NetGroove

The ticket that gets you a ride on the information superhighway is the web browser you use. There is a plethora of choices, with default ones already bundled in Windows and other operating system, as well as other big players on the market. This doesn’t mean the lesser known need to be neglected, because chances are they offer what others don’t, which can be the case with NetGroove.

One advantage is noticed right before the download process is finished. You can run it directly, without having to go through a setup process, which also means you can take it along on an USB flash drive, keeping your favorites and other options intact. You just need to make sure the computer you run it on is fitted with .NET Framework.

The application keeps looks pretty simple, with no outstanding aesthetics to confuse or distract you while surfing the web. By default, the Favorites side bar is visible, but you can send it away at the press of a button, to keep all the space for viewing web content. All other elements are to be found in the upper toolbar.

Implementation of multiple tabs is yet another advantage and each new one brings you to the home page, for which there’s no other way to go to. You set it from the options menu, where you’re also free to change the way the interface looks in terms of colors, or make the application delete all history when it’s closed.

Options are accessed from the tools menu, which is also fitted with quick access points to some useful Windows utilities like Notepad, Calculator, Calendar, Messenger, or even Internet Explorer. Moreover, you can easily go check your mail via built-in shortcuts to Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, as well as Hotmail.

Apart from the address field that’s a mandatory component of every web browser, you can also initiate search in a few seconds thanks to the built-in search field that lets you look up items of interest either on Google or Bing.

Although fitted with an impressive array of features, the application is rough around the edges, not so much in visuals as for functionality. Various script errors get triggered, making navigation not only uncomfortable, but frustrating at times. Moreover, it tends to gobble up a lot of resources when loading pages, and the result doesn’t make up for it.

Bottom line is that it’s pretty difficult to tell a good web browser by simply looking at it. Visuals and the general feature line-up can trick you into believing you found a new alternative, just like NetGroove does, only to throw all your expectations into free-fall when getting to know it better. Keep on looking or stick to the one you’re using right now.