Google Desktop's Sidebar, the First Step Towards a Google OS?

With the new version of Google Desktop Search, dubbed now Google Desktop, Google is offering a new way of interacting with the PC.

For some time now, Google has been trying to determine its users to spend more time using the company's products, not only the searching function, and now that we have Google Desktop, the company may consider that the objective has been achieved.

Google offers a perfect integration with the services used by 90% of the users while surfing the Internet. The sidebar offers quick access to e-mails, photos, searches and the documents accessed through what Google calls plug-ins, which are similar to the widgets.

Aside from the functions of the new version, users are also able to download plug-ins created by independent programmers, the Sidebar becoming in this way a veritable command center for the PC. All that's missing is a plug-in which offers access to the programs' shortcuts and you can forget about Windows XP's Start Menu.

Each of this plug-ins (E-mail, News, Web clips, Scratch Pad, Photos, Quick View, Weather, Stocks) can be configured, moved, closed, each user having the possibility to have his very own personalized Sidebar.

The speculations on Google's plans of making an OS that uses the Internet are no longer a surprise and much ink has been spilled on this topic. Install Sidebar, try to imagine how it would look like if had more functions and a better integration with other installed applications and you might have the perfect image of a Google OS.