In the world of search technologies, theres usually a world of difference between desktop search tools and powerful search engines.
DtSearchs dtSearch 6.0 bridges that gap with a suite of products that provide advanced desktop search tools and powerful Web-based engines for searching across lots of data.
I found dtSearch Developer 6.0—which includes the Desktop component, the Web module and CD Wizard, as well as development tools—to be a powerful tool for searching across various data sources. Using the application, I created indexes of content from across a network, from shared file directories and from Web sites and indexed a wide variety of documents and files.
Once the data had been indexed, dtSearch was able to provide results quickly and in useful result formats, including instant feedback on the frequency of my search term (see screen).
The Web component provides advanced search options not commonly found in competing products. However, I was disappointed that the dtSearch Web component required Microsoft IIS to run.
The CD Wizard feature makes it possible to create a searchable front end to CD content. It was easy to use, but the embedded Web server is proprietary and requires an additional purchase. It would have been better to use the excellent Apache embedded Web server.
Prices for dtSearch range from $199 for the Desktop to $999 for single-server versions of the Web component. For more information, go to www.dtsearch.com.