NeoPlanet 5.0: Like a New Skin

New Features

Those who use Internet Explorer will feel right at home with NeoPlanet. The plug-in not only changes the browser's look and feel, it also adds a few useful features to IE. One of the most interesting new additions, NeoPlanet's Translate menu, lets you quickly convert any Web page into one of six languages using the AltaVista translation service.

NeoPlanet's Control Panel conveniently stores all browser preferences in one place. The panel lets you change mail settings for the internal mail client, or try a "Modem Speed Booster" that will tweak your Registry settings for faster surfing.

NeoPlanet 5.0 also includes new search enhancements, with an MP3 search option and a QuickSearch bar added to the main window. You can also set up multiple user profiles, each with individual skins and channel settings.

Give and Take

Unfortunately, although NeoPlanet adds some features to IE, it also takes some away. For instance, NeoPlanet handles the History differently than IE 5 does, and offers fewer options: Viewing the History list in NeoPlanet requires opening a new window, whereas IE 5 displays the History in a pane within the browser window. NeoPlanet also lacks another crucial IE5 feature: You can't search sites by the order in which you visited them.

NeoPlanet's nosy installation process won't complete registration until you enter some rather personal vital statistics. Along with unsurprising data--like e-mail address and zip code--NeoPlanet also inquires about the user's gender. The program also automatically associates itself with all HTML files--a step many users will find presumptuous. NeoPlanet could also benefit from improved on-screen support: The program offers a tour and an online guide, but no traditional, searchable help.

Clearly, NeoPlanet is still a work in progress, and it will probably never satisfy those who prefer simplicity. But if customization fanatics - those who frequently change desktop themes or configure custom program icons and system sounds--will like NeoPlanet's snazzy skins and new features. It can't hurt to try it: It's a free download.