Mac Users Sound Off: New “Search” Is Good, Needed.

Remarkable, isn’t it? One simple word touched off a Mac firestorm among readers. Tera says “search” is a new battleground for Apple, Microsoft, and others-- but not important. Not so say Mac readers.

I resepct Tera’s opinions. Over the long haul, she’s right much more than she’s wrong. Many Mac readers took issue with her conclusion regarding upcoming “search” capabilities in Mac OS X Tiger and Microsoft’s de-horned Longhorn (the next generation of Windows). Based on feedback and comments you’d have thought she said Macs suck. They don’t.

What started the flood of email, feedback, and comments was Tera’s article on “search.” Apple is highlighting new and improved file search capability in the next version of Mac OS X-- Tiger. Microsoft is pushing similar features in Longhorn (due sometime in the next few years).

Even search Goliath Google is getting into the act (Windows only) with a new file indexing program designed to make finding information on your computer (not on Google’s computers) much easier.

Tera says it’ll be a nice feature to have, but it won’t matter because most people won’t use it. She used a lot more words to say that than me, but, then I’m blonde (more efficient with words), and she’s not (some kind of funky silver which must reflect her age).

So, the real test as to whether she’s on to something or Apple’s search feature in Tiger, Spotlight, is an organizational savior remains to be seen.

Frankly, I welcome anything that helps me find stuff on my Mac. I keep music in music, pictures in pictures, movies in movies, and everything else in documents. That’s where the mess is. That’s where I need the help.

What about readers? Oh, boy. If opinions mean much, you got some ‘splainin’ to do, Tera. Fully 75-percent of comments and feedback said Tera’s all wet (which explains the bad hair day when those photos were taken) and new search tools will rock.

For example, reader “mcmarks” had this thoughtful view:

See how thoughtful and pleasant that response was. No, we didn’t get any, “Tera, you ignorant slut.” Reader “koskinen” put another spin on search. Tera says it won’t matter because it won’t help Mac users organize any better, just help out. Read this:

It seems people are NOT looking for a tool to help them organize files. The Finder and folders pretty much do that now, I think. They’re really looking for something to help them find files regardless of where they may be. Mac reader “alectanner” nailed it on the head:

I’ve been totally stoked before, too, but I got some pills for it.

Tera had a few readers “get it” regarding her premise, but most simply looked forward to the next latest and greatest thing; like Tartuffe in the early days (only to be disappointed years later, of course). Reader “craignelson” summed it all up this way:

That sounds like someone has actually used Spotlight in the developer release of Tiger, so he’s speaking from experience. Still, I will agree with Tera; not everyone will change habits. But I look forward to something that makes my bad habits easier on me.

What do you think? Should we run a poll on Search? What’s the point? Search (Spotlight) won’t be available until Tiger is released “sometime in the first half of 2005), and Windows users may not see their version for years after that.

In the meantime, I’m putting music in Music, pictures in Pictures, movies in Movies, and everything else in Documents.

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