Yahoo and Adobe ally on search

Under the deal, Adobe is adding a toolbar to its Acrobat software that will link to various Yahoo online resources including its search engine, its pop-up blocker and its anti-spyware software. The toolbar will also link to a Web-based service called Create Adobe PDF Online, which aims to help consumers and small businesses to create PDF files.

In the long term, Adobe also plans to add extra functionality to this toolbar, including a tool that will convert Web pages from HTML into the PDF format. Adobe says this feature will allow HTML content to be "taken offline for viewing, sharing and archiving."

Adobe is also planning to add Yahoo Search as the default Internet search feature for a forthcoming updated version of Adobe Reader, its freely available application for reading PDF files.

The two companies claimed on Monday that their partnership will widen the reach of Yahoo search while giving Adobe Reader added functionality. But the pair may be missing a trick if they only focus on Web searching, as the PC is becoming the new search battleground.

Google last week launched its own desktop search tool. This appears to have prompted Microsoft to respond with details of its own plans. A Microsoft representative said on Friday that the software giant's desktop search tool and an algorithmic Web searching engine will both be in beta testing by the end of this year.

Yahoo is making its own moves into the desktop search market. Last week it bought Stata Labs, a company that specialises in email search tools. It is believed that Yahoo will discontinue the company's products but will use its technology.