Best Free Add-ins for Internet Explorer

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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. (But see also Best Free Search Toolbar.)

• 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. [NB: IE7Pro is now bundled with OpenCandy. See this article for more information.]

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.

delicious also embraces social networking, and lets you bookmark sites and apply keyword tags.

• 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.  Note: If you use IE7Pro (above), you will get this as part of the install.

• Tab Enhancement

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.