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Google Toolbar for Firefox Released

Posted by Zonk on from the new-toys dept.

fizz writes "Google has released their toolbar, available in 10 languages for the Firefox browser, and available for 3 operating systems (Windows, Mac and Linux). You can download it from the Google Toolbar homepage, and you can read the Google Blog for more information." Reported on recently here on Slashdot.

7 of 277 comments (clear)

  1. Slashdot promotes spyware by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Nice one guys.

  2. "Toolbars" make me uncomfortable... by GillBates0 · · Score: 4, Insightful
    /tinfoil hat on Maybe it's just due to the abundance of spyware that disguises themselves as browser toolbars (I cringe everytime I see a MySearch toolbar running on an acquaintances IE), but it's more due to the fact that integrating my open-source browser with a proprietary piece of software is apt to open up all kinds of privacy issues like making me more vulnerable to a single entity (in this case Google) tracking all my online activity, searches, form information, etc.

    I know Google tracks and logs every search query by IP address, but it's these persistent session pieces like the GMail cookies, "Personalized results" etc, that I find scarier. And what's more, a large number of people tend to use their full names as Email IDs (moreso for an attractive email service like GMail, which can be used as a formal email account for most purposes), which gives Google a way to directly map People Names to Google Searches.

    /tinfoil hat off

    --
    An Indian-American Hindu committed to non-violent thought/speech/action alarmed by the global explosion of radical Islam
  3. Not enough features.. by mislam · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I do not see enough features in the toolbar to let it occupy 25% (ok maybe less) of my browsers tool space.

    1. Re:Not enough features.. by SavvyPlayer · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Nice to see this in Firefox, but I must confess some disappointment with the latest release. There is plenty of room to the right of the menu bar for all of the Google Toolbar features, however Google chose instead to gobble up a 4th row of buttons along the top of the window. Google chose the shortest path from point A (IE toolbar) to point B (straight port), not taking the time to properly implement Firefox's UI guidelines: its buttons are neither dockable or aware of the "show icons, text or icons + text" user preference.

      This isn't rocket science. When hiring offshore IT talent, does Google translate its requirements via http://www.google.com/language_tools?hl=en ?

  4. Re:That's great and all by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Gee. I want ALL my software vendors to inject spyware into my browser as a component!

    --
    "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
    Never been known to fail..."
  5. What's the benefit? by lhbtubajon · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Why would I install this toolbar when I have instant search access to google built in to Firefox already?

    Obviously the google toolbar offers a few bells and whistles, but I'll never use them. I just want to search.

    So, the Google toolbar for IE makes sense, this one not so much.

    Am I missing something?

    Are those bells and whistles something worth sacrificing half an inch of screen real estate?

  6. Re:Its cool by XchristX · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Hey isn't this better?
    That way I can search multiple engines (incl google) w/out having an annoying extension slowing the browser down

    --
    l'Homme n'est Rien l'Oeuvre Tout: Gustave Flaubert to George Sand