Windows Vista Search is Already Here in VistaGlance
Released on = October 1, 2006, 6:41 am
Press Release Author = QwertyStudios
Industry = Software
Press Release Summary = Instantly find necessary files on hard disk and CD/DVD/Flash in one click
Press Release Body = For immediate release
September, 2006
Contact: Konstantin Artemev Company: Qwerty Studios E-mail: konstantin@vistaglance.com
Windows Vista Search is Already Here in VistaGlance
Qwerty Studios has released VistaGlance, a free program for instant name-based and tag-based file search and access. VistaGlance adds into today's Windows the search features which were announced to be added into Windows Vista at the end of this year and are already known as Spotlight in MacOS X Tiger. Now Windows users will gain instant access to files and programs by their names, attributes, and keywords without ever having to think about their location.
At the first start VistaGlance quickly indexes your hard drive(s). After your drives are indexed, you are ready to start searching for files. The search itself can be performed with Deskbar (a VistaGlance panel with a search input box in the taskbar), Explorer\'s toolbar (a VistaGlance panel with a search input box in Explorer\'s toolbar) or Floating Bar (it can be opened with a hot key). Just input your query and press Enter. You will receive the results immediately. With Deskbar you search in all indexed folders and drives while with Explorer\'s toolbar you search only in currently opened folder and its subfolders. After the search is completed the Results window appears. From this window you can run found programs, open documents, and perform a lot of other operations as well.
Suppose, you want to open some document. Of course, you know its name or at least a part of its name, or something about its category or keywords. You simply type this little piece of information you know about this file or program (it is seldom more than several letters - and it takes less than a second to enter it) into a small field in your taskbar or into Explorer's toolbar and press Enter. You may even not have a slightest idea where this file is located. It is up to your computer to figure it out. Less than in a second you get exactly what you were looking for. Even if there are thousands of files with similar names, you will always find exactly what you need.
The core parts of VistaGlance are the powerful file indexing engine and the heuristic module based on fuzzy logic. Unlike other similar solutions, VistaGlance indexes average-capacity hard disk in several minutes. It needs to index your hard disk only once. After that, VistaGlance monitors and reflects all changes in your file system instantly. File indexing engine also works with removable media like USB-drives, CDs and DVDs, etc. The search itself commonly takes less then one second even on a large hard disk. The main task of heuristic module is to select the most appropriate files and take them at the top of the Results List. VistaGlance calculates the overall relevance of each result depending on the string relevance, date and time of last access, usage frequency of this very file and files of this type, and many secondary parameters. Consequently, you will find the needed file within first ten results in the most of queries.
Here are the main VistaGlance features:
. Quickly find the files you need as soon as you can think of their names or attributes . Use Deskbar, Explorer's toolbar or Floating Bar query fields for fast access . Receive any file you queried less than in a second after you hit Enter . Quickly show and hide VistaGlance Deskbar with a single click on the system tray icon . Search for all file types or pictures, videos, music and office documents only or use custom filters . Obtain file details, cut, copy, delete, drag&drop found files . Add your own keywords to files using handy Explorer context menu extension
Here is what Alex Udodov, the leader of Qwerty Studios beta-testing group, says about the program: "It is so natural to access files and programs by their names and keywords without even thinking about their location. Present-day operating systems make people ask "Where?" rather than "What?" when we want to open or run a particular file. However, file system or Start menu is not like your street or home town - there are much fewer reference points. One folder is very similar to other folders; one submenu is like many other submenus. There are no differing details that human's eye can catch and memory can keep. It is not surprising that even people who have been working with a computer for many years can\'t remember, where they\'ve placed the file they\'ve just downloaded or where they saved a very important document yesterday or where some program is installed. Standard search techniques can do nothing with it. They are annoyingly slow and just perform a silly search while we need a clever tool to instantly access files we need. VistaGlance is the kind of tool we need."
VistaGlance is available for Windows 98/NT/Me/2000/XP/2003 free of charge. VistaGlance Pro with additional features is also available for $29.95. You can download the fully functional version of the program at http://www.vistaglance.com/download.php?dfile