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Google Desktop 2 Delivers

Google Inc. has recently announced Google Desktop 2 (beta version), a combined desktop search and intelligent sidebar which is made to order: it records the user`s interests and habits and provides them with all of the information relevant to what they`re looking for in one easy-to-find location. It`s currently available as a free download application which will change the way users retrieve information both on the web and on their own personal computers.

`Google Desktop is a new, easier way to get information even without searching,` said Marissa Mayer, director of product management for consumer products at Google. `You can think of it as a personal web assistant that learns about your habits and interests to identify and present web pages, news stories, and photos that it thinks you will be interested in.`

Google Desktop 2 is available in English, with additional language support to follow shortly. Currently available for Windows XP and Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 and above, Desktop 2 requires 500MB of disk space, a minimum of 256MB of RAM, and a 400MHz (or faster) Pentium processor is recommended.

Sidebar - provides convenient desktop access to a variety of personalized information including email, news, weather, photos, stocks, RSS, and Atom news feeds. Sidebar appears as a small vertical window on the side of a user`s screen that includes a series of `live` content panels. It is automatically personalized based on the user`s interests as expressed by the websites they visit, requiring little to no manual configuration. Additional features include a scratch pad to type and save notes and a quick view of recently or frequently visited websites.

In addition to the Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that enable developers to create plug-ins for desktop search, Google Desktop 2 now offers APIs that enable creation of new and innovative applications for Sidebar. For example, a plug-in that adds a `to-do` list to the Sidebar is already available. Plug-ins developed with these APIs will be made available for download. Google Desktop 2 includes many more interesting and innovative new applications and features.