All six of their search add-ons are free downloads: Ask Jeeves Desktop Search (sp.ask.com/docs/desktop/), Blinkx v2.0 (www.blinkx.com), Copernic Desktop Search 1.2 (www.copernic.com; a version of this should be offered by America Online soon), Google Desktop (desktop.google.com), MSN Toolbar Suite Beta (desktop.msn.com) and Yahoo Desktop Search (desktop.yahoo.com). All requireWindows 2000 or XP (save Copernic, which allows Win 98 or newer), and all but Google Desktop and Copernic are in test form – though none crashed in a week of use. (…)

Speed and accuracy : The background software these search-helpers employ to index your machine don't all work as fast, accurately or unobtrusively. Google was the quickest and, as a result, the most accurate, routinely finding Web pages viewed only minutes before. MSN trailed behind, with the others further back.

MSN made the smallest dent on my laptop's performance, followed by Google, then Ask. I was much less happy with the memory devoured by the others, especially Yahoo's bloated blimp of a program.