OS

3.      Launchy (Windows/OS X/Linux)

There are tons more as listed in the article 19 Best Free Desktop File Search Software.

But with no clear favourites and Google's ecosystem of products now organized into an alphabet of companies as reported in my blog article entitled “@Google Inc is now Alphabet Inc – Why an Alphabet Soup of Business Structure means better Engineering Project Success” and the coming of larger and cheaper 1TB SSD (Solid State Drives), effective Desktop Search will be needed to search these ever-growing Personal Clouds.

Here’s the link:

Computer Application Data In Search Results