IGoogle

From iProjekt

Contents 1 Main purpose 2 Useful information 3 Pros & Cons 3.1 Pros 3.2 Cons 4 Reference 5 Tool accessibility test (28 July 2010)

Main purpose

iGoogle allows you to create a mashup homepage. iGoogle homepage contains a Google search box at the top, and below you can put gadgets like video, photo, mail, chat, to-do list and etc.

Gadgets are a piece of reusable code from the same company that you can plug into website or blog. Google offers following gadgets:

   * Google mail 
   * Google News 
   * Weather forecasts
   * Stock quotes
   * Saving and accessing bookmarks
   * Making notes or to-do list
   * Designing your own gadget

Useful information

If you want to use iGoogle homepage you don't need to create an account, you can arrange it on the computer that you are using at the moment. But if you sign in with a Google account you can access iGoogle page across computers, all you need is a Internet access.

To add gadgets click Add stuff link. After you click that link it opens gadget search site. There you can find a gadget you like, and if you want it to add to your mashup site just click Add it now button. If you want to go home page click Back to iGoogle home link to return to iGoogle home page. All gadgets are arrangeable by dragging and dropping system. You can put them on the Home page. There is also possibility to have more tabs and more gadgets on them (default tab is Home).

Video tutorial you can see here iGoogle tutorial 

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Easy to use
• Possibility to add different RSS feeds
• Rich database of gadgets
• Supports chat and mail application
• Many different themes

Cons

• Supports only gadgets and not widgets

Reference

• http://www.google.com/ig

• http://www.google.com/support/websearch/bin/topic.py?topic=1592

• http://www.google.com/support/websearch/bin/topic.py?hl=en&topic=9004

Tool accessibility test (28 July 2010)

Server Response Time test performed from Seattle, WA / Munich, Germany / Brisbane, Australia : 0.086 sec / 0.129 sec / 0.465 sec

Server Response Time Scale: Less than 0,1 = Optimal; 0,1 - 1 = Acceptable; 1 - 4 = Noticable but tolerable delay; 4 - 8 = Bearly tolerant delay

This tool has help included on the tool's webpage (link): http://www.google.com/ig

There is no possiblity of changing the type or size of fonts in the tool (it can be done only as a browser functionality).