X1

The one piece of software which has changed my use of the computer more than any other in the past 5 years is a little desktop search utility called X1.

I've seen reviews in computer magazines that give it middling marks for ignorant reasons. One reviewer recently rated several competing search utilities more highly because they have Outlook toolbars-- completely missing the point that unlike the utilities he preferred, X1 not only indexes Outlook, but EVERYTHING ELSE AS WELL in the computer it's installed on.

Having used every desktop search engine available, I tell you without reservation that X1 excels where others limp along. I have over a gigabyte of backed-up Outlook PST files. They're all automatically indexed by X1. All my PDF files, all my text files, all my old sermons... Probably 15 further GB of text are all immediately searchable and accessible through X1.

Not only does X1 index your entire hard drive, it has viewers for every conceivable file type. You search for a word, "propitiation," say, and X1 not only finds and lists every occurrence of that word on your hard drive, when you click on a file in the list you view the word in context in a separate panel displaying the fully-formatted document regardless of the file type (making it great for searches of your SAGES Software PDF files or downloaded CCEL text files).

I'm testing the latest beta of X1 and I'm happy to report that it will now satisfy reviewers who want an Outlook toolbar. No longer must you go to a desktop toolbar to start your search. Even better, the new beta has an option which puts a toolbar similar to the Google browser toolbar on the Taskbar at the bottom of the Windows desktop. Thus, no matter what you're doing, you can immediately execute a search of your entire computer.

Because X1 indexes your entire computer, searches are immediate. Every document containing the consecutive letters you type immediately flashes on the screen, as you add letters to the word documents are winnowed out. If you add a second word, X1 immediately narrows the list to all documents containing both words.

This revolutionizes my use of the computer. I don't spend time looking for things any more. Am I looking for a quote from Kierkegaard concerning arson? I simply put "Kierkegaard" and "arson" in the search box and watch as every document on my computer containing both words instantly appears.

Caveats: there are a few.

First, the indices X1 establishes are big. They take up potentially large amounts of space, 2.38 GB on my home desktop (but remember, I'm indexing just about everything, even my MP3 files, on a computer with over 300 GB of disk space).

Second, X1 uses a fair amount of processor firepower. It's relatively unobtrusive, but constantly running such intense indexing keeps it busy. X1 drops back its demands on the processor when it detects you working, but otherwise it's usually busy indexing when you have your computer running.

Third, unfortunately, X1 doesn't work with all other index files. So, for instance, I can't run a Logos Bible Software search through X1. I'd love to dispense with Logos/Libronix's ungainly, slow, painful searches, but no such luck. Why can't Christian companies do things as well as secular companies? Why can't Logos/Libronix put a little applet in my taskbar allowing me to do Bible searches from the desktop? For over $500 in software cost, you'd think there might be some such little dividend... Another thing, when Adobe lets you make PDF indices for free when you buy the Professional version of Acrobat, why does Libronix insist on charging you beaucoup bucks for a lously little indexer program which produces crippled books you can't share with others unless you spring for hundreds more in software costs?

Libronix should separate its indexing software from its electronic publishing divisions. It's the kind of conflict of interest the FTC should look into, fortunately there are open source Bible software programs out there which will, I hope, one day make Libronix face reality....

But, I digress. Buy X1 and if you use your computer a lot, if you live off your computer, you'll never look back.