If it’s really the thought that counts, then users are likely to be grateful for an upgrade to Google Desktop for Linux.  But in terms of practicality, it appears that the search giant may have partially misdirected its efforts.

“Desktop for Linux now supports many more image formats and will show better thumbnails for them in your search results,” noted Jim Zhuang, a software engineer, on the Inside Google Desktop blog.  “You can also customize the hotkey used to launch the quick search box.  And most importantly, Desktop for Linux now searches the content of Microsoft Office documents - our most requested feature.”

“Most importantly” and “most requested” could be subjective terms, however.  Over at The Register, “Mike” reacted to the development by writing, “Okay, I know it’s possible, but how many linux users are actually going to have microsoft office documents on their machines that they need google desktop to search through?”  A person living up to the screen name “Sceptical Bastard” then issued a similar response.

It’s surprising that Google would make such an oversight - given its involvement with the Open Invention Network, one would expect the search giant to be more attentive to these details.  Yet some members of the Linux community may indeed have asked for the feature, and it shouldn’t harm anyone who didn’t.

Also, the other features included in the upgrade have yet to be criticized.  Google may not have nailed this release, but Google Desktop for Linux has, on the whole, gotten better.

Tags: Google, Linux, Microsoft