Existing users, 
 Google Desktop - 1.0.0desktop search app & app launcher |
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Feedback Summary:
| Version 1.0.0: | |||||
| Overall Rating: |   (3.1) |
Features: | (3.4) |
Support: | (3.6) |
| Ease of Use: | (3.8) |
Quality / Stability: | (3.2) |
Price: | (4.6) |
Key to Types of Feedback:
Reviews 
Troubleshooting 
Usage Tips 
Developer Notes 
Commentary 
Featured Reviews
Dissing Mac Users with toxic waste. - Version: 1.5.0.1243, 10/4/2008 05:39PM PST
(3 of 3 users found this comment useful)
Evanitude
We've always been Google's stepchildren, us Mac folk. Operating, it would seem, solely as a function of market share, Mac versions of Google software emerge last, as do updates to existing Mac-Google software. Never mind that Mac users are early tech adopters and thought leaders. In the case of software releases, it seems that to Google it's simply a matter of dollars and cents. But let me get to the point.
The paragraph above is to illustrate that we don't get no respect from Google. The one that follows, following this post's title, is to illustrate that we get toxic code instead. Here's the deal.
Eager to have a better Spotlight—maybe even a search engine that would rip through 100 Gig in .0001238448 seconds to find my transcript from HardKnocks U.—with saliva flowing down my cheek, I downloaded Google Desktop for Macintosh several times, several versions, and each time I had to ditch it after a tantalizing couple of weeks that showed me how quick and easy searching could be—if only the software worked.
Disclosure: I haven't downloaded this version. After my experience with prior versions of GD, I'm afraid to. Because not only did prior versions at intervals grind work to a halt, hog memory, and cause kernel panics, but they seemed designed to wreak havoc on a system if ever one tried to remove them. True, I'm a PhD and as a former IT person, I'm most likely lame. But each time I gave up with disgust on Google Desktop, the program just didn't want to die with dignity. First, older versions of GD required Google Updater, a program that seems an inch away from violating privacy, to cleanse your Mac of its Google disease. Second, no matter how well I removed everything Google from my Mac, periodically I'd get dialogs that asked me if I wanted to update software (scary, for me, at least), and, even worse, whenever my machine began to slow down, if I checked with Activity Monitor, invariably it was some Google daemon or process hogging CPU and gobbling up some unreasonable amount of memory. I said to myself, "never again. Even if Google's search function is the sweetest, never again." And so far, my will has remained firm.
Disclosure: I read the first, recent post. Maybe this new version eliminates all the problems I (and others) experienced. Maybe the program and it's children are not poking around your system looking to map your experience; maybe the hogging of space and time and gone. Somehow, even though I love to take risks, my prior experience with GD was so bad that I'm gong to pass on this one. If you happen to read this post and nonetheless use the new GD, please be so kind as to post a quick report. Many of us would love to use a good version of a Google product, and, bedsides, I have no wish to slam Google. Especially when they have meta data on all hard and soft aspects of my life.
Cheers,
Evan Mitchell Stark,
Dr. Evan Stark, PhD
Message Science Inc.
The paragraph above is to illustrate that we don't get no respect from Google. The one that follows, following this post's title, is to illustrate that we get toxic code instead. Here's the deal.
Eager to have a better Spotlight—maybe even a search engine that would rip through 100 Gig in .0001238448 seconds to find my transcript from HardKnocks U.—with saliva flowing down my cheek, I downloaded Google Desktop for Macintosh several times, several versions, and each time I had to ditch it after a tantalizing couple of weeks that showed me how quick and easy searching could be—if only the software worked.
Disclosure: I haven't downloaded this version. After my experience with prior versions of GD, I'm afraid to. Because not only did prior versions at intervals grind work to a halt, hog memory, and cause kernel panics, but they seemed designed to wreak havoc on a system if ever one tried to remove them. True, I'm a PhD and as a former IT person, I'm most likely lame. But each time I gave up with disgust on Google Desktop, the program just didn't want to die with dignity. First, older versions of GD required Google Updater, a program that seems an inch away from violating privacy, to cleanse your Mac of its Google disease. Second, no matter how well I removed everything Google from my Mac, periodically I'd get dialogs that asked me if I wanted to update software (scary, for me, at least), and, even worse, whenever my machine began to slow down, if I checked with Activity Monitor, invariably it was some Google daemon or process hogging CPU and gobbling up some unreasonable amount of memory. I said to myself, "never again. Even if Google's search function is the sweetest, never again." And so far, my will has remained firm.
Disclosure: I read the first, recent post. Maybe this new version eliminates all the problems I (and others) experienced. Maybe the program and it's children are not poking around your system looking to map your experience; maybe the hogging of space and time and gone. Somehow, even though I love to take risks, my prior experience with GD was so bad that I'm gong to pass on this one. If you happen to read this post and nonetheless use the new GD, please be so kind as to post a quick report. Many of us would love to use a good version of a Google product, and, bedsides, I have no wish to slam Google. Especially when they have meta data on all hard and soft aspects of my life.
Cheers,
Evan Mitchell Stark,
Dr. Evan Stark, PhD
Message Science Inc.
What's new in this version - Version: 1.6.0.1552, 10/3/2008 12:00AM PST
Frank_Martin
from: http://desktop.google.com/support/mac/bin/answer.py?answer=64429
Version 1.6.0.1552 (9/30/2008)
Feature improvements:
Google Updater is no longer required to install or uninstall Google Desktop.
Known issues:
Installation issues
During initial indexing, Google Desktop may have a noticeable impact on your computer, especially if your hard drive is highly fragmented or low on disk space. We've designed Google Desktop to be usable - if a bit sluggish - during this period. Once indexing is complete, your computer should return to its normal, speedy self. To expedite indexing, we recommend that you have at least 10 percent disk space remaining and defragment your hard disk before installing.
If you put the 'Double Click to install Google Desktop' file on a FileVault volume before running it, you may see an error message stating that you need insert a disk. To avoid this issue, don't move the file out of the DMG before running it.
Mail and browser issues
Indexing Gmail may take a long time because emails are downloaded in batches; each 'batch' is separated by two hours, and there's no progress meter.
If you use MailTags, you need to delete the existing MailTags Spotlight importer from /Library/Spotlight or ~/Library/Spotlight and reinstall version 2.0b9 or later. Earlier versions cause crashes during indexing.
Inability to search for MailTag tags in emails; the mail contents themselves can be searched normally. We are working with the MailTags author to resolve this.
If you have both Firefox 2 and Firefox 3 installed, you may see a message appear in the following instances:
The first time you launch Firefox 3 after updating to the latest version of Desktop, an 'Add-on' dialog will appear and the Desktop Search 1.1 extension will be installed.
If you launch Firefox 2 after having launched Firefox 3 and installing the Desktop Search 1.1 extension, you'll see an 'Incompatible Add-ons' dialog. If you see this message, click Don't Check. Despite this message, both Firefox 2 and Firefox 3 should work normally with Google Desktop.
Indexing issues
Desktop may slow down and appear unresponsive when completing an operation that involves a lot of files, such as installing Logic Studio. It will eventually catch up.
Other issues
We've received reports of some CVS (Concurrent Versioning System) updates failing with I/O errors. The workaround is to disable indexing during the update and re-enable after the update is complete.
If you're working with programs like CVS or SVN (Subversion), you may experience large amounts of file I/O. There's a known issue in Mac OS 10.4+ where large amounts of file I/O may cause a kernel panic. To resolve the issue, we recommend adding any CVS or SVN associated items to your Privacy list.
Version 1.6.0.1552 (9/30/2008)
Feature improvements:
Google Updater is no longer required to install or uninstall Google Desktop.
Known issues:
Installation issues
During initial indexing, Google Desktop may have a noticeable impact on your computer, especially if your hard drive is highly fragmented or low on disk space. We've designed Google Desktop to be usable - if a bit sluggish - during this period. Once indexing is complete, your computer should return to its normal, speedy self. To expedite indexing, we recommend that you have at least 10 percent disk space remaining and defragment your hard disk before installing.
If you put the 'Double Click to install Google Desktop' file on a FileVault volume before running it, you may see an error message stating that you need insert a disk. To avoid this issue, don't move the file out of the DMG before running it.
Mail and browser issues
Indexing Gmail may take a long time because emails are downloaded in batches; each 'batch' is separated by two hours, and there's no progress meter.
If you use MailTags, you need to delete the existing MailTags Spotlight importer from /Library/Spotlight or ~/Library/Spotlight and reinstall version 2.0b9 or later. Earlier versions cause crashes during indexing.
Inability to search for MailTag tags in emails; the mail contents themselves can be searched normally. We are working with the MailTags author to resolve this.
If you have both Firefox 2 and Firefox 3 installed, you may see a message appear in the following instances:
The first time you launch Firefox 3 after updating to the latest version of Desktop, an 'Add-on' dialog will appear and the Desktop Search 1.1 extension will be installed.
If you launch Firefox 2 after having launched Firefox 3 and installing the Desktop Search 1.1 extension, you'll see an 'Incompatible Add-ons' dialog. If you see this message, click Don't Check. Despite this message, both Firefox 2 and Firefox 3 should work normally with Google Desktop.
Indexing issues
Desktop may slow down and appear unresponsive when completing an operation that involves a lot of files, such as installing Logic Studio. It will eventually catch up.
Other issues
We've received reports of some CVS (Concurrent Versioning System) updates failing with I/O errors. The workaround is to disable indexing during the update and re-enable after the update is complete.
If you're working with programs like CVS or SVN (Subversion), you may experience large amounts of file I/O. There's a known issue in Mac OS 10.4+ where large amounts of file I/O may cause a kernel panic. To resolve the issue, we recommend adding any CVS or SVN associated items to your Privacy list.
This thing is utterly useless. There are superior alternatives galore. All it did for me was eat my CPU cycles and my hard drive space. If you find that useful, then by all means download it. If this is what client-side Google software is supposed to be, give up now Google. You FAILED. This annoying, lame crud may pass for software with Windows using zomboids, but we're Mac users.
I can hardly wait to see Android. NOT. You already infested Google Earth with bad attitude toward your users. And you want to take over my cell phone? I think not. The magic phrase in the Apple world is USER FRIENDLY. Go do no 'evil' somewhere else please.
Or better yet, have the guys who developed this POS take a few lessons from the side of Google that actually doesn't do evil, the side of town that makes all the great Google stuff I love and use on the net.
My rating for Google Desktop: 5 chunks
:-Q*****