Source : PC World AustraliaGoogles already done it to some degree with their deskbar tool, and the recent free image search Picasa. Now Yahoo is hoping to also leapfrog Microsoft by releasing a tool that allows users to quickly and easily search for information on their PCs desktop as well as in their personal files stored at Yahoo’s online services.

Among the key benefits of such tools is that users should be able to search through files on their desktops much faster and more thoroughly than they can with the search feature currently in Windows. “The search available in most operating systems is impoverished,” said Matthew Berk, an independent analyst.

“The interest in desktop search is not surprising. Operators of Web search want to get on the desktop because it gives them more opportunity to display ads,” he said. “The more you get consumers to search through your technology or service, the greater your opportunity to drive revenue.”