Microsoft’s plan to finally add a feature found in many other browsers and add-ons comes to IE6 via the MSN Toolbar now.
Users of Firefox, Opera, and IE add-ons like FlashPeak’s SlimBrowser have had access to tabbed browsing for a while now. Tabbed browsing lets the user open one browser window and have multiple windows open within that window, accessible by tabs. It’s a useful feature, and one that would not have been available to users of Windows versions besides XP when IE7 debuts.
But on Wednesday, MSN released a new version of its toolbar. Its last update incorporated desktop search, in response to Google’s own toolbar performing that function. This update for Windows 2000 and XP platforms offers tabbed browsing.
Also, Microsoft has included pop-up blocking in the toolbar. The blocker will stop pop-up and pop-under ads, as well as those that open when leaving a site or closing the browser. Users of Windows XP SP2 already have the pop-up blocker installed; it can be found under the Tools menu of IE6.
Toolbars have become the latest method in attempts to keep users visiting a certain branded portal. Google, Yahoo, and MSN, among others, include search within the toolbars. Those search results include paid ads, which have become an incredible source of revenue for those companies.
Tabbed browsing offers a better browsing experience. Having multiple windows open means having to navigate from one to another to get to the information a user needs. As an alternative, tabs are definitely worth trying out today.
David Utter is a staff writer for murdok covering technology and business. Email him here.
