Why is Spotlight faster than Windows 7 Search?

I'm just curious about why Spotlight on a MacBook is so fast to get results compared to Windows 7 Search?

Are there any fundamental differences between them?

Timeless

Posted 2012-07-16T16:29:01.360

Reputation: 219

Windows 7 pre- or post-indexed? – Bon Gart – 2012-07-16T16:34:01.403

@BonGart i think pre, so mac indexed without notify user ? – Timeless – 2012-07-16T16:35:09.857

why notify? I mean... what reason would there have to be to require a notification that the contents of the drive were being indexed? That, and it's a different file system. – Bon Gart – 2012-07-16T16:39:56.873

1@BonGart windows 7 always ask me if I want to index it. – Timeless – 2012-07-16T16:42:14.453

I think it's just Windows being nice and letting you put Indexing off until you're not really using the computer (initial indexing uses a lot of CPU in general) – qweet – 2012-07-16T16:43:43.457

I get that Windows asks... but honestly, just because Windows asks something, doesn't mean that the procedure should be standard according to that. Think UAC... should every OS use the Vista annoying UAC? They even toned it down for Windows 7. – Bon Gart – 2012-07-16T16:46:11.657

2Your question, as it stands, is a little unspecific. Not every MacBook searches faster than every Windows PC. Do you have any concrete specs where we can base comparisons on? Or do you generally have the impression that Spotlight is always faster than Windows Search? – slhck – 2012-07-16T17:17:25.333

Answers

I haven't got a Mac, so it's hard to be unbiased. What I do have is a video showing how to search between the two.

It's only speculation, but I think the speed differences between the two really come down to what they index out of the box, and the 'user experience' (what they display initially).

Out of the box, the Windows Indexing Service will only search in the user's documents. Spotlight on the other hand, will search in the user's documents and applications folder. This seems to explain why there's a speed difference between the two services in the above video when searching for applications, but slightly less when searching for the file they created.

As for user experience; when you type something initially in Windows, it seems to filter out everything irrelevant and attempts to focus its results into as few things as possible. The immediate perception is that Windows is slow because it doesn't display results immediately, instead favouring accuracy.

When Spotlight does it, it throws everything at you and filters it down as you continue searching. The instant bombardment of information, regardless if it's useful or not, gives the perception that Spotlight is faster, because it gives you results immediately.

qweet

Posted 2012-07-16T16:29:01.360

Reputation: 3 652

-1

a good portion of macs use SSD so they can access there info faster, now if you installed a SSD on your 7 pc it should be able to run just as fast

Willl

Posted 2012-07-16T16:29:01.360

Reputation: 39

2Really... all Macs use an SSD? Every one? – Bon Gart – 2012-07-16T16:38:57.263

indeed, i'm using ssd hard drive. – Timeless – 2012-07-16T16:39:45.173

@BonGart sure, not all mac using ssd. I'm not sure about the speed on normal hard drive. – Timeless – 2012-07-16T16:41:00.930

1@Null just bringing it up because the situation is the same even on the older Macbooks and such that had actual hard drives as opposed to SSD, and Windows 7 on an SSD will still be a bit pokey in the search menu Search. – Bon Gart – 2012-07-16T16:46:53.280

This answer is plain incorrect. Not all Macs use SSDs. Please correct your statement, and it would be nice to back up your claims that Windows 7 search is as fast as Spotlight, if possible. – slhck – 2012-07-16T17:06:30.460