Windows Vista Search 
Microsoft’s much touted vista search leaves a lot to be desired. The front end is pretty nice, I like the search field in the start menu and the advance search options are not that bad the fatal flaw is the indexing options dialog. It’s a pain to work with and doesn’t have alot of options. These are the features that it should have come with:
- The ability to index filenames only and to do it immediatly not when the machine is idle.
- Indexing all filenames on the hard drive, dozens of file types are left unchecked and it’s time consuming to try and include them.
- Seperating Filename search from Content search. I would say 90% of all searches are just users looking for where they put a file.
- The ability to schedule a index rebuild.
- Speed: Avafind can index 200 gigs in a few minutes while Vista indexing takes days.
- Better include and exclude: I’d like to include file types by groups like documents and pictures and also be able to exclude them as well.
- The one thing I would love but will never happen in a million years is the ability to install a better indexer from another company and still use the front end search fields. I’m sure another company could build a faster more feature rich indexer but Microsoft would never allow them to implement it. This is the true fatal flaw of Windows and Microsoft, using their monopoly power to stop others from actually improving Windows features.
Google Blog Search vs Technorati
When searching Google Blog Search I’m amazed how much more accurate the searches are
compared to technorati. I add my tags to technorati but it still doesn’t index my posts. Meanwhile Google
Blog Search already has many of my posts. I feel like I’m wasting my time with technorati.
Vista file association dialog boxes
They are poorly designed and they removed some features that were rather useful under Windows XP.
The problem with this dialog is that it only list Microsoft apps and nothing from other makers. It would be nice if you
could make changes to other software as well.
This dialog doesn’t look to bad at first but there is no way to edit the extension at all like in Windows XP and to
make matters worse it’s slow, make a single change and it will sputter for 30 seconds and then finally complete it’s task.
Perhaps the dumbest and probably least used, it makes no real sense.
You have three types, Microsoft Windows, Non-Microsoft and Custom. Sadly it’s not really useful and as
you can see below it doesn’t even work properly. I would like to set the browser to firefox but it does not show
up on the list.
It’s not all bad though, the autoplay dialog is pretty and effective but often apps are missing from it as well and there is no
way to manually to add them.
Is there a better way…….YES.
What do I really need to run Windows Vista ?
Slow Machine:
1. Single Core CPU
2. 1GB of Ram
3. Intergrated Video
Runs OK if you disable most of the hard drive thrashing features.
Mid Grade Machine:
1. Dual Core CPU
2. 2GB of Ram
3. An actual video Card $50+
What most people get when they buy a computer today (except many come with intergrated video card).
Fast Machine:
1. Quad Core CPU
2. 8GB of Ram
3. Video Card $150+
4. Vista 64 bit Edition
Most don’t need quad core and 8 gigs of Ram but it really makes Vista 64 run like WinXP with 2GB. 
Expose for Vista
This app is like Expose but for Vista. To make it work in Expose like mode, right click the tray icon and choose settings, then advance change DockViewDockStyle to left.
