Which tool bar(s) do you use? Please tell us why?
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I am currently using the AOL tool bar. It has a pop-up blocker, I wish it could hide the number count like google's. I also use its local weather option. Mainly I use it for AOL's Google integrated search engine, which I like a more then just pain Google.

Other than AOL, I've used the Yahoo tool bar for my yahoo email account only. I didn't like yahoo's very much. I've used the Google tool bar and I think it's fine. I have no interest in the MSN or Netscape toolbars. However the EarthLink toolbar looks very to be very promising.

No one likes my poll.

It's not the poll PW J/K.

Actually... I don't use IE, mainly because of those toolbars

I prefer the AOL interface the most. I didn't care much for Netscape or Mozilla. To much junk in them for my tastes. Firefox was interesting enough, but the pop-up blocker started to cause trouble. I like IE the most because it's faster and simple. If it had a pop-up blocker of it's own I would think it's fine. I also like to configure IE so you can just search from the "address bar" like in AOL. I have also liked AOL's pop-up blocker the most. Earthlink and Zonealarm are the only two I havn't used yet.

ZoneAlarm works wonders!

Hey, if you like IE, try out SlimBrowser - It's based on IE, but allows tabbing, and blocks pop ups! (and I think you can add the tool bars to it, but don't quote me on that )

When I used McAfee Privacy Service I didn't even see banner Ads. I didn't know we had banners on the Sierra forums for a whole year.

Banner ads?... Where?

I don't use IE any more either, but I never had any extra tool bars on it in the first place. I hate extra clutter and I don't trust stuff like that. Needless to say, I chose "none of the above".

I only trust the ones put out by ISPs. I don't trust any others and have most blocked by my firewall and "spywareblaster."

I dunno, I really think it should be Microsoft putting out these things into their IE, and not being lazy and letting third-parties pick up Microsoft's slack and developing these out of their own time and energy. Doesn't put much confidence into the rest of Microsoft's products for me. The only reason that Microsoft leaves out all the shiny bells and whistles is because they know that the majority of people will just use IE anyways, since it comes packaged with Windows by default. If something like the EU ruling came about more often (where Microsoft was ordered to give users an alternative to Microsoft's software at time of installation), and users had the option of NOT using IE by default, then maybe Microsoft would have to put more effort into these things. As it is, they don't have to and it shows. I pick "None of the above". Firefox has enough bells and whistles to keep a whiner like me occupied.

Actually the word is Microsoft's new IE will have a pop-up blocker among other things. I disagree about the tool bars. They make it easier to use their ISP's unique functions. Yahoo even went as far as AOL and designed their own browser for use with their DSL.

Yeah, I'd heard about Microsoft adding it, but it's still far far too late in the game. I mean, when everyone else has something except for them, and then they STILL don't have it yet it's not looking too good. And I'm sure that the toolbars work great with their ISP's. Probably the only good thing to come about from Microsloth.

And I quite frankly don't see what's to disagree with my statement about the toolbars. They DID have to pick up the slack to help out their customers, when MS could have easily done it, and probably should have long ago, and tossed in the extra nifty stuff while they were at it since they were already designing the things. Which is a very smart move, I applaud them for taking those extra steps.

I won't argue that IE should have had more updates. But Pop-up blockers are the only thing that the tool bars do that Microsoft should do on it's own. Unless you're includeing tabs in that too.

Pop up blockers are a big part of the internet nowadays. And tabbed browsing is a really nifty extra that everyone likes and Microsoft didn't include till recently. So yeah, I guess you could count it.

Pop-up blockers don't do any good if you haven't disabled Microsoft's Net messenger.

Pfffffft, I know that.

I've disabled everything on XP that I don't need.

I hope you're not using XP home edition. XP Home edition is horrible when it comes to security. It also uses Raw Sockets and then to top it off everything has root certificates.

This is my 100th post today!

Nah, I gots the pro edition. And ZoneAlarm. And a NAT hardware firewall to boot.

I just need a NAT firewall router. If I didn't have to pour money into my car I'd have that and a new computer by now.

The free edition of Zonealarm works just as well as the Pro version ( just not as many bells and whistles )

I'm looking at a new computer too, but I have to watch my money if I plan on going back to school next year.

I use the newest McAfee firewall. Wich works just as good as Zone Alarm, if you know how to properly configure it.

I just took the first one I found that was free and that passed muster.