Introducing the WinCustomize Toolbar

Take WC with you wherever you surf

Published on October 2, 2007 By Zoomba In WinCustomize News

Today we're kicking off a little experiment on WinCustomize. We are exploring products and services that will allow you to take the site with you, so to speak. While we want you to spend as much time as possible browsing the site, sometimes you do the unthinkable and click a link to some other site, and leave us here, wondering when you'll come back. We miss you. We made cookies but you weren't here. I think I even saw Jafo with a tear in his eye. Don't do that to Jafo, he's a sensitive guy and needs you.

But despite the cookies, and the tears of sadness, you still go off now and then. So we'd like to make it easier for you to come back. In the past, unless you had a page bookmarked, or URL memorized, you would have to go click through the site to get to the content you were looking for. You also weren't immediately aware when something exciting was going on in the community until you hit up the front page again. To help with this, we've partnered up with Conduit to build a browser toolbar specific to WinCustomize and its users.

toolbar powered by Conduit

Here are a few features of the toolbar:

Integrated Search
Search Google, Wikipedia, and even WinCustomize itself directly from the toolbar. Just pick your desired search engine and go.
Quick Links to Favorite Tools, Galleries, Community Sites & More
We've built in links to some of our most popular content, making it quick and easy to get to what you're looking for.
Get Important WinCustomize Announcements Delivered Straight to Your Browser
We can broadcast important announcements to all toolbar users. You won't be late to find out about important releases, contests or events ever again.
RSS feeds, Local Weather, Internet Radio, Email Notification & More
Never Update The Toolbar
As we continue to improve and expand the toolbar, you won't have to worry about downloading and update. Changes are automatically distributed to toolbar users whenever they restart their browser.

The toolbar is 100% free to all users, and completely safe to use. It contains no spyware, malware and does not collect or transmit personal information. This is also the first version of the toolbar, so we're very interested in hearing what you think of it and what you'd like to see us add to it. Please leave your feedback and comments below.

Comments (Page 4)

Excalpius

on Oct 02, 2007

Honestly, the world doesn't need another toolbar. But you have the right to try and market your site as you see fit, but I echo the sentiments above regarding NOT including it in installers, and NOT pushing it constantly. As for me, I'm so sick of the toolbar "gimmick" and the system-wide bugs they cause (i.e. people who stupidly install the yahoo AND google toolbars and wonder why they can't get to the internet anymore), that I will never, ever install a toolbar on any system I use or manage, ever. Sorry to be a negative vote here. You guys rock.

Vad_M

on Oct 02, 2007

To vStyler:

Thank you great! I have FF too. But I have tried to see new toolbar in the Maxton 2.0 - this is my default browser last time. Alas it doesn't work...

May be you have any ideas?

elvee

on Oct 02, 2007

I think a hotkey activated DX object or ObjectBar or Object dock dock would give me more control.

It would be nice to remove some of the feeds I'm not using

I'm not seeing any way to remove the search button

I think there could be a cool Icon Tray gadget that could popup to show private messages, or updates to skins, etc.

I only wish it didn't take up a whole row

will there be skins for the toolbar?

Can we get a notification icon for "private messages"????

I am just gathering all the ideas mentioned above.

The ability move buttons around the bar to personal liking.

I see you can get gadgets through Labpixies, but can people add thier own gadgets to the toolbar?

How about being able to add personal buttons for like my Personal Page of WC, or Wiki. A recent Forums button.

I think it is a good idea with some good potential. I think it should be totally customizable to everyone's personal tastes, this way you can have just one toolbar, the way you like it.

It's all about Customization.

Beeswax

on Oct 02, 2007

Great job again. It works very well with my Fire Fox Browser. Pages load very fast. I Like It A Lot

elvee

on Oct 02, 2007

I like the radio, we must keep that.

RRRozie

on Oct 03, 2007

Great idea!

I avoid browser toolbars like the plague, but THIS one I'm trying. Why? Because I love this community and I expect a quality product from Stardock.

Here's my experience so far...

I like the thin profile on IE7; it doesn't take up much screen real estate. Fotunately I have a widescreen display, so all of the features can be arrayed end-to-end (when the browser is maximized). I like the features you've selected: exactly what I was hoping to find (Search, Software, Galleries, News, Community) plus some truly useful extras (RSS, Weather, Radio, Email Notifier).

I agree with others who have said that the WinCustomize logo looks chintzy. I believe it's the thin black box that surrounds it that makes it look busy and cramped. I KNOW you can do better!

Well, that's it for first impressions. I'll post more feedback once I've had a chance to live with it for awhile. Thank you, Stardock...it feels like Christmas in October!

essenceoftao

on Oct 03, 2007

Great idea! Where do you come up with this stuff?

sViz

on Oct 03, 2007

For those declining/installing then removing the toolbar... what could be changed/added to make it more worthwhile?

Pretty much what elvee quoted. My main issues are that it takes up a whole row, and I can't remove the search field or the extra feeds I'm not using.

j8m

on Oct 04, 2007

I'LL give it a go (not a fan of toolbars).thanks

c242

on Oct 05, 2007

As I am listening to webradio a lot, the player comes handy.

I will keep this bar definately.

As for the player : 'now playing' information ( song and artist at least - perhaps in the bubble) and scrolling would be a nice addition.

hardknocklife

on Oct 25, 2007

Not much different to the one I made

HG_Eliminator

on Oct 25, 2007

PM notices

Skin comments notice. (same as below but pertaining to you skins recent comments)

Recent forum activity. (Maybe a drop down menu that lists recent forum threads that have been posted or responded to.. )

and most importantly a "send HG a free pizza" button....!!

RobJK

on Apr 24, 2008

I never use ANY toolbars but I decided to try this one and I am soooo glad I did because it makes it so easy to navigate to the site or any gallery and I also like the email checker because I have windows live mail which checks my hotmail and now i have that to check my Yahoo! Thanks much. It works great I also love the radio part. thats really cool the temp. Everything is awsome about this. I am so excited. I have been useing it since yesterday.

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