What's a good Google Deskbar replacement for Windows 7?
May 15, 2009 1:33 PM Subscribe
I need a Search Deskbar for Windows 7. Something similar to Google Deskbar or Dave's Quick Search Deskbar.
I've come to rely on the old Google Deskbar. It's a simple textbox that sits in my taskbar. I type in a word or phrase and hit enter. It launches a browser and searches Google for my word. Or, I type something into it and click ctrl-D and it launches a browser and searches dictionary.com. Or ctrl-e for ebay, ctrl-whatever for whatever I want. It allows for custom searches.
I can create a new one for anything I want by just specifying a name, a keyboard combo, and a querystring, such as CTRL-W and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/{1} for Wikipedia. Type something into the box and hit CTRL-W and I'm on the results page at Wikipedia.
I rarely ever just launch a browser anymore.
Problem is, Google stopped working on it when they came out with Google Desktop. I never wanted a big desktop search utility. Just a browser launcher basically. The Google Deskbar worked for me up through Vista with a small bit of massaging. However I was forced to switch to Dave's Quick Search Deskbar at work, since my work machine is 64 bit and Google Deskbar doesn't play nice. Dave's is ok. I don't like it as much. It's a little buggy and a LOT overkill, but I'm making do.
Well, I'm on to Windows7 at home now, and Google Deskbar is dead. It doesn't work anymore. And Dave's is no good either.
Google's new toolbar doesn't allow for custom searches.
So, what do I do? Any other options? I don't want a browser toolbar. I want something in my taskbar.
I've come to rely on the old Google Deskbar. It's a simple textbox that sits in my taskbar. I type in a word or phrase and hit enter. It launches a browser and searches Google for my word. Or, I type something into it and click ctrl-D and it launches a browser and searches dictionary.com. Or ctrl-e for ebay, ctrl-whatever for whatever I want. It allows for custom searches.
I can create a new one for anything I want by just specifying a name, a keyboard combo, and a querystring, such as CTRL-W and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/{1} for Wikipedia. Type something into the box and hit CTRL-W and I'm on the results page at Wikipedia.
I rarely ever just launch a browser anymore.
Problem is, Google stopped working on it when they came out with Google Desktop. I never wanted a big desktop search utility. Just a browser launcher basically. The Google Deskbar worked for me up through Vista with a small bit of massaging. However I was forced to switch to Dave's Quick Search Deskbar at work, since my work machine is 64 bit and Google Deskbar doesn't play nice. Dave's is ok. I don't like it as much. It's a little buggy and a LOT overkill, but I'm making do.
Well, I'm on to Windows7 at home now, and Google Deskbar is dead. It doesn't work anymore. And Dave's is no good either.
Google's new toolbar doesn't allow for custom searches.
So, what do I do? Any other options? I don't want a browser toolbar. I want something in my taskbar.
I recommend Launchy. I'm using it with WinXP but it seems to do just fine with Windows 7.
posted by camcgee at 4:10 PM on May 15, 2009
posted by camcgee at 4:10 PM on May 15, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by mullacc at 1:48 PM on May 15, 2009