Beefing Up Your Browser
Oct 06 '00
My Top Five Browser Accessories
There are a large number of accessories for web browsers that allow the user to customize the appearance, content, and functioning of the browser interface. Specifically, some of these are truly accessories for the browser itself, while others are more correctly defined as browser add-ons, programs that provide enhancements or extensions to the browser’s operation. Certain of these programs work only within a given browser’s interface, while others work in concert with the Internet connection, making it possible for them to be used with different browsers.
As a word of caution and explanation, I must indicate at the outset that Internet Explorer is my browser of choice. I use IE 5 with 128-bit security and a number of other Microsoft extensions. I also use Netscape 4.75 and Preview Release 6, but I use them only to test web pages. My day-to-day surfing is exclusively conducted in IE. Therefore, the information in this review will be of most use to other IE users in the Windows 98 environment, though much of what I say will apply to other browsers and other operating systems.
After downloading and testing numerous browser enhancements and accessories (and having reviewed a number of these for Epinions), I keep coming back to the following five accessories:
1. GuruNet
2. CallWave’s Internet Answering Machine
3. AdsOff!
4. Ad-Aware
5. Microsoft’s IE Web Accessories
Below, I give a brief explanation of the value I derive from each of these Internet add-ons.
GuruNet (www.gurunet.com)
Quite simply, GuruNet is my favorite Internet accessory. With GuruNet running, and an active Internet connection, the correct spelling of a word, the definitions of words and phrases, and the answers to questions on a variety of topics are always only a click away. Rather than hijack one’s browser or provide a series of links that one must track down, GuruNet actually provides answers in its own small window. GuruNet is liking having a dictionary, thesaurus, and set of encyclopedias immediately available without having to leave one’s computer. To check the spelling and definition of any word, the user simply points to the word and then holds down the ALT key while clicking the left mouse button. As long as one is connected to the Internet, GuruNet works within ANY open application, including Microsoft Word, e-mail, or an Epinions text box! No one really has any excuse not to use correct spelling or definitions, thanks to GuruNet. Price: Free.
CallWave’s Internet Answering Machine (www.callwave.com)
Currently, DSL and cable modem access are both unavailable where I live, and I must rely on a dial-up connection, which of course ties up my phone line. Since I work out of my home when I am in town (usually one or two days per week), I need a way to know if someone is calling me. CallWave provides an Internet Answering Machine that will ring audibly when an incoming call is detected, will notify the caller that the user is connected to the Internet (and using IAM), will take a voice message, and will then immediately download and play that message. IAM works with call-forwarding to help the user avoid the need for acquiring a second phone line. Though the call-forwarding is a paid service from one’s phone company, IAM itself is a free download supported by a small ad banner. My only disappointment with IAM is the limitation of voice messages to 30 seconds. Price: Free.
AdsOff! (www.adsoff.com)
AdsOff! intercepts and removes banner ads and pop-up windows. It can also be configured to refuse cookies and to stop animations. In addition to eliminating unwanted content, AsOff! speeds page loading and protects the user’s privacy against profiling by all known ad server programs. AdsOff! is free to try and costs only $19.95 to register (which price includes a year of free upgrades). Though there are other ad-blocking programs, some of which like Web Washer are free, I still prefer AsOff! The reason is that Web Washer actually works as a proxy server, which disrupts firewall programs and can interfere with other services such as CallWave. AsOff!, on the other hand, works with one’s current Internet connection rather than a proxy server. Price: $19.95.
Ad-Aware (www.lavasoft.de)
Slightly misnamed, Ad-Aware is really a spyware detection and removal utility. This free program will detect the presence of ad-server bots, DLLs, and registry keys. The user’s boot drive, hard drive directories, computer memory, and system registry are scanned, and Ad-Aware returns a list of all suspicious files. The user can then optionally remove all or selected files. A log of all activity can be kept. Currently Ad-Aware detects a larger number of known spyware programs than does OptOut, its closest rival. OptOut has the advantage of being able to check one’s registry for newly-installed spyware on system start-up, while Ad-Aware must be run manually. But my nod goes to Ad-Aware for its more extensive capabilities. Price: Free.
Microsoft’s IE 5 Web Accessories (www.microsoft.com/Windows/IE/WebAccess/default.asp)
Microsoft provides a genuinely useful set of eight IE utilities that extend the browser’s functionality. The most helpful of these are the ability (via a right-click within any web page) to:
• open any frame inside a new top-level window, thus escaping the dreaded frame-trapping that occurs on some sites,
• see in a summary window a listing of all the links in a given web page with all the other content stripped out,
• view a list of all the images in the web page, along with their sizes and approximate download times.
The Microsoft web accessories also allow the user to zoom in or out of any image, to toggle image viewing on or off, to highlight text, and to improve web searching. Price: Free.
The Next Five
There are many other useful utilities, plug-ins, and browser accessories that did not make my top five list, so in closing, I would like to give honorable mention to the following:
6. ZoneLabs’ Zone Alarm personal firewall program.
7. ReGet download manager (unfortunately, ReGet installs spyware, but unlike Go!Zilla, still works with it removed).
8. IntelliSeek’s BullsEye 2 search manager.
9. Tweak DUN (a dial-up connection optimization program).
10. Microsoft’s Web Folders accessory. This accessory (standard with newer versions of Windows) allows users to treat web sites as folders, dragging and dropping files from one’s computer to the web folder and from the web folder to one’s hard drive.
I hope the information in this review will help others to beef up their browsers to improve both the enjoyment and the outcomes of their web browsing experiences.
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
lap0530
|
 - Top 1000 |
|
Location: Anderson, SC
Reviews written: 122
Trusted by: 332 members
About Me:
Psychology and management professor and business consultant
|
|
|
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.