Searching in Vista Pre-RC1

So, I downloaded Vista Pre-RC1, and I have to agree that the speed and general looks are so much better than in Beta 2. My system worked perfectly after install, without me having to take any actions. Great!

But after having tried to use the windows shell and search for a couple of hours now, I just have to write down my experiences.
I really had my hopes up for Search in Vista, after all it is supposed to have been one of the major focus points. Maybe its just me, but I find the new Search functionality utterly confusing and missing critical features. To me, it seems mostly worse than XP SP2 with Desktop Search.

First, I somehow always assumed that could search for all files in my computer from the Start Menu Search. After all, that's what the Help in Vista says. But after wondering why only selected files showed up, I finally think I figured it out: it only searches the Recently used items-list in the Start Menu. So going from Desktop Search in XP to Search in Vista is like taking a step backwards: to find something, you have to open a Window. No direct search, no deskbar seach, nothing that would even remotly match the slick search dropdown in Mac OS X.

Secondly, why is it so difficult to search in "a different location". After all hype about how it would'nt matter WHERE a document was saved - you would be able to easly find it anyway, why does it still seem so hard. For instance, I open My document folder, and write a search word. No results. Then I remember, it might be in my Public Document folder, or somewhere else. Insted of providing a link to directly search all indexed locations, I have to click and press serveral times: 1. click advanced search, 2. Open the location pulldown and scroll to Indexed locations, 3.  Click Search. 

Of course, you could do the Search by clicking Start->Search, and in the Search Window get all the results. But from this window, you cannot access your Saved searches! Why is the functionality seemingly randomly scattered around?

Thirdly, how  can you edit your Saved searches?! After a Search is  saved , the details about the Search Criteria and the ability to edit it seems lost forever! It must be hidden somewhere, and it must be editable somehow, but where and how, and why is this basic piece of funtionality not easily accessible?

And finally, the representation of the Search results to me seems very messy. When I try to find something I usually get a lot of results with lot of filetypes in a long, long, monotonous list. I know I can organize it using the header columns, but I really shouldn't have to. I should get a nice, clear view by default.

So, whatever happend to the nice organization of search results á la XP Desktop Search. Or what about the nice organization in the Apple Spotlight search results. Both available direcly from the taskbar/menu bar.

I understand a lot of effort has been put into Search, and I guess the indexer itself is good. But I find the interface utterly confusing and messy, and making the most important Search tasks take too many mouse clicks to complete.