OK, I am a tad embarrassed to admit I re-downloaded the Google Toolbar… Now, why should that embarrass me? Well, I kinda feel like I ‘fell for’ some sort of ‘toolbar spyware’ akin to downloading the AOL or Verizon browser.
Well, anyway, I downloaded it when it first came out months ago. My main complaint was that it was mighty ugly and it took up too much of my screen space. Well, now I have a widescreen laptop (which makes widgets and sidebars more practical) so I thought I’d download it again just for kicks.
And, you know what…?
I like it.
I’ve been using it a few days now and the worst thing I can say about it is that because I use Outlook email, it’s keeping my Outlook open all the time, and that’s a large system resource drain (not to mention when I installed the update to ClearContext it disabled it because Outlook was open through the Google sidebar when I installed it–easily fixed thanks to their personal customer service and helpful FAQs, but I digress…). However, though I have now publicly complained about it, I’m over it 😉
The sidebar more than makes up for it’s resource drain by offering me a nice little news update, web clips (updates on the sites you visit w/o your having to configure it), a scratch pad, a to do list w/check boxes (I <3 checkboxes), weather, photos, etc. and a neat 'what's hot' section where we get to see... wait for it... What's Hot in the world of Google Video. I jest, but the what's hot section, currently, has a Spore Video (I also <3 gaming), a google video parody of brokeback mountain and a Simpson's parody. Now, because I am a big online video user, this is particularly hot to me (hence the title, I guess). I can configure this so that it pulls maps and stocks, and, get this, my system resources! Me thinks someone is trying to compete with Yahoo!'s Konfabulator... And, of course, last but most important in my opinion, is the way they've prettied-up the Google Sidebar. No longer is it the ugly, flat grey on white beta version. Now it's silver and white with nice shading and a few, muted, colored icons. They've taken a page from other web 2.0 companies ::cough:: Konfabulator ::cough:: and made it look raised and snazzy. Overall, I give the NEW Google Sidebar an 8, whereas I gave the last one a 3 (mostly due to looks).