The Oxford Knowledge Company

This month I have been mostly testing…browser toolbar add-ons.

Not long ago, it seemed as though every 'hot' Internet technology business was packing a groovy little gizmo add-on for your browser. What are these things? Well, in case you don't already think that the browser offers enough functionality, toolbar add-ons allow you to use the functions of a Web site without leaving your browser.

I have tried several of these in the past and have removed most of them - some within days of using them because they were just too annoying, some after months, suddenly realizing that I didn't even know what the add-on was for any more!

On the other hand, these little add-ons can make Web searching so much more convenient. Are they worth the hassle? In the end, it's best to try such things out for yourself - chances are you'll find a gem if you look hard enough…

In this month's articles I've picked out a choice collection of toolbar add-ons that can enhance your Web searching experience. Some download faster than others, and I've found some to be more compelling than others, but they all have something interesting to offer.

At the high-maintenance end you could try Copernic 2000 (http://www.copernic.com) - a free metasearch utility which can be configured to integrate with Internet Explorer, launching a search dialog in the Explorer bar. Used in this way, Copernic 2000 offers a good way to search a large number of Websearch engines from the browser. An even better metasearch tool is BullsEye 2, which can also be configured to display search options and launch the program from the browser.

Alexa (http://www.alexa.com) is a technology created specifically to act as a browser toolbar. Appearing at the base of your browser window, or else as a floating toolbar, Alexa provides rapid access to contact information for Web sites. This information, plus basic statistics about the popularity and size of a site is taken from the Network Solutions registry of site names. It also displays related links and information from reference sources such as the Encyclopaedia Britannica. You may find, however, that the majority of sites you look at don't have any useful coverage by Alexa.

If you like to navigate a Web site from the site map, then Afreet Site Viewer (http://www.netvampire.com/siteview) may find a home on your browser. A snappy little download at 800Kb, Afreet Site Viewer allows you to explore a Web site from a Windows Explorer-like directory structure that appears in the left hand side of your browser.

Many of the major search engines offer a browser add-on - for example, Yahoo, Excite, Lycos and Google. All are quick and easy to install and provide access to the main services of the portals, so in the case of Yahoo, and Excite this means access to search and stock quotes, weather reports etc, whilst with Lycos and Google the emphasis is on search. The Lycos add-on works with IE4 or 5 and allows you to highlight any words on a web page, then right click and search Lycos with these terms. Google's toolbar is more extensive and provides a small search box into which you type your search terms, which are sent to Google at the touch of a button. Moreover, the toolbar also gives rapid access to Google's "search within the site" for the Web site you are viewing, and allows you to view a previous of "cached" copy of any dead pages and locate similar pages. For Google fans this toolbar is a must!

Finally, one last add-on worthy of mention is iHarvest (http://www.iharvest.com), a utility that lets you store Web pages pages, including with all text and graphics, on iHarvest's for later retrieval retrieve the pages later and search for any text they contain. The iHarvest toolbar lets you save a page or just the selected text on the page. Saved pages can be viewed or even searched pages by clicking on another button. You can store addresses instead of full pages and unlimited stored pages can be arranged in folders, using a menu to manage saved files.

And there are many more…don't try too many at once - in my experience you can have too much of this particular good thing - it is just too difficult to get used to too many new utilities at once!