Spectate Swamp VS the Desktop Search World; GDS, YDS, MDS ,? ,? ,?

In front of a live audience. (Or Net Video?)

Desktop Search and Net Search are from opposite ends of the
search spectrum. They won't do well on the desktop.

Show me the data.
-----------------

It has often been said that with search, nothing is found until
someone views the results. That point has become very clear
while checking out the Desktop Search competition. They list
the files that the results are in and sometimes display the
first hit. Where it is actually ledgable. Most times the first
file matches are just little yellow blobs on something that is
supposed to resemble a page of text.

They brag about finding so many matches in fractions of seconds.
To actually see all the results in context, is painfully slow with
these guys. Spectate Swamp can "Show you the data" in context
much much quicker. Just hit Enter Enter Enter as you fly through
the results (in context & full screen). Hands down winner SSDS.

I merged a few of my big files and tested out what was the maximum file
size for two of the others.
Google would not index a 44MB text file.
Yahoo would not index a 81MB text file.
Spectate Swamp has no known text file size limit.
The full MDS won't run on my machine? I'll test the lesser version.

I'm sure that after a little more poking around I'll find other
major deficiencies, when going head to head with SSDS.

Next a comparison of video search capabilities.

Show me the Videos.
-------------------

 

Do you need to physically change the video file to add metadata?
(This would require video editing software $$) Not with SSDS

Video cataloging; can they video in a 100 page natural health
book then catalogue it? SSDS can easily.

To catalogue a video, the playback must show the time in seconds.
SSDS does

It needs to do a rewind or reverse playback. SSDS does the first
and will add reverse playback shortly.

Desktop search for video should have slow motion playback SSDS does.

Can the Search run while other searches are on the PC.
SSDS can.

Can the search run on a computer, that is not connected to the net?
SSDS can.

Can the Search run from a DVD. SSDS can.

Do they force their internet search on you and confuse the results with
net garbage? Desktop search is for personal stuff. Not everybodys stuff.
Never with SSDS.


Other special options:
SSDS has random video selection
SSDS has random start point in video clips.
SSDS can play short segments. Ie thumbnails.
SSDS has freeze frame.
SSDS has multi-screen capabilities. Multiple SSDS's can run simultaneously.
SSDS can run in continuous display mode. Screen saver...

The others must have little to no video capabilities. Otherwise there
would be people yapping about it; Saying I do this with my videos using
MDS or YDS or GDS...
About all I could find when searching "??? Desktop Search" "video"
was people saying I like X better than y. No explanation whatsoever
as to how they use the tool. That's what really counts.

This leads into the next desktop search showdown catagory.

How I use my desktop search on a daily basis.
---------------------------------------------

I've used this one for nearly 7 years, so SSDS has
a major advantage here.
Where are the Guru types for MDS, GDS, YDS and other searches??
they'll need 'em.

Spectate Swamp declared WINNER of the Desktop Search for videos segment.

The whole concept of metadata is stupid.
With all these formats. It's trouble enough getting the data out.
What's insane, is to bury textual information in video files.
Removing it from view and from the average user.

 

Back from scouring the net, reading Desktop Search reviews and views.
Spent some more time testing the various searches. What I'm finding is:
Pretend Desktop Search. Just NET search with a little less data.
Their preview windows that are too tiny to be useful. With this search
you'll see all the matches up on the screen and fast. Note-pad / Scratch-pad
capabilities are a must. Most searches have this option. I stash notes all the time.

When reviewers quote search speed, they are way way off base.
Saying they have found 2,350,000+ results in .023 sec
Nothing is found until it is up on the screen and easily
viewable. That is where, this program blows their doors off.

Desktop search is about finding your data Fast.
With this program I can be in and out of my notes, in a handfull of seconds.

Net Search needed indexing so they can quickly find data among
billions of pages. For a single computer, this is Over-Kill. A good reader
can read 3 Gig in a year, going 24 X 365. Personal search textual info
will rarely get larger than that. I seldom search data that I havn't read
or notes that aren't mine. Why would I? Is indexing really necessary?
That nasty indexing step, limits search in a number of ways.

For those techies that talk about indexing hundreds of thousands of files.
Few if any of those files are ever printed or re-sent. Just merge them and
store the originals somewhere else. Why have a messy directory.

Find all your data, not just some of it. Large text files can't be indexed,
by the pretenders. They range from 2M to 80M maximum file size limit.

Not much fun in these so called serious searches. No Random to be seen.
No large font scrolling text, no slow-motion video.
Just MetaData that is beyond most casual users capabilities. But not now.
This search allows people to create their own MetaData.

Articles go on and on about security. Where does this rank with the user
that has his-or-her data backed up. Last, or next to last. OMG somebody
is going to read my old email and look at the family photo album.

Indexed desktop search, seem to hog computer resources.
When my computer is on, I'm usually using it. I've read a number
of complaints about the background indexing. In most cases, the
indexing function can be turned off and updated anytime.

They want you to keep all your data eggs in their basket. With desktop search.
The KISS principle (Keep It Simple Stupid) strongly applies. The less formats
the better. Don't be encouraged by the 200+ types of data formats they claim
to search. I use mpg, txt, mp3, jpg, bmp and very few others. For those who
feel their data prowess is determined by the number of different formats.
Good luck. You'll need it, to keep your data in the long run.

In looking for desktop search, there are almost no examples, of how or why
anybody would use Search. I guess I'm one of the few that do.

-Used as a context spell checker. See how the words are used in context of
my own selection. My text file has weird, strange, psychic, unexpected,
mystics text info. See results in interesting context.
-I save a jpg (screen capture) of every website that I bookmark, then take a copy
of the text on the home page at the same time.
-I do daily notes, todo list updates and info lookups.
-Cut and paste interesting notes and search material from the net.
-Move my inbox and sent mail to my *.txt files.
-I check these files often when making new contacts.
-Auto-catalogue and play my recent video. Then randomly play video from
what's currently on the C: disk. Or a screen saver playing the 5000+ family
album pictures.
-Burn a copy of the exe on DVD backups set to autorun, showing the videos.
I regularly burn 2 or 3 DVD's backups to free up space on my hard drive.
-When I come across detailed steps or interesting features, I'll do a
screen capture and save that as a jpg. Maybe even using paint to draw
a red circle around the object of interest.
-On a previous job I had 2000+ screen captures (in 10 months) of totals,
exceptions and complex procedure steps.
-Routinely add a "search for: THIS STRING" to my notes file. For any search
string that provided results.

If you don't have lots of interesting pictures, text, video or music
then you probably don't need desktop search. Yet....

Conclusion:

They are Net Search masquerading as Desktop Search Engines.
There is only one desktop search - Spectate Swamp.
So it's impossible to have a desktop search showdown. They have nothing to show.
They don't do desktop search, they don't know desktop search.

I'll do more Desktop Search video demos and hound any "Desktop Search" threads I find.

Grab a copy and check it out:
http://www.topshareware.com/Spectate-Swamp-Search-download-42932.htm

 

A lesson in Personal - Desktop Search

For the most part people don't need desktop search.
They have all lived without it until now.
But for those that have lots of daily details and computer
related functions, maybe Desktop Search can make your busy
life, easier. Those that have Digital Cameras or Camcorders
can make quick use of this search as a screen saver.

I've been using search since the mid 80's. From source code search
to examining database text extracts. I know what's needed from
search. I've kept all kinds of typewritten notes. From the items
on my grocery list and their cost, to things far more noteworthy.

A key feature of this search, is it's notepad capabilities.

to see the most recent notes in my notes.txt file:
Start the program
Prompt #1 (the default is notes.txt) hit enter
Prompt #2 (the default is 'Y' for last page) hit enter.
the last page of notes appear.

To add notes to the notes.txt file:
Start the program
Prompt #1 (the default is notes.txt) hit enter
Prompt #2 (the default is 'y') enter 'e' the enter notes option
you are prompted for line after line of input. enter enter enter
to exit.

Very fast and very easy to make notes and view them.

Since this app, I have been keeping a lot of screen captures to Jpg.
As well as all kinds of Video from my Mini DVD Camcorder (3 years+).

If you have enough data, to want a search. You had better have a good
backup plan for that data. This app makes the txt, jpg, mpg, and mp3
secure and very transportable. I worry about those other data formats, 2nd.

If you want to share your stuff like I do, it had better be portable.
From PC to PC. and from software package to software package. Your data
shouldn't lock you into any one program. If you can't take it with you.
You can't take it with you. Doing it this way, You can.

Desktop search is primarily about finding your data in context.
I search for "Joe Smith" I might be looking for his phone number
birthdate or somebody, I met with him. For the most part I am not
interested in the file that it came from.

This is the desktop search your need to comfortably accumulate and
retrieve all the memories and moments of a lifetime in Text, Pictures
Music and Video (txt, jpg, mp3 & mpg). Easily shared and in some of
the more portable data formats. This data is yours. (permanently)
And without a whole lot of geekery involved.

For me this is Personal - Desktop Search. The other search engines are
database driven net monstrosities, pretending to be Desktop Search.