1. A method of processing a search request received from a user operating a hand-held text input device, the search request directed at identifying a desired item from a set of items, each of the items having one or more associated terms, the method comprising: providing the set of items, the items having assigned popularity values to indicate a relative measure of a likelihood that the item is desired by the user; for each item, associating a set of terms to describe the item and assigning a relevance value for each term based on a relevance of the term in identifying the item, the terms associated with the items being organized into searchable subspace categories, each subspace category having a relevance bias value; receiving text on the hand-held text input device entered by the user, the text having one or more text characters of one or more prefixes for terms the user is using to identify a desired item; in response to receiving a text character, performing a first incremental find to compare the one or more user-entered prefixes with the terms associated with the items and to retrieve the relevance values for the one or more user-entered prefixes matching terms associated with the items; determining a first ranking order of items found in the first incremental find based at least in part on the retrieved relevance values and the assigned popularity values of the items found in the first incremental find; ordering and presenting one or more items to the user found in the first incremental find based on the first ranking order; in response to receiving at least one subsequent text character, performing a second incremental find to compare the one or more user-entered prefixes, including the at least one subsequent text character and any preceding text characters, with the terms associated with the items and to retrieve the relevance values for said one or more user-entered prefixes matching terms associated with the items; determining a count of the number of characters of text received from the user; adjusting the relevance value assigned to at least one of the terms associated with one or more of the items retrieved in response to the one or more user-entered prefixes, wherein the adjusting of the relevance value is based on the count of the number of text characters received from the user; determining a second ranking order of the items found in the second incremental find based at least in part on the adjusted relevance values and the assigned popularity values of the items found in the second incremental find; and ordering and presenting one or more items to the user based on the second ranking order so that the relative order of the items found in both the first and second incremental finds is adjusted as characters are entered; wherein at least one of determining the first ranking order and determining the second ranking order is further based on the relevance bias values of the subspace categories.
1. A method of processing a search request received from a user operating a hand-held text input device, the search request directed at identifying a desired item from a set of items, each of the items having one or more associated terms, the method comprising: providing the set of items, the items having assigned popularity values to indicate a relative measure of a likelihood that the item is desired by the user; for each item, associating a set of terms to describe the item and assigning a relevance value for each term based on a relevance of the term in identifying the item, the terms associated with the items being organized into searchable subspace categories, each subspace category having a relevance bias value; receiving text on the hand-held text input device entered by the user, the text having one or more text characters of one or more prefixes for terms the user is using to identify a desired item; in response to receiving a text character, performing a first incremental find to compare the one or more user-entered prefixes with the terms associated with the items and to retrieve the relevance values for the one or more user-entered prefixes matching terms associated with the items; determining a first ranking order of items found in the first incremental find based at least in part on the retrieved relevance values and the assigned popularity values of the items found in the first incremental find; ordering and presenting one or more items to the user found in the first incremental find based on the first ranking order; in response to receiving at least one subsequent text character, performing a second incremental find to compare the one or more user-entered prefixes, including the at least one subsequent text character and any preceding text characters, with the terms associated with the items and to retrieve the relevance values for said one or more user-entered prefixes matching terms associated with the items; determining a count of the number of characters of text received from the user; adjusting the relevance value assigned to at least one of the terms associated with one or more of the items retrieved in response to the one or more user-entered prefixes, wherein the adjusting of the relevance value is based on the count of the number of text characters received from the user; determining a second ranking order of the items found in the second incremental find based at least in part on the adjusted relevance values and the assigned popularity values of the items found in the second incremental find; and ordering and presenting one or more items to the user based on the second ranking order so that the relative order of the items found in both the first and second incremental finds is adjusted as characters are entered; wherein at least one of determining the first ranking order and determining the second ranking order is further based on the relevance bias values of the subspace categories. 15. The method of claim 1 , wherein a computer remote from the user performs at least one of the steps of receiving text entered by the user, performing the first incremental find, determining the first ranking order, performing the second incremental find, determining the count of the number of characters of text received, adjusting the relevance values of the terms associated with the items, and determining the second ranking order.