Yahoo! has become the latest search giant to jump into the desktop search market. It has this morning unveiled its new program which it hopes will allow it compete in the growing war for scanning files on users" home PCs. The release of Yahoo! Desktop Search comes after Google and MSN unveiled similar products.
The new program, currently in beta, has many of the same features as its rivals. However, it"s claimed the Yahoo! program searches more than 200 file types and is the most comprehensive of all those released so far. As well as files, it indexes e-mails in Outlook and Outlook Express and it also promises to offer web searches - through its own search engine, of course.
Desktop search seems to be the latest tool the major engines are using in a bid to expand their influence. MSN is also currently running a beta of its new web search tool alongside its desktop search, offered through a browser toolbar. Yahoo"s offering appears more like a traditional Windows app - Google"s uses the same style as its online search results when it searches through your computer.