Build a Better Browser

Internet Explorer

1. Password Safe Don't settle for easy-to-guess passwords just because you have a hard time remembering them all. Password Safe stores your myriad passwords in an encrypted database. Its password is the only one you need to know.

2. Microsoft MSN Search Toolbar Unwieldy name, handy add-on: This toolbar will try to steer you to MSN-related properties, but don't reject it on that account. It lets you quickly search for files in your Outlook e-mail or My Documents folder (see Desktop Searchers), and adds a Firefox-like tabbed interface to IE.

3. Avant Browser 10 This veteran shell program bestows a customizable new look on IE, including tabbed browsing and colorful skins. It also blocks Flash animations and pop-ups, cleans your history and temp files, and offers a full-screen mode for simplified viewing.

4. IeSpell Avoid embarrassment with this spelling checker for blog entries, forum posts, chat room conversations, and other Web work.

5. CachePal Launder your cache (and increase your privacy) with this security tool that clears history, temp files, and cookies.

*6. BookmarkSync Synchronize your bookmarks between browsers, access them when you travel, and share bookmarks with other users.

7. IE Xtreme If you like software that takes the Swiss-army-knife approach, consider this collection of security and convenience tools from cache-scrubbers to form-completers.

*8. Pluck Just can't get enough of RSS feeds and blogs? Check out this cool RSS reader, organizer, and search tool studded with sharing features for your feed-savvy friends. It also organizes browser bookmarks. A beta version of this plug-in adapted for Firefox is available as well.

9. Amplify If you habitually use disorganized Favorites folders, Amplify can help sort out your links for research, shopping, job hunting, and the like (see below). And you can access your info while away from your PC via its Web site, too.

10. Browster Think of this as a magnifying glass for IE: Mouse over search or shopping results, and you'll see the full page (see below), not just a cryptic description.

11. Maxthon Previously known as My IE2, this seasoned IE shell offers many of the same cosmetic and privacy tools that Avant does, including new skins and pop-up blockers (see below); try both of them out to see which one you like better.

12. Feedreader 2.90 Back-to-basics types will appreciate the functionality of this simple but capable RSS reader.

13. PureText 2.0 Copy-and-paste mavens: Simplify your life with this tool that grabs text from Web pages without retaining formatting, giving you plain text and no cleanup hassles.

14. Privacy Bird for IE Reading Web page privacy policies can take forever. Privacy Bird automatically checks any privacy policy written in the standard format of the World Wide Web Consortium's Platform for Privacy Preferences (P3P) against the personal preferences you specify.

15. FraudEliminator Avoid scams with this plug-in, which lists where a site is hosted and when it was created--be skeptical if Citibank.com seems to have moved to the Caribbean, for example. The app also alerts you to sites in a database of known security and phishing threats.

*16. Net Snippets This research utility saves your online info in organized folders with the sources clearly noted. You can add your own comments, too. It's useful for students researching a particular topic or for job-hunters organizing data on a technology or company.

*17. RoboForm Save your vitals and automatically fill online forms requiring the data with this utility.

Laurianne McLaughlin is a freelance writer based in the Boston area.