14 DAY TRIAL // What's the average amount of time you spend "fishing" on the Internet for accurate details? One would think that with all the technology and engine crawlers running on almost every website gathering information the return of the searched result would be instant and accurate. Unfortunately the results are not always to our liking and even if Google is the top dog when it comes to searching, it is always a good idea to back it up with a few other engines.
However, having to look for the same thing in different engines in order to collect the best results can sometimes be a tedious and for some users overwhelming task. Fortunately, software developers' creativity has been transposed in code and there is a tool whose primary purpose is to help you find what you're looking for fast and covering as many search engines as possible.
Enter Jetsoft Web Search, a freebie that will give you the possibility to search a text string in more than one location at once. Search possibilities with this application give you the chance to retrieve results from more than 200 search engines. It would be nice to look in all of them at once, but for now you can only view results in four different engines at the same time.
Although the application incorporates a great deal of tools, the moment you launch it the interface will open with Google Search module. It may seem the same page as the one in your default browser, but if you take a closer look you will see that you can search any Google in the world you like as the app provides the possibility to search in any language and country Google has an office.
The downside to this is that finding the desired country is not too comfortable as the operation has to be dealt with manually. There are no helpers on this one and your eyes and increased attention are the only weapons you've got once the country list is unwrapped.
The possibilities of the built-in web browser (which is essential in almost any module of the application) are not fantastic, but they cover the essential and provide the means to open the link in the default web browser on your system for a more comfortable navigation. Users can copy the accessed URL, take a snapshot to a user-defined area, navigate back and forward, refresh the page, save it or bookmark it.
Web Search module benefits from the same built in web browser to open your pages in and is developed to allow you to do your searches in over 200 search engines. Indeed, the list is huge and to help you choose a relevant engine for retrieving information, all of them are grouped into categories referring to different fields of activity: news, technology, download, games, images, multimedia, lyrics, mobile, programming, security, directories, sports, company, business, life, shopping, real-estate, autos, travel, knowledge, etc. This way you can make straight to the point look-ups and choose search engines relevant to your subject of interest.
Multi Search module is basically Web Search on the steroids as, if in the latter you can perform only one search at a time, here the possibilities quadruple. The screen is split in four sections, identical with regards to the options made available. Although it may seem overwhelming at the beginning, working with it is actually quite simple. All you have to do is type in the query, select the category of interest and the application automatically sets a different search engine in the four categories available. Once the process is started you will basically have the results of four sources so you can compare and choose the most relevant one.
Users can also select the engines manually in the four windows and these can be of different categories. More than this, each of the four screens can be dealt with individually and independently of the others but the end purpose is to have feedback for the same query from multiple sources belonging to the same field of activity.
File Search is a module designed to help you find files on your computer. The same functioning principle governs here as well and you will still benefit from a search bar and get to choose the location to be scoured. The pitfall of this section is that you cannot set the starting point at the root of the drive as the application will return instead an error message announcing of restricted access to the System Volume Information area of the drive.
However, if you choose the start point a folder or directory, JetSoft will do its job. There are no settings to be made, no search criteria for more accurate results, no details on the returned results other than the name and extension, nothing but selecting the location and typing in the string. File search allows you to open any file with the associated program directly from the module.
If the search engines included in the application are not enough for your needs and you have some of your own propositions, Custom Search module is where you can add and use them. All you have to do is access Modify Search Engines panel and add a name and a URL (multiple entries are supported). Then you can choose between them when performing your searches. You need to know that the new additions will not be included in the 200+ list and they can be used only from Custom Search.
Should you want to look for something on a particular website, Jetsoft Web Search is ready for the job allowing you to look for results on specific websites (the module is using Google's Site Search option). The application window is similar to all other modules but it is adapted for the current purpose. All you have to do is type in your query and provide the website you want to be examined.
To provide you with the utmost flexibility, Jetsoft Web Search makes available a web translator. The module allows you to translate whole pages as you navigate them. The translation is in real-time and jumping from link to link will preserve the translation language you selected. As regards the accuracy of the result, well, this is not the program's fault but of the engine it uses so mistranslations, shabby phrase correspondents and mishaps are to be expected.
The application also incorporates Google's Translate service so you can use translate and search function, translate text into a different language or simply use the various dictionaries provided.
RSS Reader is a module that permits you to get in touch with the latest news on the web. The application provides a set of links for you to read from, but you can use your own feeds as well. The applet is quite rigid as it lacks basic functions such as setting feed reading time or even adding your own feeds. So basically you will have to type in the RSS links you want to read each time.
Public Chat section of the suite is powered by BlaB Lite and is as simple as can be, allowing communication with the rest of the users connected. There is no use for a password as no login credentials are required. You can log in with any name and talk to other users. No configuration is available save for turning the sound on/off and choosing the text color.
The suite also includes a currency converter that supports a pretty large number of currencies. All you need to do is type in the value, select the two currencies and the application will generate the result. I can't say anything about the accuracy of the information, but during our testing it was very close to what Google provided.
Email Sender is the last on the list of modules and in this case the general trait is also simplicity and ease of use. The applet does exactly what its name suggests and is built with the purpose of sending messages. You can use any SMTP server that does not require a secure connection or authentication and type in whatever you want in the sender field as the message will be sent.
The Good
Jetsoft Web Search comes with plenty of instruments to help you get your hands on relevant search results. It is extremely easy to handle as there is little to configure (actually one could say there are no settings).
The modules let you perform searches with multiple engines at once as well as use your own locations.
The Bad
The lack of settings equals a rigid application that supports no customization from the user. So this basically means you have to make do with what you see and ask no questions.
There are some issues that have already been mentioned in the review that should be fixed but we'll put it all on the account of the beta stage of the software.
Web browser does not function as it should and some links in opened pages will be launched in the default browser installed on the computer.
The Truth
Jetsoft Web Search represents a nice collection of software that can come in extremely handy if you want to view search results in multiple search engines at once. It minimizes to system tray and can be launched at any time with a simple click.
The lack of settings and configuration is the greatest disadvantage as you cannot make any customization to the modules.
Here are some snapshots of the application in action:
