Yesterday, Rightmove launched a desktop property search application, Rightmove Desktop. It runs on Adobe's smart Air platform and it's fun. Watch a demo and - if you like - download for Mac or PC here. But what's the point? asks The Modern Estate Agent, you can pretty much squeeze all of its functionality out of a visit to the homepage. I think its ability to interrupt your workday with regular updates, should new properties, meeting your description, become available is interesting. But I wonder if its main function - from Rightmove's point of view - is to encourage house-hunters to take their search out of the browser, where they might be just as likely to punch in the addresses of some very compelling rivals, and into a controlled Rightmove-only environment.

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