These are examples of spyware:

[zCypher]

Apparently people think using a toolbar is somehow easier than using the browser itself to look for something. If gmail is spyware, would that not be true of basically any webmail service?

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: frostedflakes
Doesn't it log usage statistics (as is the case with most of Google's products and services)? Never read the TOS so I'm not 100% sure, I just stay away from toolbars in general. I honestly have no idea why people install them.

edit: A bit exaggerated, but I've seen people who have like 3-4 toolbars installed. Never understood that.

Text

They don't install them on purpose rather they fail to pay attention when installing free crap, Java and Adobe come to mind immediately, while clicking next next next.

 

[legocitytruck]

Originally posted by: RadiclDreamer

Originally posted by: NSFW
Or am I wrong and Google Toolbar is spyware?

We consider it junkware. Not as damaging as some, but its a pain in the ass eating up memory for no real benefit

How does this work? When you start your browser with a toolbar, does it use a portion of your memory for the entire time that it is running, allowing less memory for other applications, or does it only use memory when you actually search for something?

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: legocitytruck

Originally posted by: RadiclDreamer

Originally posted by: NSFW
Or am I wrong and Google Toolbar is spyware?

We consider it junkware. Not as damaging as some, but its a pain in the ass eating up memory for no real benefit

How does this work? When you start your browser with a toolbar, does it use a portion of your memory for the entire time that it is running, allowing less memory for other applications, or does it only use memory when you actually search for something?

There are pieces that run at startup unless you turn them off, googletoolbarnotifier.exe and an update checker. There may be others but those are the 2 I am aware of.

 

[legocitytruck]

Do these consume bits of memory from startup and on that are no longer available to other processes?

 

[Squisher]

I went over my sister's house to fix her computer once and she had so many toolbars that they consumed half of her screen. I told her I was having to turn my head sideways so I could get a little peek of the internet.

 

[kalrith]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: frostedflakes
I just stay away from toolbars in general. I honestly have no idea why people install them.

Same reason people install any browser add-on - it has useful features. It's less useful now that IE and Firefox both have built-in search boxes.

Many people install them because they come bundled with software. If you don't uncheck the box when you install Adobe Reader, then you get Google Toolbar. If you don't uncheck the box when you install another software, you get MSN Toolbar. If you don't uncheck the box when you install Java (I think), you get Yahoo Toolbar. That's how people wind up with multiple toolbars as well.

 

[Amused]

Google Toolbar is my only exception. You can turn off the report feature and it has things I have come to rely on like auto fill and word find features.

Plus, I am able to move it up along side one of the standard IE menu toolbars so it's not intrusive.