Google Toolbar

For a long time I've been wondering why I don't switch to Firefox. I have both Firefox and IE installed and use Firefox probably once a day, and IE for about 20 hours a day. True, Firefox does not seem to work with all banking sites, but it is a lot quicker and it tabs (I don't see the whole security thing as a competitive differentiator), so why don't I use Firefox as my main browser?

The main reason is the excellent Google Toolbar. I have it on IE, I use it a lot more than the IE address bar (and also more than the Google.com interface) . That in itself is something: that my main interactivity with this Microsoft application is through a Google application. I don't have the Google toolbar on Firefox. In fact, Google did not produce a Firefox toolbar. There is an open source version but that "does not feel the same".

The Google toolbar has simultaneously stopped me switching full time to Firefox, and become my main browser interface. Who needs to develop a browser when your toolbar can achieve that kind of result.

Comments

[Connected]

hmmm You are the first person I've heard of who has decided to stick with IE after trying Firefox!
In terms of what the Google toolbar adds to IE (Search, popup blocker, form filler) Firefox has all this and more. Firefox has so many benefits over IE:

- tabbed browsing
- great search facilities - you can search webpages easily or add more search engines
- better download management
- better bookmarking
- better RSS handling
- loads of great 3rd party extensions

The only item that the google bar that Firefox doesn't have built in is a pagerank indicator but Firefox has an extension for this!

If you are really want the Google Toolbar experience then you can install the Googlebar into Firefox http://googlebar.mozdev.org/

Connected
http://www.connectedinternet.co.uk

[Éric Baillargeon]

Should read this and you will never use a toolbar (google or another) after that. It's take place on your screen and the keyword shortcuts are far away a better way to search.
http://inlogicalbearer.blogspot.com/2004/08/firefox-and-mozilla-custom-keywords.html