Power Browsing
Beef up your browser with these plug-ins, add-ons, and tips for getting the most out of the Web.Yael Li-Ron
Yael Li-Ron is a freelance writer and editor. Dennis O'Reilly is senior associate editor for PC World.
If you go online using a Web browser alone, you're only minimally equipped for the Internet. It's like going on vacation with just a ticket and an empty suitcase. A Web browser by itself--be it Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Netscape, or another--can take you only so far. It can't help you do extensive research, for example, or play video clips on its own.
To make the most of your online adventure, you need to stock up on an assortment of plug-ins, add-ons, and stand-alone tools. We've put together a list of our favorites, from the well known to the obscure. We've also gleaned some power tips from professional researchers--all browser aces (see " Browse Like a Pro"). Don't leave your home page without them!
The Must-Haves
There are a handful of browser add-ons that you must have if you want to enjoy all the sound and fury the Web has to offer, and to handle certain types of Web content. Once loaded, most of them sit quietly in the background until they're called on to produce a richer Web experience. The majority of tools in this category are free, though a few are low-priced shareware. All are available from PCWorld.com's Downloads.
Audio and video players are the most prominent add-ons. When you install your Web browser, you're given the option to install Microsoft's Windows Media Player, Macromedia's Flash, and other market-leading players along with it. Check the vendors' sites every now and then for upgrades and patches. We recommend that you keep both Windows Media Player and Real Networks' RealPlayer installed. Though some Web sites let you choose between these popular players--and you might prefer one to the other--most sites don't give you a choice.
Shockwave 8 and Flash 5: Macromedia's Shockwave player is the granddaddy of all plug-ins, offering access to interactive, animated content on thousands of sites. It's used to display everything from product demos to jigsaw puzzles and other games, and it works with Netscape 4, IE 4, and AOL 4--and all of their later versions. The latest iteration, Shockwave 8, includes Macromedia's popular Flash 5 animation player. Install Flash on your system, but use it judiciously. Most Flash-enabled sites also permit you to view their content as plain HTML
The 'text version' of Olympus America's Web site (see upper left) loads faster because it omits the Flash animations.
, which cuts down on the gee-whiz excitement but speeds up your browsing.
Macromedia; 225KB; works with IE or Netscape
Acrobat Reader: This ubiquitous file reader from Adobe includes a free plug-in for IE and Netscape that lets you view and print documents in Adobe's Portable Document Format within either browser. Adobe's PDF is used by the IRS and other government agencies to put their forms online, and by major business and general-reference sites.
Tip: When you've read the Acrobat document in your browser, don't close it unless you want to close the browser, too. To close the document but keep the browser open, right-click the Acrobat button on your taskbar and select Close, or push the browser's Back button to return to the previous page and close Acrobat.
Adobe; 5.5MB; works with IE or Netscape or alone
Audio and Video Players
If you like to listen to music in.mp3 or other file formats, or view video clips on your computer screen while you work (or play), you can stream the sights and sounds over the Internet. But how do you decide which player to use? The primary difference between players is their user interface: Most now support MP3, CD, MPEG, Real (.ra), AVI, and other audio and video standards. Download and use the players listed here; then let your own eyes and ears help you pick the one you like best.
RealPlayer 8: Besides playing several audio file formats--including.ra,.wav, and.mp3--as well as audio CDs, RealPlayer streams video from one of the many "channels" listed on the left side
Along the left side of Real Networks' RealPlayer is a list of channels from which you can stream various media.
of the player. In the bundled Real JukeBox, you can create a playlist of your favorite tunes and even set the synchronized visuals to one of the custom selections. The video quality leaves much to be desired, however. Either the audio doesn't catch up with the video, or the image is jerky and blurry.
Tip: Even when RealPlayer isn't entertaining you by playing media files, it still takes up valuable system resources. You can disable it by right-clicking the cartoon-bubble blue icon in your System tray and selecting Close StartCenter.
RealNetworks; 4.4MB; works with IE or Netscape or alone
Windows Media Player 7: Microsoft's free media player is similar to RealPlayer: They both support a wide range of file formats, and neither requires you to launch your browser to play media files. The plug-in supports.mp3 and other audio-file formats, as well as Windows Media Player's two proprietary audio formats,.asf and.wma. And if you'd like to use a more spirited or idiosyncratic interface than the rather bland default, you can choose a new "skin" to jazz up the look.
Microsoft; 9.1MB; works with IE or Netscape or alone
QuickTime: Apple's free audio and video player often appears as an option for playing certain video clips found on Web pages. The program has been around for years, but RealPlayer and Windows Media Player have become more popular among non-Mac users. QuickTime's main attraction is its ability to play 360-degree QuickTime VR (virtual reality) clips, which are interactive videos that you can pan and move around in at will. These videos are often used on sales sites to show the interior of a home or car.
Apple; 8.3MB; works with IE or Netscape or alone
MusicMatch Jukebox: In addition to listening to audio playlists in.wma and other popular formats, with Jukebox you can encode your own.mp3 files and create CDs. The registered version ($20) lets you print CD covers with track listings and original art.
MusicMatch; 8.4MB; works with IE or Netscape or alone
WinAmp: Nullsoft's no-frills audio player supports many popular file formats (but not Real's.ra) and lets you create playlists. WinAmp also seems to crash less frequently than other players.
Tip: If you would like to double WinAmp's playback area, press Ctrl-D.
Nullsoft; 1MB; works with IE or Netscape or alone
Handy Addenda for IE 5
Internet Explorer 5 supports add-ons called Web Accessories that attach themselves to the browser's toolbars or to the context-sensitive right-click menus inside the browser. The accessories provide quick access to content and add many functions. You'll find an incomplete list of Web Accessories at Microsoft's site. Here are our favorites:
Google Toolbar: You don't need to type www.google.com to go to a superb search engine. Get quicker access by adding Google's search field to IE's toolbar. (For more on the Google Toolbar, see " Browse Like a Pro.")
Google; 1MB; works with IE 5
Alexa: The classic version 4 lists links related to the Web site you're currently visiting--as well as the site's address, phone number, and other contact information--in a horizontal or vertical bar. It's ideal for users who do comparative research (the "What's Related" database has also been built into Netscape's browsers since version 4.x and into IE 5 and later versions as "Related Links"). The new version 5 of Alexa, on the other hand, is available only as a vertical pane appearing to the left of the browser window; Alexa acts as a shopping assistant, providing information from Amazon.com and MySimon.com.
Alexa; 150KB; works with IE 5
FlySwat: This tool was designed as a research aid, but FlySwat helps make all browsing more interactive, instructional, and free-associative. Some on-screen words and phrases
become hyperlinks to sites such as NBCi, where you'll find more information on the topic that's highlighted.
Tip: Check Open destination in new window in the program's Settings to avoid wandering too far from your starting point.
FlySwat; 400KB; works with IE 5 or alone
Web Accessories for IE 5: Formerly known as IE PowerToys, this free collection of tools from Microsoft includes a feature that permits you to zoom in or out; a detailed image list within each Web page (which you can view or print); and a valuable Image Toggler that can help you speed up your Web browsing by selectively disabling graphics (including ads!) on the various pages you visit.
Tip: The Image Toggler is on IE's Links toolbar; to see it, right-click the main toolbar and select Links. If images don't vanish when you select the Image Toggler, press F5 to refresh the display.
Microsoft; 120KB; works with IE 5
Web Developer Accessories: Most of the tools in this set from Microsoft are for hard-core Web developers. However, if you're a casual HTML coder who's curious about how a page is constructed, you'll find the View Partial Source tool a most utilitarian utility.
Tip: Whenever you want to view the underlying HTML code, simply select a portion of the screen, right-click
Microsoft's Web Developer Accessories provides the option to view the source HTML for only a portion of the page.
, and then choose View Partial Source.
Microsoft; 113KB; works with IE 5
SurfSaver: AskSam's free (but ad-supported) research tool works with IE and Netscape. It allows you to
AskSam's SurfSaver lets you save Web pages to a local folder. SurfSaver also gives you the ability to search saved pages by category.
save Web pages into folders and search for keywords that you specify or for words within the saved pages. The $30 SurfSaver Pro eliminates the advertisements and lets you share search results among several users on a network.
AskSam; 5.5MB; works with IE 5 or Netscape
Netscape 6 Gets Tabular
Netscape 6 lets you choose from hundreds of "tabs" that you can add to the My Sidebar part of the browser's left pane. The tabs are primarily links to news, sports, entertainment, and other content, but they also include links to a few shopping sites. Some people may like the What's Related tab, though most of us would probably prefer to dedicate as much of our screen real estate as possible to the content of the page we're currently viewing.
Tip: To choose the tabs to add to My Sidebar, click the Tabs button and select Customize Sidebar. In the dialog box that appears, click Find More Tabs. This will take you to Netscape's site, where you can make your selections in such wide-ranging categories as Arts & Entertainment, Computing & Internet, Games, Health, Home & Family, Reference, Shopping, and Sports.
Browser Boosters
These utilities will give your browser the features and functionality that you wish it had had to begin with.
InterMute AdSubtract: This tool turns off those blinking, winking, annoying ads once and for all. The Pro version also eliminates "special offer" boxes that pop up incessantly and spoil the view. The basic SE version is free, and the Cookie Edition (CE) is trialware that's good for 14 days. If you like CE, upgrade to AdSubtract Pro for $30.
InterMute AdSubtract; 2.5MB; works with AOL, IE, Netscape, or Opera
Babylon: This translation tool is for people who have international customers, or who simply want to look up a foreign word or phrase. The utility, which pops up when you click a custom-configured mouse key, lets you specify the languages you wish to translate into (the list includes Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, French, German, and Italian).
Tip: If you use the right mouse button as Babylon's hot-key, you lose that button's functionality. You can avoid this result by using a mouse-button/keyboard-key combination instead.
Babylon; 1.5MB; works alone
Atomica: If you like FlySwat, you'll love Atomica (formerly called GuruNet). Both products provide a similar service but use slightly different approaches. FlySwat hyperlinks on-screen phrases in Internet Explorer and lets you learn more about words you Alt-click in any application. That is Atomica's method, too. But Atomica offers far more information than FlySwat, and its interface is less intrusive.
Atomica; 150KB; works alone
IE Speakster: Don't read a Web page--have Merlin read it to you. IE Speakster is a free voice synthesizer that reads Web pages to you when you right-click within the browser and select IE Speakster. It's ideal for surfers with limited vision.
Tip: When Merlin reads, a small browser window that contains a link to IE Speakster pops on your screen. Don't turn it off unless you want to disable the tool. Merlin disappears automatically when the utility finishes its work.
Customized Computer Software; 12MB; works with IE 5 or alone
HandsFree: How are your wrists feeling? Want to give your upper appendages a break? Instead of typing and clicking, use this free add-on for IE to tell your browser where to go and how to fill in Web forms. It requires a microphone, naturally.
Tip: To follow a link, say the first few words out loud. HandsFree also assigns numbers to links, so you can say "number three" to open the third link. The Help menu at the bottom of the screen lists keywords and the military alphabet system used to spell out Web addresses in dictation mode. If you say "Type address www dot alpha bravo charlie dot com," for example, HandsFree takes you to www.abc.com.
Edumedia; 2.5MB; works with IE 5 or alone
Browse Like a Pro: Tips From Web Experts
Even if you've been surfing since the dawn of the Web, or you've been going online since ARPANET, there's always more to learn about finding information quickly and efficiently. And who better to get tips from than the people who browse for a living?
These days it seems nearly every other site you visit prompts you to download some plug-in or player that's required to "view the page correctly." Of course, you'd never click the Download button reflexively, right? You've got good reason to be cautious.
Dave Bohn, Web site developer and professional online searcher: "When I'm linked to a secure server, I always log off before surfing to another page. If I go to another URL without first logging off, the information... could remain in my browser's cache."
"I don't view pages that run VBScript (Microsoft's Visual Basic Script)," says Dave Bohn, who has been developing, managing, and cataloging Web sites since 1993. "Whenever they say, 'You need to install VBScript' I say, 'No, thanks!'" Bohn cites JavaScript as an example of a safer technology that Web developers can use to display dynamic content in the pages they design. VBScript makes it relatively easy for malefactors to disseminate viruses and other potentially damaging files. "There's only a small chance for a security breach with VBS," says Bohn, "but I'm unwilling to assume the risk."
Some browser add-ons receive a warmer welcome, however. Nani Luia-Harris, senior quality assurance engineer at the Web site service provider Atomz, wouldn't want to browse without her favorite IE front end. "I love NeoPlanet," she says. "Its interface is wonderful, and you can change the look by downloading skins," several of which she has designed herself. The plug-in is available at NeoPlanet.
Luia-Harris prefers IE 5 to Netscape, but she has changed most of IE's default settings. "I set it to clear out the Temp folder whenever I close the browser," she says. This erases confidential information that may have been entered during the session.
Note: If you would like to set IE to empty your Temporary Internet Files folder automatically, click Tools, Internet Options, Advanced, select the Security heading in the resulting dialog box, and check the box next to Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed. (In Netscape, you have to clear the cache manually.)
While the professional Web browsers we spoke with agreed almost unanimously about Web elements they didn't enjoy (pop-up windows, ads), their opinions diverged on one very important subject: security.
Bay-Wei Chang, senior research scientist, Google: "The Google Toolbar... adds buttons for each search term so I can jump directly to the words on the page I'm viewing."
"My security levels are pretty much the default," says Bay-Wei Chang, senior research scientist with search-engine company Google. Bohn is more security conscious. "When I'm linked to a secure server, I always log off before surfing to another page," he says. "If I go to another URL without first logging off, the information I provided to the secure server could remain in my browser's cache."
The browser pros all agree on how important it is to have a search strategy. It's not surprising that Bay prefers the Google Toolbar, but he was a fan of the search tool before he joined the company. "The Google Toolbar lets me highlight my terms in the page so I can quickly scan to see the relevant sections," says Bay. "It adds buttons for each search term so I can jump directly to the words on the page I'm viewing." Luia-Harris of Atomz likes Go.com's ExpressSearch, which features a toolbar that lets her use multiple search engines at the same time.
Dennis O'ReillyManage Your Add-Ons and Plug-Ins
After you've tried these add-ons, you'll have to decide which ones to keep and which ones to discard. To remove an add-on, use the uninstall tool in Windows ( Start, Settings, Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs).
Which Plug-in? To identify the plug-ins installed in Netscape 4, choose Help, About Plugins. Netscape 6 lacks this menu option, and Netscape 6A-specific versions of your favorite plug-ins might not yet be available. But there's a simple fix: If you have both versions of Netscape on your hard disk, copy those plug-ins from the Plugins folder in Netscape 4 to the corresponding folder (ordinarily Program Files) under Netscape 6.
The exact name of the DLL you'll need to delete is listed when you open the About Plugins page. If the particular plug-in you want to remove is not listed in the Programs list under Add/Remove Programs, you must delete it manually from its folder, usually Program Files\Netscape\ netscape version\Plugins.
Mind Your Associations: Once you've picked your favorite virtual stereo system--be it RealPlayer, Windows Media Player, or some other--make sure that your audio and video files are associated with it and not with its competitors. That option is usually offered during the player's installation routine, but you can usually change the configuration later by adjusting the player's own menu options.
You can also designate associations from within a folder window. Begin by selecting View, Folder Options and clicking the File Types tab. Next identify an audio file type on that list, click it, and select Edit to change the associated application. Alternatively, you may choose to reinstall your preferred player and then allow it to reclaim its own file associations. The last player that you install always offers to claim associations during its installation process.
Yael Li-Ron