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Editors’ Review
Download.com staff
This free toolbar offers a way to save bookmarks in visual form, and has a fairly capable pop-up blocker. The Viewpoint Toolbar has an attractive, compact interface that quickly expands when necessary. For example, if you want to view screenshots of bookmarks, you simply click a button to scroll through all images. Though the thumbnails are rather small, they're big enough to give you a general overview of a page's contents. The thumbnails have an annotation text from the search results, so you can quickly understand what a page is about. The pop-up blocker was mostly effective in our tests--except with floating ads. You can specify whether to allow ads from a certain site and whether to display an icon and play a sound when the toolbar blocks ads. You'll also find a basic search function and a simple tool for managing images. Since it offers a rather unique way to store bookmarks and doesn't cost a dime, we can see how Viewpoint Toolbar would benefit many Web surfers.
Has some interesting features which have been noted by others
Cons
It did sort of sneak its way on to my browser and it did switch places in the view/toolbars/google- but pretty minor issue compared to some.
Summary
have seen similiar conduct by other big name internet players with the toolbars being offered or more or less jammed in there whether you wanted it or not. I just have my browser view set to not see it and I don't have any trouble with it- it's there if I want it.
Beware Trojan Horse security threat
cw2go
Pros
This product appears to have some useful features, but appeared on my system without my consent because I downloaded Viewpoint's Media Player, and it was installed surreptitiously and cost me quite a bit of time, so I did not evaluate the good points of this unauthorized download. (Okay, I guess the "good feature" is you can download and install this and have it take over as your default search engine without any effort or action on your part, or even knowing it exists -- if you consider that "good".)
Cons
If you do not opt-out of the deceptively worded "More Info" option by clicking on the "No, Thanks" button when downloading the unrelated Viewpoint Media Player, your system starts downloading unauthorized "updates" on almost a daily basis. This toolbar installed itself about 30 days later (so technically is is not a Trojan Horse, but Viewpoint conveniently left the door wide open for this to come in). It then altered my system settings so it would insert its own search engine every time I used Google, appearing above the Google results, and setting itself as the default search engine so it appeared whenever I clicked on the Google toolbar button I installed. When I wrote them about this unethical conduct, their position appears to be that allowing them to send "More Info" allows all of this. This company is not to be trusted. Use any of their products with extreme caution -- you are leaving your door open.
Summary
it sure 'nuff done me proud
littlehairlessratbones
Pros
I like this bar's search capability. Sometimes I forget on which web page I saw interesting material and when I wanted to return to it, it was difficult to browse history list and check every document in turn. This program's search capability gives me a long-wanted ability to find the pages I already saw some time ago easily by just several words
Cons
Summary
dont download
troopre of hell
Pros
Cons
spyware is all over the program and it doesnt work gets in the way and is very big
Summary
View No More
frankl1955
Pros
none
Cons
I found viewpoint to be redundant and annoying. I suppose those who are new to the net and PCs in general would find its near useless bells and whistles to be amazing, but its intrusive nature is reminiscent to AOL which I dropped like a bad habit eight or so years ago. Rumor has it that it is government spy-ware, I dont know about that but its certainly designed to collect information on people.
Summary
VERY ANNOYING!!
Brandonthetester
Pros
Its good if you dont have any other toolbar
Cons
it is big and gets in the way. allowed a lot of popups
Summary
ViewPoint is Adware
pc-fixer
Pros
Cons
You will discover that most of the positive comments on this forum about ViewPoint come from members of a group of ViewPoint Investors hoping to profit!
<p>
<p>It is apparant that despite their protestations that ViewPoint is not spyware... they ARE INDEED Adware and intend to be.
<p>
<p>As ViewPoint is pre-installed by a number of PC Vendors, and is included with numerous software installs including AOL and AIM - it is quite prevalent in terms of installs. AOL is particularly egregious as it AUTOMATICALLY REINSTALLS ViewPoint every time you open AOL if you uninstall ViewPoint. (Unless you know the SECRET to turn it off.
<p>
<p>ViewPoint masquerades as a useful, innocuous, and misunderstood and maligned technology to enhance your web experience. Unfortunately it seems it has little real purpose beyond being a fancy graphics adserver.
<p>
<p>www (dot)clickz(dot)com/news/article(dot)php/3561546
Summary
LOVE It!! Hate It!!
misspickles
Pros
Love the visual bookmark program.
Cons
I got fed up with having my registry scanned and uninstalled. I would be willing to pay for this program if they could keep their nose out of my computer.
<p>They are definately snooping around.
Summary
ViewPoint is ADWare
PC Fixer
Pros
Cons
ViewPoint will develop a behavioral targeting product in 2006, execs said during the company's Q3 earnings call.
<p>
<p>It will work by collecting clickstream data on users who have installed the Viewpoint media player, then using that data to target ads and content on the company's partner sites. Viewpoint claims 120 million users have installed its player.
<p>
<p>CEO Patrick Vogt announced the behavioral tech in the wake of a downbeat quarter for Viewpoint and its ad systems unit in particular, which includes Unicast. Viewpoint reported a net loss of $1.5 million on total revenue of $6 million.
<p>
<p>Capitalizing on advertiser demand for user behavior data could bring a gush of revenue. However, it's a risky strategy given Internet users' privacy concerns and an unsettled legislative environment around desktop software that gathers user clickstream data. The company will likely encounter a significant backlash unless it loudly and explicitly warns users of its new tracking practices -- and maybe even if it does.
<p>
<p>The adware move is only one part of what appears to be a general strategy of diversification at Viewpoint.
<p>
<p>"No longer will customers have to work through multiple companies for creative, media buying� and ad serving," he said. "Viewpoint will do it all."
Summary
How can I stop this junk from popping up on my computer?
glaird
Pros
Nothing
Cons
For some reason your product is on my computer and asks me to download updates. I don't want your product and am getting very tired of your pop ups. Please advise on getting off your list of persons to send your stuff to and how I can get rid of your product!
