Google Toolbar Features

The Advantages of a Browser Toolbar

In the simplest of terms, a toolbar is any row, column, block, etc. of buttons or icons that activate a given program function when clicked. In essence, toolbars are designed to offer shortcuts to commonly used functions. The first toolbar made its appearance in 1973 on the Xerox Alto computer system, the first personal computer to use a graphic user interface.

Toolbars can be found in almost any program ranging from Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Word, to Internet Explorer and Windows desktops.

Browser Toolbars

Browser toolbars are associated with Internet Explorer, Mozilla, Netscape, Safari, etc. They exist for the purpose of providing shortcuts to programs and utilities related to surfing the Internet. Most browsers offer built-in toolbars with functions serving both the given browser, and the Internet as a whole.

There are a number of independent, Web-related companies that offer browser toolbars that are compatible with most of the major browsers. These companies include Altavista, Dogpile, MSN, Yahoo and Google.

For the best in browser toolbar functionality, it is generally recommended that Internet users employ the use of a broadband connection to better experience the convenience and speed the toolbar shortcuts are designed to provide. 

The Google Toolbar

One of the more popular browser toolbars, the Google toolbar is a creation of the widely successful search engine company, Google. Available for free download, the Google toolbar has a wide array of features including some of the following: 

• Google Search Window: Take Google’s search window with you anywhere you go on the Internet. This built-in search window makes it incredibly easy to make a quick and efficient search regarding anything you happen to be reading. Searches can be as narrow as the page you are currently viewing, or as broad as the entire Internet.
• Pop-Up Blocker: One of the Google toolbar’s best features, the pop-up blocker serves as protection against the multitude of unwanted pop-up advertisements and links that invariably slow down your Internet browsing.
• Auto Fill: The Google toolbar’s auto fill function allows you to automatically have any form filled in based on your saved personal information. This can drastically speed up the process of filling out forms and applications online.
• Updates: Google is continuously making updates and upgrades to the functions represented on the Google toolbar. Recent updates have included such things as a spell checker, a word translator and an autolink feature that instantly provides a map of a given location, a VIN number to a vehicle’s history, ISBN numbers to book history, etc.

The Google toolbar is a must-have for anyone who uses an Internet browser on a regular basis. Visit Google today and download the Google toolbar for free to experience a faster and more efficient Internet.