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Computer Specials |
Alexa Internet Explorer ToolbarProvided by: Alexa To enhance searching the web Alexa, an Amazon company, has created a toolbar that plugs into Internet Explorer. This toolbar can speed up a person's search time and provide useful information about a web site. The purpose of this review is to explain more about the Alexa toolbar in case you have not heard of it. Alexa: After downloading and installing the Alexa toolbar last weekend, I decided to write this review. The Alexa has a lot of nice features for a web surfer and a web site designer. Once installed the toolbar sends information to Alexa about the web sites that are being viewed. Alexa is considered a spy ware application so if you are nervous about spy ware, do not install it. Alexa is only sends information about the web site that is being visited, IP address of the user, browser, and a cookie that keeps track of the user ID. There is a huge privacy explanation on their web site if you would like to learn more.
Like the Google toolbar, Alexa has a text box where a search string is entered. By clicking the search button, Alexa will search Google with that search string. This saves time while searching because there is no need to type in Google.com as the URL or click a favorites shortcut to get there. Pulling down the search menu displays a couple of other search options that are available. These options include searching popular news sites for a story. There is a drawback because these sites are national news sites, odds are local news will not be found there. Searching Amazon's site is another option. Unfortunately, this is just Amazon's site and it would be nice to search other big retailer sites besides Amazon, like Ebay. Another option is to search Webster's' online dictionary. Other features include searching the site the browser is viewing, searching a Thesaurus, and searching stocks.
The next menu on Alexa's toolbar is the Info menu. This menu shows contact detail for the web site if they list contact information with their web domain. Alexa allows its users to write reviews and to rate web sites. A star rating is given on the information menu along with links to the reviews. This is a very nice feature to see whether the web site is a legitimate site. Traffic ranking
is shown and is viewed to the right of the information
menu. The traffic ranking is based solely on how many Alexa users
visit the web site; therefore, the traffic ranking is a good
measurement of the site's traffic but not true statistic. A site
could have more Alexa users on it than another site that receives
more daily visitors. For instance, Netscape's site would show a
lower popularity because the plug in for Alexa does not work with
Netscape Navigator and a high percentage of Netscape's traffic
would come from Netscape users.
When searching the web, search engines display a list of similar links. Alexa's toolbar performs the same function when visiting a site. A drop down list of similar sites shows on the toolbar. The list is made of sites that visitors come from and go to from the current site. If the site is in the Google directory than the links to the directory that the site is in will also appear. For a web site developer the link to sites that link to the current site can be very important.
Alexa's toolbar comes with a pop ad block which is useful. It prompts whether to allow a pop up when a pop up is encountered. The last nice feature that will be noted is an option to email a page to friend. Conclusion: Alexa is a nice add on for the browser. I like it for the site rankings and relative links. Browsing the web is quicker and less annoying with the pop up ad blocker. If you hate spy ware you will not like this tool bar. If the toolbar could search other major web site it would be perfect. Pros:
Cons:
Rating: (Ratings Possible Terrible, Very Bad, Bad, Fair, Good, Very Good, Excellent) |
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