"We're finally done, and now you can get it in any of 28 languages."

Simultaneously, Google has also rolled out five new Christmas-themed Desktop gadgets for search enthusiasts who want to take a late stab at decorating their PC. Options include three different virtual Christmas trees, a carol-playing picture frame and a New Year countdown clock.

Adding extra functions to Desktop is one strategy Google is using to position its services in competition to conventional operating systems like Windows Vista and Mac OS X, both of which make extensive use of similar desktop mini-applications. One of the main enhancements to version 4.5 was the addition of a transparent sidebar, and transparency is also a major interface feature for Vista.

Such aesthetic concerns aside, the search software has sometimes proved controversial, especially since an option exists to copy data directly from individual PCs to Google's servers to allow searching when away from the machine.
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