PCWorld.com - Internet Tips: Better Browsing: Add-Ons, Plug-Ins, and Extensions

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Internet Tips
Contributing Editor Scott Spanbauer offers incisive tips, tricks, and commentary on a broad range of online issues.
Better Browsing: Add-Ons, Plug-Ins, and Extensions

Free Web image tool for Internet Explorer; managing bookmarks in Mozilla; the best way to remove an add-on.

Scott Spanbauer
From the January 2005 issue of PC World magazine

Any plain-vanilla Web browser will display most sites just fine. But some enhanced browsing experiences require help from what Internet Explorer calls 'add-ons,' and what Netscape, Mozilla, and Firefox refer to as 'plug-ins.' While Adobe's Acrobat Reader, Macromedia's Flash player, and other common plug-ins suggest themselves the moment you encounter a site that requires them, other browser helpers are harder to find. Here are some of my favorites, all free.
Not every plug-in you can add to your browser is a boon, of course. I've taken care to weed out products that also install spyware or adware, or that otherwise jeopardize your privacy and sneak around behind your back. And I'll show you how to make browser add-ons go away, should they become tiresome."