Today Google releases a beta of Google Desktop 2, a thoroughly revamped version of the computer-searching program. This iteration further erases the difference between local content and network content, a dividing line already smeared by the original Google Desktop Search.

The most significant interface change is in the appearance of a vertical sidebar that slams onto the side of the desktop, top to bottom, and presents various information nuggets from news, weather, photos, email, and stocks, to … [gasp!] ... RSS feeds. They are not called RSS feeds, but Web Clips (further justifying Microsoft's too-controversial testing of "Web feeds" as an alternate name for RSS). The sidebar contains bookmarks and a scratch pad. Tell me if I'm wrong, and pinch me if I'm asleep, but this thing is starting to look a little like … a browser. It can be minimized manually, but it actually remains open on the desktop even after clicking Show the Desktop in the taskbar. Let it be known from this moment: Google is serious. It wants to take your desktop away from Microsoft.

Google seems to have quietly shortened the name of the desktop product. When I was completing the manuscript to my latest Google book (just out by the way), the extremely helpful Tom Stocky at Google repeatedly requested that I refer to Google Desktop with its full name, Google Desktop Search. For the sake of fluent text I sometimes declined, and now Google seems to have realized that Google Desktop is a friendlier name.

Google Desktop 2 is currently indexing my machine. Fortunately, this machine was completely wiped with a fresh Windows install about two weeks ago, and I haven't reloaded all the files to the main internal drive. I'll post a better review when the indexing is complete.