Google Toolbar: Add search functionality from every page!

Version Tested: 4.0

Description: Most of us geeky tech people will be using Google Toolbar considering it’s multiple functions. However, this may not be the case for some new IT users, and they often ask me why they should use Google Toolbar. So, I have decided to write this review.

A browser toolbar is an extra browser (such as IE, firefox, Opera, etc.) line that contains some added functionality to that browser. Given it’s high value-added, Google Toolbar is one of those must-have free programs that I always have on my list to install on a new machine. There are a whole lot of functions in the toolbar that are extremely useful. They will be listed below.

• The “Google” button at the leftmost point of the toolbar is a link to the Google homepage.
• The search box: Allows you to search Google from any page you’re visiting. When you’re typing the search keywords, the program offers you suggestions from the most-used keyword list from Google. The box also stores your search history, and you can click “Clear history” to clean it. Clicking the small arrow next to the “Search” button will give you an option to search or images, videos, news, maps etc.
• Next is the “search only this webpage button”. This is not similar to Find as you type or AlToolbar reviewed before; it opens the Google search page, which makes this funciton pretty useless to me.
• Next to the “search only this webpage” button are the Google services buttons, such as Google documents, maps, news, etc. You can select which buttons to show.
• The Bookmarks functionality is similar to that of ALToolbar. To access your bookmarks you need to sign in, which is a great inconvenience to me. However, this also means that you can access your bookmarks anywhere with Google Toolbar installed.
• Then are the language related tools.
  • Spell check: This will allow you to spell check anything you filled in on a webpage (form, blogging, etc.). It is simlar to the spell check in Microsoft Word.
  • Automatic translation: You can translate any non-English webpage into English. Although there will be some grammar problems, you should try this one. Also, there is the word translator. You hover your mouse over a word in a webpage, and their Italian, German, Spanish and French versions will be shown.
• Go up one level on this webpage will allow you to visit the parent directory of the webpage you’re currently visiting. For example, if you are on http://freewareelite.wordpress.com/71, the button will let you access the Freeware Elite homepage.
• Right-click search: The toolbar will install a context menu entry that allows you to mail anything by GMail or search Google the word you highlighted. Similar to RCGoogle.

Verdict: To sum up, this is an excellent multi-browser add on that will fill all your needs in web surfing. Although I do not like toolbars cluttering my browsers, this is actually a must have. ALToolbar is worth considering also!

Download: http://toolbar.google.com/T4/index_pack.html