Several DTS engines are available, most of them free, and with features that
are attractive to different sets of users. Here are fourteen of the most
popular, classified according to four criteria: free, not free, those for the
Apple Mac, and a few less popular ones that are worth checking out.
Which one you choose depends on:
What computer system do you
have. Some DTS engines work only with the latest hardware, so better find
out if your computer system can take it. You also need at least 128MB RAM
and enough hard disk space for indexed files.
Documents you work with,
store in your hard drive, and that you want to search. Some DTS engines
cannot search mp3, Acrobat, and Outlook e-mail formats.
Your personal taste, how you
like the look and feel.
7 Desktop Search Engines for Free
Ask Jeeves Desktop Search 1.7 Beta
Small (size: 750KB) and fast, powerful enough to search your hard drive for
some Windows-based files, e-mails and text, image, music and video files. You
can choose either fast or gradual indexing. You can decide how much of the hard
disk you want indexed and how much processor power to use. Software is easy to
understand, simple, and refined. Shows search results in a preview panel that
can play Windows Media Player so you can listen to or watch the file. It cannot
open files like Excel and PowerPoint, and cannot search Web pages you have
browsed. Although limited, this search engine has potential if developers work
on upgrades. Needs Windows 2000 or XP operating system. Software is free.