Unlike FireFox users, many Internet Explorer users don't seem to be aware that there are also many Internet Explorer add-ins available. Admittedly, Internet Explorer has nothing like the sheer variety that FireFox users can obtain, but the add-ins reviewed here do a pretty solid job of enhancing your surfing experience. All of these tools have FireFox equivalents, which are often available from the same download source.
Internet Explorer users probably already know that they can also easily add the Google Toolbar, the Yahoo Toolbar, and the Windows Live Toolbar, so these products are not reviewed here.
-
Toolbar Extensions
The outstanding product is IE7Pro. This add-in not only provides a vital ad-blocking service, but adds tab management, spell checking, bookmark synchronisation, proxy switching, mouse gestures, and more, including truly excellent crash recovery. There's even a scripting feature that allows you to add more functionality, including a rather neat skin for Gmail. With all these additional features, you can convert IE7 into an almost passable alternative to Firefox! Seriously, IE7Pro is a terrific product and a must for all IE7 users.
The best alternative is Quero, which also includes a strong (and highly customizable) ad blocker, but it lacks some of the features in IE7Pro. It is, in my opinion, prettier than IE7Pro, and supplies and encourages user-created themes.
After you install StumbleUpon and specify topics of interest, it will present to you, one at a time, those sites which it considers to be relevant. StumbleUpon "learns" from the ratings (thumbs up or thumbs down) you assign to these sites, and continually fine-tunes the range of sites it presents to you. You can also recommend sites to others, and connect with those who have similar interests.
del.icio.us also embraces social networking, and lets you bookmark sites and apply keyword tags.
The GooglePreviewIE Toolbar enables you to search the web directly from its search interface. It shows a thumbnail preview of each result, comes with a list of quick-search links to make specific searches easier, and includes a comparison shopping feature.
-
Spell Checker
ieSpell is an excellent spell checker that integrates directly into Internet Explorer. It allows you to add your own words to the dictionary, look up definitions in Merriam-Webster online, or link to Wikipedia. You can integrate it with Microsoft Office spell checker, and they will then share the same custom dictionary.
-
Security
McAfee SiteAdvisor
The all-in-one security add-in of choice is McAfee SiteAdvisor, which includes warnings about potential phishing sites. It tries to ensure that you don't visit potentially dangerous Web sites or sites that host spyware. The SiteAdvisor button turns green (for "safe"), yellow (for "possibly dangerous"), or red (for "dangerous"), and provides details about the site's rating. When you do a search (eg. on Google), a green, yellow, or red button appears next to each individual result.
-
Search Aid
Inline Search effectively duplicates Firefox's search capabilities. It bypasses the normal Internet Explorer floating search box, and allows you to search matches as you type.
-
Tab enhancement
IE7 Open Last Closed Tab allows you to re-open any tabs you've previously closed. After you've closed a tab, and wished you hadn't, press Alt-X and the tab will reopen to the Web site you were visiting. This add-in addresses all the tabs you've opened in a particular session. Although this duplicates one of the features of IE7Pro, it's ideal if you just want a tab-handling feature.
-
RSS Reader
Readers typically consolidate web content, such as news headlines, blogs, podcasts, and vlogs, into a single location. Altough IE7 has a built-in RSS reader, Feeds Plus adds a few nice features, such as the ability to read groups of feeds in a combined view, and notification of new content in a feed.
Product Details
IE7Pro
Website: http://www.ie7pro.com/
Download link: http://www.ie7pro.com/
Author: IE7Pro.com
Version: 2.2
Date: 03/31/2008
Download file size: 2.25MB
License: Freeware
Operating systems supported: Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP/Vista
64 Bit version available: No, but this 32 bit program will run in a 64 bit environment
Portable version available: No
Other languages supported: Many - see here: http://wiki.ie7pro.com/index.php/Main_Page
Additional software required: Internet Explorer 7
Quero
Website: http://www.quero.at/
Download link: http://www.quero.at/
Author: Viktor Krammer
Version: 4.1.1.1.1
Date: 04/13/2008
Download file size: 472KB
License: Free for non-commercial use
Operating systems supported: Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP/Vista
64 Bit version available: No, but this 32 bit program will run in a 64 bit environment
Portable version available: No
Other languages supported: German
Additional software required: Internet Explorer 7
Feeds Plus
Website: http://www.enhanceie.com/ie/feedsplus.asp
Download link: http://www.download.com/Feeds-Plus/3000-2017_4-10620863.html?tag=lst-0-1&cdlPid=10629533
Author: IE RSS team at Microsoft
Version: 1.0
Date: 02/01/2007
Download file size: 780KB
License: Freeware
Operating systems supported: Windows XP/2003/Vista
64 Bit version available: No, but this 32 bit program will run in a 64 bit environment
Portable version available: No
Other languages supported: None
Additional software required: Internet Explorer 7
Inline Search
Website: http://www.ieforge.com/InlineSearch/HomePage
Download link: http://www.ieforge.com/InlineSearch/HomePage
Author: ieforge
Version: 1.5
Date: 05/10/2007
Download file size: 230KB
License: Free for non-commercial use
Operating systems supported: Windows
64 Bit version available: No, but this 32 bit program will run in a 64 bit environment
Portable version available: No
Other languages supported: Many - see here: http://www.ieforge.com/InlineSearch/HomePage
Additional software required: Internet Explorer 5.5, 6, 7
IE7 Open Last Closed Tab
Website: http://www.muvextoe.com/download.php#ieolct
Download link: http://www.muvextoe.com/download.php#ieolct
Author: MuvExToE
Version: 3.5
Date: 05/31/2007
Download file size: 224KB
License: Freeware
Operating systems supported: Windows XP/2003/Vista
64 Bit version available: No, but this 32 bit program will run in a 64 bit environment
Portable version available: No
Other languages supported: None
Additional software required: Internet Explorer 7 and MS .NET Framework 2.0
GooglePreviewIE
Website: http://ackroyd.de/googlepreview-ie/
Download link: http://ackroyd.de/googlepreview-ie/
Author: Edward Ackroyd
Version: 3.11
Date: 05/31/2007
Download file size: Automatically installs into browser.
License: Free for non-commercial use
Operating systems supported: Windows
64 Bit version available: No, but this 32 bit program will run in a 64 bit environment
Portable version available: No
Other languages supported: Many - see here:http://ackroyd.de/googlepreview/
Additional software required: Internet Explorer 7
IeSpell
Website: http://www.iespell.com/
Download link: http://www.iespell.com/dc
Author: ieSpell
Version: 2.5.1
Date: 10/31/2006
Download file size: 224KB
License: Free for personal use
Operating systems supported: 9x/ME/NT/2000/XP/Vista
64 Bit version available: No, but this 32 bit program will run in a 64 bit environment
Portable version available: No
Other languages supported: Unknown
Additional software required: Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher
StumbleUpon
Website: http://www.stumbleupon.com/
Download link: http://www.muvextoe.com/download.php#ieolct
Author: MuvExToE
Version: 3.5
Date: 05/31/2007
Download file size: 224KB
License: Free for non-commercial use
Operating systems supported: Windows
64 Bit version available: No, but this 32 bit program will run in a 64 bit environment
Portable version available: No
Other languages supported: No
Additional software required: Internet Explorer (no version information available)
del.icio.us
Website: http://del.icio.us/help/ie/extension
Download link: http://www.muvextoe.com/download.php#ieolct
Author: MuvExToE (owned by Yahoo! Inc)
Version: 3.5
Date: 05/31/2007
Download file size: 224KB
License: Free for non-commercial use
Operating systems supported: Windows 98/Me/NT/2000/XP/Vista
64 Bit version available: No, but this 32 bit program will run in a 64 bit environment
Portable version available: No
Other languages supported: None
Additional software required: Internet Explorer 7
SiteAdvisor for Internet Explorer
Website: http://us.mcafee.com/root/product.asp?productid=sa&brw=ie&affid=0
Download link: http://us.mcafee.com/root/product.asp?productid=sa&brw=ie&affid=0
Author: McAfee
Version: Unknown
Date: Unknown
Download file size: 1.68MB
License: Free for non-commercial use
Operating systems supported: Windows
64 Bit version available: No, but this 32 bit program will run in a 64 bit environment
Portable version available: No
Other languages supported: Unknown
Additional software required: Internet Explorer (no version information available)