Google Pack Review: Should You Get It?
Filed Under: Consumer, Did You Know?
The short answer is Yes! As long as you have enough room on your drive this is a little gift box with a lot of cool goodies for free.
You can choose to install just the ones you want. And unistalling any you don’tlike is very easy as the download comes with a Google Updater panel, which allows you to uninstall at anytime or upgrade when each progam is updated.
Here is what you get:
| Program | Description | Install Size |
| Ad-Aware SE Personal |
Antispyware utility - version 1.6.0.0 |
4.4 MB |
| Adobe Reader | PDF reader - version 8.0.0.456 | 65.2 MB |
| Google Desktop | Desktop companion - version 5.0.701.30540 |
9.3 MB |
| Google Earth | 3D Earth browser - version 4.0.2740.0 |
30.3 MB |
| Google Pack Screensaver |
Photo screensaver - version 1.0.0.1 |
1.1 MB |
| Google Toolbar for IE |
Search toolbar - version 4.0.1601.4978 | 2.2 MB |
| Mozilla Firefox | Web browser - version 2.0.0.1 | 21.1 MB |
| Norton Internet Security 2006 |
Antivirus utility - version 9.1.0.33 |
251.7 MB |
| Picasa | Photo organizer - version 2.6.35.92 35.97 |
291.2 MB |
Here is a review of each component of the Google Pack:
Ad Aware - very good anti-spy software that I actually have been using for the last nine months.
Adobe Reader 8 - an update to Reader with new functionality such as the ability to create your own PDF’s online!
Google Desktop - search your entire computer using the power of google search. This program is very useful. If you choose, Google will pull web clips from sites that you visit frequently! No bookmarking or remembering to check out your favorite sites. The info is right there. And you can add as many or little additional useful features that you like like Scratchpad, Weather, News, What’s Hot, and more.
Google Earth - this is a really neat tool that allows you to start from outer space looking at the earth and zoom in very quickly to any place you’d like to see. You can add borders and roads and much more to these actual photographs. Talk about geography lessons for you and your kids!
Google Pack Screensaver - a new screensaver that makes a growing collage of all your pictures. Fun for sure.
Google Toolbar for IE - if you use any of Google services this is very helpful being able to jump right to gmail or the Google Reader. Also handy is being able to search on Google without having to switch to their site.
Mozilla Firefox - so far I really like this browser. I don’t know why for so long I thought I had to stay with IE. Crazy thinking. That’s shows how strong habits can be. I know a lot of techy people prefer Firefox, so it must be good. What I like is the Tabs so I don’t have to keep opening new windows. It imports all your bookmarks and preferences from IE so everything you need is there. No crashing problems like I often have with IE.
Norton Internet Security 2005 - I use Norton already, but for those who don’t already have this, how can you go wrong with this freebie?
Picassa - oo la la, Picassa! That’s what I say. I have my pictures already very organized, but let me tell you this program is great. It loads ALL your pictures (and videos too) into one place, even stuff you didn’t know you had on your computer! It organizes them by date they were taken. And the great thing is there’s no awkward opening widows, then opening an editor, then going back to your folders. Forget those clumsy ways! Now you stay within one program and can do everything including make new albums, print, and set up collages. Really fun!
So the short answer is Yes you should get the free Google Pack. The long answer is pick the components you like best or have space for on your hard drive. There is a link here on my left sidebar to get this Free Google Pack.
What do you think of Google Pack?
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Yeni Audi TT | May 25, 2007 | Reply
Where can we download this Pack? Did you make it up?
BTW, I didn’t know that Ad Aware was a Google product?
Oyunlar | May 27, 2007 | Reply
Sorry I missed it, its on the sidebar
AgentSully | May 28, 2007 | Reply
Glad you found it. Not all the software in the Google Pack is developed by Google. They’ve recently upgraded the package to include more. I need to update this post. The package is even better than before. I totally love it. And it’s free. No brainer!
google pack | Jul 20, 2007 | Reply
you should definitely get it! i blogged about it too
agentsully | Jul 22, 2007 | Reply
Thanks Google pack. I totally agree. Why is it so hard to give things away for free?
The google desktop toolbar alone makes it worth it!
3d print | Jan 14, 2008 | Reply
Generally I avoid letting different toolbars to my PC, but seeing that this one was done google i’ve decided to give it a try. And it was pleasure … now i know the apps I use will prove it’s brang quality again.
did you find your home in there? I did 
ps Btw Earth is fun
Ian | Feb 24, 2008 | Reply
Google really seems to be floundering without any strategic focus
Too many diversified agendas in a period of extreme growth with ready access to lots of cash seems like a recipe for debilitating “strategic drift.” I mean, come on, instead of rebranding freeware, use some resources to take gmail out of beta.
John Mavis | Mar 20, 2008 | Reply
Yeah - I guess the problem is that I’ve already got most of these products in one form or another. Although I am a big fan of a lot of them - especially google earth and picassa.