Do you use Google as your default home page? Did you ever look at what you get when you press the "more" link at the top of the search window.

Google gives away some amazing programs. Yes, gives away — they are free. Everyone should gave a copy of Picasa, a digital photo cataloguing program with some nifty and simple editing tools. Of course you will need a broadband connection, it would take forever with a modem. Then there are Google Earth and Google Maps (now with a full Melbourne street directory and driving directions) and even a browser based word processor and spreadsheet. The list goes on and on.

A great Google tool is a customised Google Home Page (see Figure 1). Even modem users can use this. Add /ig to the end of the Google address. So type http://www.google.com.au/ig into the address bar of your browser. I have tried this using Internet Explorer, Opera and Firefox and using Windows, Linux, FreeBSD and Solaris and it works in all cases.

The first step is to click on "make it your own" in the centre towards the top. Pick a few gadgets to get started then click on "Show My Page" in the top right corner.

Then go to your browser preferences and set the new Google page as your home page. In Internet Explorer go to Tools | Internet Options | General | Home Page. You can type in the address or simply "use current" if your creation is currently displayed.

You can drag the gadgets around the screen and reposition them. If another gadget is in the way it will move down to make space.

Your newly created home page has a "more stuff" link in the upper right to open up a world of fun stuff (and serious stuff too!). There are already thousands of Google Gadgets you can pop in, including lots of games like Hangman, Pacman and Sudoku. All you have to do is click on the "Add it Now" button under each gadget, then return to your Google Home page and it appears, magically. To remove a gadget just click on the little cross in the top right hand corner of the gadget. I don't think many people will want the "Inthemix/Inside Dance Music" gadget that is loaded as an example.

The layout is limited to three columns. If you have a wide screen monitor, the columns are wider, but there are still only three.

You can also create up to six page tabs. So you could create a "News" tab, a "Games" tab, an "Astronomy" tab, the choices are endless. It is as simple as clicking on the "add a tab" button on the top left, then a mouse click on the tab bar to switch between the tabs. To delete a tab, display it then click on its name and then select delete.

This is great fun, free and very easy. If you mess it up just delete everything and start again. You can delete and add back the same gadget as often as you want.

Readers will have noticed that I have my own home page integrated into the Google page. This is somewhat more complex. For June PC Update I will write an article on making your own Google Gadget that can embed any page you like, within the column width restrictions. This will be aimed at those who are a bit more adventurous. We will be creating a Web page with a link to the Melbourne PC User Group page then putting it in your Google Home page.

About the Author
Greg Eden is a long time Melbourne PC User Group member and Google fan.