Google Toolbar makes it to the list of one of the few useful & trusted application(s), that net users around the world love to integrate their web-browser with. And why shouldn’t it be the case? With such a simple design and many a tools-that-you-can’t-live-without-with, this naturally makes it the preferred choice among all the web-page hoppers.
Needless to say, it’s free, and safe. It is detected neither as an Adware, nor a SpyWare from all the recommended apllications that you can hope to see around – Microsoft Anti-Spyware, Norton Anti-Virus-2006, Yahoo Anti-Spyware. An easy Un-install button also adds to the programs ecstacy. It has got an enhanced Search Box and skins to work out with. It’s Auto-Update feature also keeps out of worries of being outdated(at least, regarding the ToolBar). Easy Clearing of History also, is an expected yet important feature of this Bar.
Host of services that it offers in alpha order is –
– AutoFill
– Autolink
– Highlight Toggler
– Search(tad obvious)
– Spell Check
– Subscription to Feeds
– Link to it’s GMail service
– Page-Rank
– News
Although this program has nothing negative to it’s credit, but being not as exhaustive & stylish from it’s rival Yahoo! ToolBar deducts it’s ratings.
My Take: 8.5/10
Official Page cum Download Link
2 replies on “Google ToolBar: Review”
Google Toolbar is nothing when compared to the kind of functionality Yahoo! Toolbar provides; Yahoo!’s has got so many options, much more than Google. No point talking about adware/spyware, because I don’t expect a company like Google to do so. However, the PageRank feature in Google Toolbar has the potential to send to Google browsing data about users.
Another plus point for Yahoo! – comes with anti-spyware. It also has an auto-update feature, and gives a tabbed browser functionality in IE. Plus there’s the Yahoo! Music Engine remote control, like FoxyTunes, that’s pretty nice.
My rating of Google Toolbar – 6/10
My rating of Yahoo! Toolbar – 10/10 (I’m being unbiased here)
I had written that GooGle ToolBar loses points on acoount not being able to compete with Yahoo. But with 6/10 for Google, you’re being biased 🙂
Regards
(Siddharth Razdan)