Apple (AAPL) computer users in more of the world can now use Google’s (GOOG) Desktop software in their own language,
Google announced today
. Google Desktop for the Mac added nine languages: Chinese Simplified and Traditional, Dutch, UK English, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish.
Google now lists 10 language options for Google Desktop for Mac, which suggests it was previously available only in U.S. English.
Desktop for Windows is already available in 29 languages, and Desktop for Linux is available in 11 languages.
Google’s Desktop software allows Mac users to search their computers and their online accounts by pressing the apple key twice and typing in a search term. The software indexes files both on the user’s computer, and in their Gmail and GChat accounts.
The move, while small in itself, is another example of Google’s support for the Mac platform. The Internet giant was among the first with an application on Apple’s iPhone, and Apple recently tied some functions in its latest release of its iLife suite to Google products. Google CEO Eric Schmidt sits on Apple’s board, and Apple CEO Steve Jobs has said the two companies share a passion for elegant product design.
Google and Apple also share a testy relationship with Microsoft (MSFT). Google has sparred with the software company over how its Desktop software is allowed to function in the latest version of Windows, and Apple has taken shots at the shortcomings of Microsoft’s Windows Vista operating system.