This was going to be next topic of discussion and criticism. Somebody points out how it takes 2.3 GB of space to index 216 thousand documents. For a start, I think it is worth the information it is handling out or giving out. It makes it very easy to search the information. If you are not happy, than try out other tools like Lookoutsoft or Blinkx or X1 and then compare out. On one of my boxes Lookoutsoft indexes 271,295 documents and email and it consumes 395.5 MB of space.
The problem with Google Desktop Search taking this much space is when users are using it in a networked domain based environment. I don't think Google Desktop Search tool gives the facility (atleast for now) to configure where we want to save the index file and thus it is saved in the default profile. Just think what if user profiles are loaded and unloaded every time a user is logged on and logged off the system!! Personally if the file is going to be this big in GB's than I prefer it to be saved on another folder or location other than the System partition and not in user profile folder. All in all, we want more control over the Google tool.
I would suggest Google to make their desktop tool available so that users can install and use this tool on Windows 2003 Server. I need this funtionality very badly. Till than I will keep on using Lookoutsoft.
Tejas Patel