tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6569681.post114590840230632236..comments2024-03-29T05:14:10.903-07:00Comments on Geeking with Greg: Using the desktop to improve searchGreg Lindenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09216403000599463072noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6569681.post-1145991703043762062006-04-25T12:01:00.000-07:002006-04-25T12:01:00.000-07:00Greg, I agree. It's thin vs. thick. However, for...Greg, I agree. It's thin vs. thick. However, for applications such as word processing (word), presentations (ppt), e-mail, etc... I think we are seeing an increasingly "thin" trend.<BR/><BR/>As you said, we see it in Google with GCalendar, Gmail, Writely, etc... However, I see Microsoft changing its policy here, at least to some extent. Have you read Ray Ozzie's Memo (and Bill Gates' cover letter)?<BR/><BR/>Ozzie writes, "At work, at home, in a hotel, at school or in a coffee shop, the networked laptop has<BR/>become our ‘virtual office’ where we file our information and interact with others...But for all our great progress, our efforts have not always led to the degree that perhaps they could have. We<BR/>should’ve been leaders with all our web properties in harnessing the potential of AJAX, following our pioneering work in OWA." <BR/><BR/>Microsoft recognizes a lost opportunity and recognizes that Google has become a leader. I see their focus shifting to the thin client services model in their next-next gen platforms. This is illsutrated in Ozzie's conclusion: "As we begin planning the next waves of innovation – such as those beyond Vista and Office “12” – we will mobilize execution around those plans." Ozzie is clearly biased, after all he ran <A HREF="http://www.groove.net/" REL="nofollow">Groove</A>. Have you seen it? I haven't used it, but it looks like a really awesome suite of of online collaboration tools. It's coming under the MS Office brand, so I think that is telling about MS's direction. We'll see what happens in the post-vista and Office 12 world!jeff.daltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12887721174386884522noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6569681.post-1145976166159843132006-04-25T07:42:00.000-07:002006-04-25T07:42:00.000-07:00Thanks, Jeff. Great points in your detailed and t...Thanks, Jeff. Great points in your detailed and thoughtful post.<BR/><BR/>Much of this comes down to a battle between the thick and thin client. Does most work move to the browser and the network? Or does most stay on the desktop and PC?<BR/><BR/>Microsoft has a vested interest in the thick client and has promoted it actively.<BR/><BR/>Many have pushed for thin clients before and failed. The latest push appears to be coming from Google.<BR/><BR/>I admit I am not sure which way this will turn out. I cheer for the upstart challenger Google, but I am wary of the lessons of the past.<BR/><BR/>Whoever ultimately wins, this one will be interesting to watch.Greg Lindenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09216403000599463072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6569681.post-1145973057916995652006-04-25T06:50:00.000-07:002006-04-25T06:50:00.000-07:00Hi Greg,I started writing my reply to your post an...Hi Greg,<BR/><BR/>I started writing my reply to your post and it got longer and longer -- so I turned it into a full-blown post, "<A HREF="http://searchcafe.blogspot.com/2006/04/desktop-search-is-dead-long-live.html" REL="nofollow">Desktop Search Is Dead, Long Live Desktop Search.</A>"<BR/><BR/>I disagree that desktop search is the future. Instead, I think that more of our tasks will migrate towards the web and that search enabled web services are the future. They will likely support the type of implicity queries you describe.<BR/><BR/>MS and Google will skip a generation and instead focus resources on developing these web-based services. Implicit queries and more push-oriented systems will very likely start to make appearances in these systems. <BR/><BR/>Better desktop search may be an intermediate step, such as Mac OS X and "Spotlight." However, file and application metadata on desktop files are very unreliable and is a major barrier to improving desktop search. (I go into more depth in my full post). Windows Live and Google's services won't suffer from these problems. <BR/><BR/>Perhaps I am far too optimistic -- we are still a long way from that vision. However, is it worth investing significant resources in legacy platforms? Instead, it would make more sense to invest in these features for the next generation platform in order to provide compelling features and drive user adoption.jeff.daltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12887721174386884522noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6569681.post-1145939914049336622006-04-24T21:38:00.000-07:002006-04-24T21:38:00.000-07:00Great point, Scott. I too wonder about Microsoft'...Great point, Scott. I too wonder about Microsoft's ability to execute. Insightful point on the paralysis caused by having too many masters.<BR/><BR/>I was wondering if my post would give people nightmarish visions of the Paperclip. The Paperclip certainly was a disaster, one that may have set back development of intelligent user interfaces for years. Sad to see what could be a good idea ruined by such a poor implementation.Greg Lindenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09216403000599463072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6569681.post-1145937488864328402006-04-24T20:58:00.000-07:002006-04-24T20:58:00.000-07:00While these projects sound neat, I have doubts tha...While these projects sound neat, I have doubts that Microsoft will be able to execute on them. I think the main challenge they face is that they have too many masters to serve. There's corporate customers, power users (techno nerds like myself (and I assume you)), and computer novices ("normal folks") like my brother, my parents, my neighbors, etc.<BR/><BR/>I think it will be too hard to create a UI that satisfies each of these customers. My bet is that it will be of little use for anyone but the most green of computer users. Maybe I'm just cynical, but when I hear about these projects I can't help but think of the Microsoft Paperclip, asking me if I want help doing X, and then doing a little paperclip dance.Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13677230656262306715noreply@blogger.com