Copernic LogoAfter reading the reaction around the net about Google Desktop (GD for short), one common complaint I noticed is the use of a web browser for local searching. Why use a web browser to search locally and forego all the utility and benefits a rich client can provide?

So I thought I’d start trying out some of the free alternatives to GD. One that is mentioned quite often is Copernic. I decided to uninstall GD and give it a whirl.

So far, I’m not quite satisfied. I left it running overnight and it’s still not done indexing my hard drive. Not only that, while it’s indexing, my computer runs at a snail’s pace at times. I often have to restart it to reclaim my computer’s resources. In comparison, GD finished indexing within a much shorter time span with a nearly imperceptible impact on my computer’s performance.

One area where Copernic shines above GD is the UI. Copernic provides options for refining the search parameters just below the search input. When you search for emails, the search result window breaks down the results by date. You can see them grouped into emails received Today, Yesterday, Last Week, Last Month, This Year, and so on…

One shortcoming that both engines share is the inability to specify file types to search other than the preconfigured ones. For example, I would like to search my C# files that have the .cs extension. No can do.

So the search continues. I could shell out for X1, but I’d like to find a free product I can use at both work and home. I read about another product to try at home, but forgot its name. In any case, I’ll keep you posted.

UPDATE: Whoops! Apparently you can configure Copernic to index arbitrary file types through the advanced options dialog. Thanks to Eric for the tip.