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Google Menu Bar on more services

Mrrix32 [PersonRank 10]

Tuesday, May 15, 2007
17 years ago9,936 views

The bar first mentioned here [ http://blogoscoped.com/forum/89834.html] has now appeared on my Web Search, Docs & Spreadsheets and Groups, Image Search, Video, Maps. Also I have a longer list of services than previously mentioned.

Depending on where I am the Services actually on the bar change. All services below appear on ALL the pages whether on the drop down menu or the bar.

Blog Search, Blogger, Books, Calendar, Documents, Finance, Groups, Images, Labs, Maps, Mail, News, Orkut, Patents, Photos, Products, Reader, Scholar, Video, Web

And for some reason in D&S it has 'Gmail' while everywhere else just says 'Mail'. Thats a pretty long Drop Down List, it goes down over half the page!

Ionut Alex. Chitu [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

Screenshots....

Luke [PersonRank 0]

17 years ago #

I have it on Docs

David Hetfield [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

I'm still getting the old one.. :/

Mrrix32 [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

Just noticed that the location of my email address keeps changing between above and below the line.

Screen Shots [ http://picasaweb.google.com/mrrix32/GoogleMenuBar]

Martin Porcheron [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

That looks to me like it is just because you're screen isn't wide enough for all the links to appear on one line.

Mrrix32 [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

Just added SS of iGoogle, which also has Gmail rather than Mail.

Also I've realised that with the new bar it is IMPOSIBLE to click a link to get to the 'more>>' page (unless I go to Google UK)

Ionut Alex. Chitu [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

I'm curios: try to see which links from that big menu send you to a search page and which don't. E.g.: Gmail should send you to the search results in the SERP.

Mambo [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

What an absolute mess this is. Let the user decide which search shortcuts there are, and then a link to some kind of simple service hub. No-brainer, surely?

/pd [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

I think this is only for .uk zone users.. I cant reproduce the full list..

I think that they should only have userdefined list in play.. I hardly use Patents and scholar, so why the heck should it show up on my pull down list ? so much for learning users history and personalization efforts!!

Mrrix32 [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

I'm on my PC now (was on Laptop) and I can't get the Menu Bar on any services, so it's not everyone here :-(

I think (but am not sure) that Gmail sends you to your inbox.

There are quite a lot of services there that I don't use so the links are not based on my usage

Mrrix32 [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

All links apart from:
Mail, Calendar, Docs, Labs, Orkut, Reader and Blogger
Go to their Results Pages

For some reason the links for Labs, Orkut, Blogger and Reader include the query although it is not used.

Mail Calendar and Docs don't even include the search query

bluesuga [PersonRank 0]

17 years ago #

i have it and i don't want it..... it throws off my blue theme...... look

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesuga/501035302/

Mrrix32 [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

I'd suggest clearing your cookies. Most likely solution.
In Firefox:
Tools --> Options --> Privacy --> Private Data --> Clear Now
Uncheck all except Cookies. Click OK.

Oh and a quick update, I'm seeing the bar on Gmail and Calendar now.

pacificdave [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

No one here has mentioned it yet but the light blue border below the menu on all their services is really annoying. It draws too much attention especially on the main Google Page: http://www.google.com/webhp

I'm so used to opening the main search page as my home page for the last 6 or 7 years or so and automatically focusing on the search box and Google logo. The bottom border of their "gbar", as it reads in their source, is a huge distraction across almost all of their services.

Also where's the link to the rest of their services: http://www.google.com/intl/en/options/index.html ??? Notebook, Talk, Mobile Services, Toolbar, etc.? Shouldn't there still be a "more" link? You now have to click "About Google" and then "Google Services & Tools." Will this kill off the rest of their tools & services for the average user? This UI change doesn't seem like a logical move for Google.

What would seem more logical would be a user defined Gbar across all their services, thus shortening the "more" drop down menu, and keeping the "even more..." link.

What do all of you think?

Ionut Alex. Chitu [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

It's interesting to note some of the ignored services:

Checkout – aggressively promoted
Code Search
AdSense, AdWords
YouTube

Notebook is heavily linked in the search results (both at the top of the page and using the "Note this" shortcuts).

Maybe they didn't include Pack, Earth, Talk, Toolbar, Desktop because you download the product and that's all. Why would you visit the Toolbar site?

pacificdave [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

[put at-character here]Ionut:

"Why would you visit the Toolbar site?"

What I suggested isn't geared toward myself. If I do a fresh install of Firefox then I, personally, know to type in http://toolbar.google.com and it will redirect me to the Firefox Google toolbar site. With the last UI design an average surfer will only stumble upon it either through Google Adsense ads across various blogs/sites or become inquisitive one day and middle click on the "more" link or left click on the "more" and then "even more" link to find it under "Google Tools & Services." This is just with the Google Toolbar. With the new design it's more hidden.

Adsense and Adwords are already one click away from the main page by clicking "Advertising Programs." YouTube.... heh... a no brainer. But Checkout, Sketchup, Earth, Catalogs, Mobile tools & services, Directory, Specialized Searches, Alerts, Pack, Web Accelerator, Co-op, Code, and even Web Search Features. It would just "make sense" to keep a link on their main home page to all their products.

Inferno [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

Now I have it too... I think its official now because I don't think I am that lucky to get to test a unreleased feature from Google. Though sometimes I had. ;)

Brinke Guthrie [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

Just showed up here in SFBay. Nice look. You know what I really like?
You'll think this is stoopid.

The nice thin blue line. Aesthetically pleasing (to me)

Brinke Guthrie [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/05/16/BUGF7PS7R819.DTL

pacificdave [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

[put at-character here]Brinke Guthrie:

"The nice thin blue line. Aesthetically pleasing (to me)"

Maybe I'll just have to get used to it because of the newness factor. For right now it still a distraction from the infamous centered search box.

I still stand by needing an "even more..." link though. :-D

Inferno [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

To me the blue line looks nice. I think its not what distract but makes the menu bar distinct from the rest of the page.

TOMHTML [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

Why do they mix services where you can search something and "non-searchable" services?

http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/8034/searchablepv8.jpg

Daniel Garcia [PersonRank 6]

17 years ago #

iGoogle themed looks ugly with top white bar

pacificdave [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

[put at-character here]TOMHTML: Yeah, they should define between "Search" and the of their products.

[put at-character here]Daniel Garcia: Oh... definitely agreeing with you there buddy. They should have implemented it differently for the iGoogle page. Make it layered, transparent, and... ahem.... get rid of the blue line. :-)

James Xuan [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

I use a GM script to add a Garfield to google and it dosn't look so bad then ;)

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