Internet Explorer: Bing Bar for Google Chrome

Bing Bar for Google Chrome

Posted Date: 18-Feb-2011	Category: Internet Explorer
Author: Tony John	Member Level: Diamond	Points: 25

In this article, I will talk about the Microsoft's new BingBar download options and available features. I will discuss my attempt to install Bing Bar on the Google Chrome browser.

The new Bing Bar for Internet Explorer is here, but will it work on Google Chrome? Read further.

On Feb 17, 2001, Microsoft announced the new Bing Bar with several new cool features. The basic idea behind the new reengineered Bing bar is to provide quick access to all online activities that normally every one perform from the browser.

Some of the default features in the new Bing Bar:

1. Check emails. By default, Bing Bar allows you to configure Hotmail, Yahoo and Gmail accounts. The cool thing with this is, you may associate multiple accounts from the same email provider and Bing Bar can remember the credentials for you. I found it very handy since I want to check emails from multiple email accounts often.
2. Weather: This option allows you to quickly access weather information for multiple cities. You can even get notifications on severe weather alerts in your area.
3. Facebook: This option allows you to connect your Bingbar with your Facebook account. You can see all your Facebook messages, add status, share photos or even comment on your friends posts. Unlike the email feature, the Facebook options allows you to connect only one Facebook account at a time. When you try to configure the Facebook account, you will be prompted from Facebook asking your permission to allow Bing to access your personal details from Facebook.
4. Search history: When you start typing in the search bar, which is centered now, will show matching results from your browsing history data as well.

Bing Bar offers other standard features like News, Finance, Movies, Videos, Games etc, which are pretty standard for most toolbars. One feature that you may not find anywhere else would be the "Bing Rewards".

Bing bar for Google Chrome

Will Bing Bar work on Google Chrome? I tried to find an answer myself. I went to the Bing Bar download website and tried to download from Google Chrome. The message I got was "Sorry, it's not going to work out this time", which wasn't surprising. But what surprised me was the way the message shown by Microsoft.

Take a look at the message below:

Bing Bar for Google Chrome

The only option you have in that message popup is, download and install Internet Explorer. There is no close button or ignore button. There is no other link to navigate away from the popup layer. There is no way you can click on anywhere in the parent page to navigate away or close the message. Your options are limited to closing the browser tab, typing another address in the url bar etc.

Did Microsoft forgot to add a close button to that popup layer? Or, is it an attempt to force Chrome users to download Internet Explorer? Is this an ethical approach for a company like Microsoft? How different is it from forcing your site visitors to click on some Ads in your site by not allowing any other option?

The bottom line: The Bing Bar does not work with Google Chrome browser. In their own words, "Sorry, it's not going to work out this time". I like the Bing bar, but I like the Google Chrome browser better. So I am going to stick with the Chrome browser without the Bing bar for a while.

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