Google Desktop for the Mac (beta) was designed to provide users the same fast and comprehensive search functionality they've grown accustomed to on the web to search the full text of all information on their hard drive, including e-mail, files, music, and photos. Google Desktop also makes it easy for users to search their Gmail, web history and the web simultaneously. It can even find prior versions of files or recover those that have been accidentally deleted. And because the user's index resides on their computer, they can access their Gmail and web history when they're offline.

By hitting the command key twice, users get a Quick Search Box that offers a single starting point for searching both the web and their desktop. As users begin to type, the Quick Search Box instantly begins displaying results, making it easy to quickly launch applications and find files. Each Desktop search result includes the file name and a brief snippet with the search term highlighted so users know they're opening the file they want.

This launch also includes the Google Updater for the Mac, which installs Google Desktop and helps keep Google software up to date so users don't need to worry about missing out on new features. The Updater also makes it easy for users to explore and install other Google products that are available on the Mac.

Google Desktop for the Mac (beta) is available in English, runs on both PowerPC and Intel machines with Mac OS X 10.4+ and is compatible with Safari, Firefox, and Camino browsers. It can be downloaded for free at http://desktop.google.com.