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Google to Release Firefox Toolbar
daria42 writes "Google is about to release a Firefox version of its toolbar, according to an e-mail sent to developers of the open source GoogleBar project. The e-mail claims to have been sent by Google engineer Fritz Schneider and is dated 1 July. "It has pretty much the same features as the latest IE toolbar except of course for things like the popup blocker," the e-mail said (Pop-up blocking is an in-built feature of Firefox)."
...but really, I'm doing just fine setting Firefox's search box to use Google.
"Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex."
There's at least one well-known extension for FireFox that's along these lines, and it's reasonably popular (AdBlock).
Doesn't that indicate that a significant number of people would appreciate Google's crack it as well?
Pop-up blocking is an in-built feature of Firefox
If only that were still true.... Sadly, the advertisers appear to be way ahead of the Mozilla devs on this one.
I didn't RTFA but I wonder if this will enable me to participate in Google Compute...
Well, there goes the theory that you need to be a genius to work at Google. They seem to hire idiots (by old-boy network) just like all other companies.
Seriously, WTF is Linux 8.0? I bet even MS employees know that there is no such thing.
Beyond the obvious search bar, Googlebar has a few other useful functions that the default Firefox one does not have, such as the ability to search within one site. Something I use a lot is the ability to quickly jump to and highlight the keywords you've just searched for by clicking them in the bar. It makes finding relevant info. on a long page much easier.
I see the google search bar
I don't think anyone goes to google for anything besides searching....
My .000002 cents
We all know that means Red Hat 8.0+. Quit complaining, not everyone knows that much about linux.
Tosspot...
Why release Linux when we already have Windows?
Why release MSN Messenger when we already have ICQ?
Why release an iRiver when we already have an iPod?
Why release a Mustang when we have a Corvette?
It is all about choice. The automotive world is not the only place where this is a good thing...
If I point out that you are incorrect, making me a foe does not make you any more correct.
I think instead of porting the IE stuff to FF, google should use the easy extensibility of FF as a way for easy experimentation and come up with some wild stuff that hasn't been seen yet. Firefox is all early adopters; I think google would have great success on all fronts testing out all their really forward thinking ideas on FF and then porting the stuff that works well to IE. As it is, they are being a little inefficient here.
(Cause providing the best search engine, the best free email, and google maps is nowhere near good enough, dammitl. Those lazy bastards aren't taking over the world quickly enough)
exceptio probat regulam in casibus non exceptis
I know some of you are going to run around with your hair on fire about the "man" using this toolbar to spy on us, etc... But really this is great news for FireFox. Firstly anyone who has used the IE Google Toolbar and tried the various FireFox extensions that mimic it know they are a good, but ulitmately a pale comparison to the original. The ease of use, and the fact that it simply works make the IE Google Toolbar a great, well, tool. I can't wait for the Firefox version. By Google releasing this it proves that FireFox is a big deal to the corporate world. Not IE big deal, but at least its a start. Plus with FireFox's ability to use extensions you have the best of both worlds, you can roll your own so to speak, or if you want a simple all in one, use the Google Firefox Toolbar. You have now one less reason to use IE and one more great one for using FireFox.
The AC is an idiot. Gentoo is for people who like thier system up to date, not just ricers. however Red Hat is aimed at buisnesses and is the most well established name in linux distros, especially for businesses.
Gentoo or not, you should be embarrased to not know this.
"Thanks for all the money you paid to us. We've used it to buy off ISO among other things" -Microsoft
All those posts on the lines of "we have this already" are missing several points.
Firstly, this is about choice. You can have the official Google toolbar or the alternatives. Google have even said they will continue to link to Googlebar so users know they have the choice
Secondly, it is more likely to be used by non-geek users, simply becuase it comes from Google.
Thirdly, it is very good publicity for Firefox - it will be mentioned in Google press releases, and on pages about the Google Toolbar.
Fourthly, it will pressure others who have IE only extensions to produce Firefox versions - as Yahoo and Clusty already have.
Obviously he meant RedHat.
Then he should have said RedHat...
http://mehtuus.googlepages.com
Whilst I agree that seems like a stupid mistake to make. Why not just put "Linux with Firefox 1.0.4" as that would surely have all the right software? But I think this shows one of the underlying problems of why it's hard to release anything to the Linux community. I use Linux (both Ubuntu and SuSE) which again have completely different version numbers ubuntu's 5.04 is much better than SuSE's v5 (if they had one!) So how are people supposed to release system requirements? Should they list each distro and it's version numbers, should they list each dependency and it's version number? Do many people actually know what version of glibc they have without looking? Or in fact which kernel? I don't. I think until people can release software that just works for Linux. i.e. you can get it from download.com or from the authors page and you just run an installer and it's all setup icons and all. Whilst I like repos the problem is is that you have to wait for people to build a package for your distro and upload it before you can install it. This can be weeks later than when the actual product was released and sometimes they contain bugfixes that we want now. For example Kopete's MSN connectivity problems. Before you say, well compile it and it'll be for your machine. I hate compiling, it's complicated and seems a awkard way of doing something. And many people are like that, especially my girlfriend who uses SuSE, she just wants to click in Yast and have the program ready.
Yahoo does not get much respect here on slashdot but I can't figure out why. They give you two gigs of free email, they have a very nice messenger. They let you create a very nice portal of your own choosing. They give you a calender and other productivity apps. They let you publish your resume on line. They let you make your own home page. They have the firefox toolbar (and ie). They have IP telephony (costs too much but it's integrated with messenger). The list goes on and on.
Google gets all the hype, yahoo gets no respect. I wonder why.
evil is as evil does
Quit complaining, not everyone knows that much about linux.
Not everyone, no, but I would have hoped one of the GOOGLE DEVELOPERS WORKING ON THE PROJECT knows at least a little about Linux.
My experience is that developers that know that little about Linux write software that expects to be run as root, writes user configuration data to stupid places like /etc/google/users instead of $HOME, and similar stupidity carried over from Windows.
But this doesn't help them at all. Will they think Ubuntu is a lot older because it's only on version 5? It's stupid.
I am trolling