50 Access Toolbar

Bundling three programs in one, 550 Access Toolbar does more than simply search the Web. In fact, the app is a capable pop-up blocker and can erase your Internet history, temporary files, and cookies. However, we weren’t wild about the fact that the program forcibly closes all open browser windows during installation. The toolbar strikes an unassuming presence on your browser window and displays icons for cleaning your computer and blocking pop-ups. As a search tool, this utility doesn’t do anything special, simply using Google to troll the Web. The pop-up blocker worked well in our tests without slowing down surfing, though it can’t stop banners and Flash ads. The cleanup utility also was a pleasure, quickly purging unwanted cookies and files from our machine. These extra capabilities turned what could have been just another garden-variety toolbar into a successful and powerful Web-surfing companion.