Google was among the first of the major search providers to introduce a taskbar application that bypasses the browser. The Google Deskbar, launched in a test version in December, lets people look for information such as dictionary definitions, stock quotes and movie reviews from a search box on their desktops.
The deskbar follows Google's earlier development of a browser plug-in for Internet Explorer, placing a search bar in the browser menu.
Follow the leader
Search experts said both tools quickly inspired me-too efforts from Yahoo and others.
"Everyone seems to be in complete copycat mode now," said Danny Sullivan, editor of Search Engine Watch, which tracks industry happenings.
As companies like Google and Yahoo eye the desktop for new growth, they are playing into the hands of a formidable rival: Microsoft.
Microsoft has already outlined designs to put search onto the desktop, aggregating a point of research for its operating system and various applications, including Word, email and MSN Internet.
Those moves pose a considerable challenge for competitors that must vie for attention on Microsoft's home turf of Windows.
Microsoft monopolises the desktop with its Windows operating system and family of Office utilities, including Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel. Its search plans go beyond what industry rivals can do, because it ultimately will let people search the OS, applications and the Web. With its upcoming Longhorn software, it plans to let people conduct Google-like searches on their hard drives or categorise query results in different ways intended to make the data easier to digest.
To this end, it has signed partnerships with information-resource company Factiva to help its customers retrieve data from multiple sources on Microsoft Office.
In addition, Microsoft dominates the Web-browser market with Internet Explorer. With this influence, the company can point people to its search technology by default -- and has long done so -- unless users opt for another provider.
