An unofficial blog that watches Google's attempts to move your operating system online since 2005. Not affiliated with Google.

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January 30, 2006

Google Toolbar vs Yahoo Toolbar


Features Google Toolbar Yahoo Toolbar

Bookmarks

Can't import/export bookmarks

Can't tag bookmarks.

Pop-up blocker

Works well (misses some pop-ups)

Blocks pop-ups even when it shouldn't.

Languages

Translate into English, word translation in many languages, spell checking

Simple translate button that links to a page on Yahoo.

Search

Custom search sources. PageRank. One click access to cache version, links to current page.

Search only Yahoo services, the list tends to be too big.

Send this page.

Email page, Blog page, SMS page.

Email page, IM page.

Mail

Search mail, go to Gmail.

One-click access to Yahoo Mail, compose mails, check mails. Includes some promotional options for Yahoo Mail Plus.

Other services

Google doesn't promote too many services, it doesn't let you see your groups in a list, or your Google Talk contacts.

Yahoo adopts a simple strategy: take every service we got and create a button for it plus a list of important links for it. For example, News button includes the latest news.

Overall

Google Toolbar adoped account-integration from Yahoo, but it didn't extended too much. Google Toolbar remains a search toolbar, although the new features show that Yahoo Toolbar exhaustive aproach may become Google's approach soon.

Yahoo Toolbar default layout is too cluttered. You can make it simple and elegant if you choose Search Toolbar profile (developers wanted to create a Google-mode for their toolbar).