I've used Everything for as long as I can remember, and it has completely spoiled me on search/launcher functionality. Perfect UI, perfect results ordering (no cute prediction about what you might want), and, of course, truly instant results and a truly live index - it will find files created one millisecond ago.
I also use Launchy specifically for launching programs. Same instant results, though not live-indexed.
Which makes me question every single time I use the Windows default search box: How? How is one of the most fundamental features of the biggest software platform in history, made by one of the biggest companies in history, after decades, still not even close to as good as multiple basic indie replacements?
To me, when I think about how hopelessly bad popular software is (or becomes), this is the representative little example that comes to mind.
> Which makes me question every single time I use the Windows default search box: How? How is one of the most fundamental features of the biggest software platform in history, made by one of the biggest companies in history, after decades, still not even close to as good as multiple basic indie replacements?
The worse thing is that it used to work much better in the Windows 7 era. I don't know what happened there and how they justified this launch of massive quality degradation.
I think it had to do with their decision to design Windows as "app first," meaning around the assumption that everyone will be using it on a tablet or a phone.
I don't know why that specifically means search and even folders (a folder with nothing but text files will load so slowly it has a loading bar) are broken but it can't be a coincidence.
> "How is one of the most fundamental features of the biggest software platform in history, made by one of the biggest companies in history, after decades, still not even close to as good as multiple basic indie replacements?"
Odd choice of example, and I really have to disagree on sherlocking.
First, why the example is odd / poor imo
Adobe trying to maintain as close to a monopoly as it can on a file format in order to have more control and (at least hoping to) generate more revenue through that control... threatening legal action to maintain their control? It's not a strong argument to say it's people being mad about microsoft's own monopolism, rather it just speaks to how corporations acting with hostility via formal legalistic channels harms attempts to use an at the time proprietary file format. It's actually in fact a counter argument to what you wrote.
As for my stronger feeling against your sherlocking point, I'd note that generally people aren't mad about sherlocking because someone else does something good and it should only ever be done once ever by one person or group in history.
Rather, such anger is usually stemming from when it's perceived as a deliberate undercutting or lazy copying. When some person or group was far more innovative or did far more difficult initial design work, only to now have been so undercut without recompense by uncaring predators lying in wait.
A great example being video game modding. People are rarely mad if one game is simply implementing its own version of a feature popular in mods or another game.
Far more often are they angry because a modder's unique and beloved system just got lifted 1:1, or clearly was irrelevant and had no reason to be added to the base game even if it's popular, and yet they're not even cited as an inspiration or hired/paid/etc. by the company that obviously felt it greatly improves the value of the game.
I read somewhere that windows search takes into account the security and other restrictions on the folders. That's why it's slow. Everything on the other hand will give you everything without caring if you have access to the file or not. Which makes sense because it's using file tables directly to give you results.
Everything + RipGrep is how i search files and file contents on windows.
This would only make sense if it isn't actually indexing the permissions, it just checks the file at the time it finds it. That would be DUMB if they did it that way. They can index that one extra field and it would still be fast.
I suspect there's more going on. Why is the search index consuming multiple GBs? And why does that seem to grow unconstrained? I can only imagine what ancient code may live in that feature.
"Everything" is great so long as you don't have too much data to index, but I've seen "Everything" also consuming multiple GB of RAM with all my drives being indexed. It can also cause some performance issues depending on what I'm doing with the system, so I only run "Everything" if and when I need it.
I have more or less the same setup and frustrations. I just have a list of things in my head (certain settings panels, calculator app) that I know neither Everything nor Launchy can find, and those are the one time that week I click the start button. Pretty sad. But really I'm happy with the other tools.
Will try "everything", the first thing i do after a fresh windos install is disable indexing. It just hammers away on the drives endlessly??? That is not what i buy disks for. I have enough [old] hdds for them to expire regularly. I expect less from newer larger drives.
I also use Launchy specifically for launching programs. Same instant results, though not live-indexed.
Which makes me question every single time I use the Windows default search box: How? How is one of the most fundamental features of the biggest software platform in history, made by one of the biggest companies in history, after decades, still not even close to as good as multiple basic indie replacements?
To me, when I think about how hopelessly bad popular software is (or becomes), this is the representative little example that comes to mind.