• by Wendy Davis , December 13, 2004

Microsoft debuted a test-version of a new desktop search product Monday that scans hard drives for information in saved e-mails, pictures, Web pages, PDF files, and word processing documents, among other files.

"We have built and delivered what I think people expect of us, which is the best way to search your PC," said Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president for MSN Information Services, in a conference call with reporters. Microsoft expects to work out enough kinks to distribute a polished version by early next year, said Mehdi.

With its new desktop search feature, Microsoft joins the rapidly growing ranks of companies developing products to seek and find information on hard drives. In October, search giant Google released its beta version of desktop search. Internet portal Yahoo! announced last week that it intended to unveil a desktop search product by January. And Ask Jeeves intends, on Wednesday, to offer a desktop search product, based on technology from the company's June acquisition of search software developer Tukaroo.

MSN, like Google, does not currently attach ads to the hard drive search results, said Christopher Payne, a vice president at MSN. "Desktop results do not include advertising, and at no time is your information sent back to our Web servers," he said.

But, for now, ads don't seem to be the point of the new generation of free desktop search products. Instead, the purpose appears to be convincing consumers to use the tools, in hopes that they will also turn to the same company's Web search engine.

"The goal is to try to create an integrated experience, so users will stay within the environment," said JupiterResearch analyst Michael Gartenberg. "They're hoping that getting users to use their desktop search products will get them to try areas where they make money--paid search."