Microsoft has done better, with the all-new Windows Desktop Search 3 (WDS) built upon the same engine as Instant Search in Outlook 2007. Search refinement is better than Google, although it doesn’t provide the best levels of instant result information. Where WDS does score is in performance: it’s quick to index and return results, and system resource use is low too. We also like the attention to detail, such as when laptop battery life drops to 25%, the indexing stops to save power, and that the indexer runs as a system service.

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