Offline Search?

[Ben Scott]

On Thu, Jun 5, 2008 at 11:51 AM, Thomas Charron <twaffle at gmail.com> wrote:
>  I think Brian underestimated the actual power of the Google Desktop
> widgets.

  I think the key requirement Brian has given is the ability for the
offline index to be portable and cross platform (as long as you define
"cross platform" as "runs on i386 MS Windows, i386 Linux, and Mac OS
X").  He wants to stick the index on a removable drive and carry it
around with him, and run it on whatever host computer is available.

  The security analyst in me is compelled to point out that this (and
all other "portable apps") would be a gigantic malware compromise
vector.  Writable media, which you carry around from PC to PC --
including your own -- and run software from.  Yikes.  Might as well
just offer to rent out your PC to botnet operators; at least you'd get
some compensation that way.

-- Ben