Download Google Desktop for Mac - Search your email, files, music, photos, and more (discontinued now). MacUpdate.com

Google Desktop 1.7.0.1877

Your rating: Now say why...

(18) 3.25

Search your email, files, music, photos, and more (discontinued now). Free

Add to my Watch List
Email me when discounted

Download Now
5.9 MB
Visit Developer's Site
Google

Google Desktop is a desktop search application that gives you easy access to information on your Mac and from the web. Desktop makes searching your own email, files, music, photos, and more as easy as searching the web with Google.

Find and launch applications and emails from your desktop
Add Google Gadgets to your Dashboard and iGoogle page
Develop and share new Google Gadgets

What's New

Version 1.7.0.1877: Release notes were unavailable when this listing was updated.

Requirements
PPC / Intel, Mac OS X 10.4 or later.

LaunchBar

+4
Shareware $35

Powerful file/URL/email ...
SpotInside

+1
Free

Preview spotlight keywords in ...
FileSpot

+1
Shareware $20

Provides an enhanced interface ...
Namely

+1
Free

Launch apps by name.
Quicksilver

+1
Free

Application launcher and much ...
DiskWrangler

+1
Demo $25

Keyboard controlled file ...

Google Desktop User Discussion (Write a Review)

ver. 1.x:

(18)

Your rating: Now say why...

Overall:

(18)

sort: smiles | time

+12

+30

wizard2 reviewed on 18 Aug 2009

Google should be ashamed of this virus-like bloatware.

Think I'm exaggerating? Go look at your Activity Monitor, look at all the spurious processes running as ROOT. Count the processes, the daemons, the background events that spawn off this crap. Then -- try to REMOVE IT. Yeah, there is an 'uninstaller'.... LOL.

I just spent five ugly hours uninstalling the bits of crud Google spewed all over a clients computer after an unwitting dweeb employee installed Google's perpetual gift to mankind. This stuff is almost as bad as Norton's NAV which like hydra spews crud all over your drive and dares you to find it and remove it.

Google should stick to simple electronic hide-and-seek -- and leave real code and apps to people who adhere to best practices, and have a clue how to code for speed, reliability and security.

Only wish it were possible to gift Google -5 stars

[Version 1.6.0.1552]

+45

Peter da Silva commented on 02 Oct 2008

Thank you for removing Google Updater from this product. Not only is GU unnecessary bloat, but I'm worried about the security implications of the extensions it implements in browsers that allow you yo "push" an update from your website.

Google: I've asked this in support requests, on your forums, in email to your security people, and even on slashdot... could you explain the security model of Google Updater, and the undocumented _GU_*() javascript API in Firefox and IE?

[Version 1.6.0.1552]

+56

Edified commented on 02 Oct 2008

Works great EXCEPT for Google Update running in the background ALL the time, with no option to do manual update (for those of us who use our equipment for things like presentations and live production where you can't have update popups run rouge.

And what's up with an update process running as root? So much for do-no-evil.

Dear Google, Mac users would love you if you used Sparkle with an option for manual updates!

[Version 1.6.0.1552]

nessuno commented on 02 Oct 2008

It took me hours to DE-install all of G.D.'s background-process-based b...s... - after finding that it's not even worth trying.

[Version 1.6.0.1552]

hotfreaks commented on 22 Aug 2008

One warning to potential Google Desktop users: This is a very poorly-supported project. Do not expect to get responses from Google via email or via posting to the Google Desktop group in Google groups. You are essentially on your own if you hit any snags.

[Version 1.5.0.1243]

+141

Orion Mk. V reviewed on 29 Nov 2007

Installed and runs JUST FINE on my Intel iMac. Tied in with spotlight's exclude list I can "block" searching of directories or volumes without a problem and if you use the Google Updater it's easy to update and UNINSTALL various Google apps.

That said, Google Desktop is a bit redundant with Spotlight, but after the indexing is done it does run better, so no complaint there -- Spotlight can be quirky about what it chooses to show.

I've never been a fan of Apple's dashboard widgets, so the addition of Google Gadgets is useless to me, but I did try a few and the install and run just fine.

[Version 1.4.0.838]

1 Reply

+24

Ben-Marko replied on 13 Apr 2010

Um...work for Google, by any chance?

hotfreaks commented on 29 Nov 2007

While I'd love to have search access to my Gmail while offline, the damn Google Updater and its associated daemon prevent me from installing this software. Imagine if every piece of software you installed ran a monitoring program in the background at all times. Until Google falls in line and distributes Mac software properly, I have removed this and Google Notifier. Mac developers should know better.

[Version 1.4.0.838]

1 Reply

+449

sjk replied on 29 Nov 2007

Any idea what launches Google Updater? I can't find any startup for it in the normal places (launchd, SystemStartup, Login Items). Shame on Google for installing this without warning and making its launching so stealthy.

pedroj reviewed on 21 Nov 2007

Extremelly hard to remove once installed. Takes up a lot of computer resources while indexing. Definitely not my choice after new Spotlight in Leopard much improved.

[Version 1.3.1.806]

+228

Xenophile commented on 20 Nov 2007

Effing Brilliant!

Ever since upgrading to Tiger, I've been desperate for a solution to finding files and stuff on my computer. It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack using OS X. Finally, Google comes to the rescue with a simple app I can quickly launch and leave running in the background.

Google Desktop just finds stuff. Period.

Perhaps for a future release, Google could somehow tie this into the file system so it works faster. Or maybe Apple could buy it from Google and incorporate it into OS X somehow, so it worked like a searchlight.

Thanks for filling a gaping hole in Mac OS X, Google!

[Version 1.3.1.806]

6 Replies

coldfusion1970 replied on 20 Nov 2007

I'm surprised you've never heard of Spotlight. Its built right into Mac OS 10.4 and 10.5.

+22

eji replied on 21 Nov 2007

@coldfusion1970

Are you American, by any chance?

coldfusion1970 replied on 21 Nov 2007

London born and bred baby.
Why?

+22

eji replied on 21 Nov 2007

Speaking as a Yank, we're known to be a bit too literal at times. And Xenophile's comment on Google Desktop was dripping with irony.

coldfusion1970 replied on 21 Nov 2007

See. Thats why i dont watch Six Feet Under.
I think i'll stick with Friends.

+34

Tuishimi replied on 29 Nov 2007

LOL

+67

elegraphy reviewed on 27 Oct 2007

I like Gmail, Sketch Up, and other Google products. They deserve 5 stars.

However, this one is bloatware. It automatically install extra things that you don't want, and once you install it on your Mac, it's hard to kill. I keep Activity Monitor alive on my Desktop and kill it, and it keeps coming back.

Beware!!! Use EasyFind and Spotlight instead!

[Version 1.3.0.748]

dcknowles had trouble on 09 Apr 2007

I installed this and Firefox wouldn't start up--it just quit before completely loading the home page. But Firefox was fine again when I UNinstalled Google desktop.

[Version 1.0.0.155]

-2

sjj_public had trouble on 04 Apr 2007

I installed it, but it says my hard drive can't be indexed, and so it never finds anything. Also the web search thing wasn't what I expected and isn't too impressive. It isn't integrated at all - It just does the search in your browser. i.e. it's like many useless search widgets that do the same thing.

[Version 1.0.0.155]

+94

Star-Affinity had trouble on 04 Apr 2007

The "GoogleDesktopDae" daemon every other five soconds eat about 30% to 50% processing power on the MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo 2, 3 Ghz with 2 GB RAM I have. Fans start to make noise.

Is it indexing perhaps?
Think I will remove it for now...

[Version 1.0.0.155]

1 Reply