If you frequently use more than one computer, keeping bookmarks in order can prove a challenging task. For example, you may forget to bookmark a recently discovered site on a netbook that you originally found on your primary notebook or desktop PC. Sync2It BookmarkSync, a free application and toolbar, will put an end to your scattered bookmark blues by letting you access your saved Web pages from any computer running the Firefox, Internet Explorer, Netscape, Opera, Safari, or SeaMonkey browsers.
Installation and Setup
Getting started was simple; we downloaded the 4MB file to a Gateway P-7808u FX notebook running Internet Explorer 8. After creating an account, we were uploading bookmarks to Sync2It’s servers within seconds. We then installed BookmarkSync on an Apple MacBook running Safari 4, as well as a Dell desktop running Firefox 3. Unlike Xmarks, it was a traditional download (not a browser plug-in), but it worked just as well.
The Bookmark Sync desktop software presented us with the option of how we’d like to sync our favorites. You can choose to send your bookmark information to the server (so that you can access that particular set of links from any PC), or choose to merge the bookmarks from other computers on which you have BookmarkSync installed to create a unified list. Merge is highlighted by default, but you can switch to the other option at any time. Merging is a great tool if you have a dedicated circle of sites that you rarely deviate from; the latter is great if you’re an obsessive bookmarker with a constantly expanding library.
Syncing
Once we signed into BookmarkSync, bookmarks stored within Internet Explorer 8 on our notebook appeared in Firefox 3 on our desktop almost instantly. We like that BookmarkSync shows the number of bookmarks that it’s moving from one browser to another. Clicking the taskbar icon on either PC opened a bookmark menu that let us quickly launch pages, while right-clicking let us tinker with options (such as quickly performing searches of our favorite bookmarks and viewing the sync status). We found this setup more user-friendly than Xmarks’, which doesn’t present an option for launching sites from the taskbar. Bookmarks can also be backed up and restored with ease, but we would’ve liked the addition of specialized sync profiles (which Xmarks has).
If you’re working on a new computer that doesn’t have BookmarkSync installed, you can log into BookmarkSync’s Web site to access bookmarks (which provides a simple, easy-to-read list of bookmarked pages). You can also download the BookmarkSync toolbar (for Internet Explorer 6/7, and Firefox 2 and later), which serves up one-click bookmarking and synchronization with the BookmarkSyncIT button.
Compatibility
BookmarkSync is also compatible with Netscape, Opera, Safari, and SeaMonkey. Note that the software is Mac and PC only, so Linux users are left out in the cold. The toolbar-based version of this service is available only for Internet Explorer 6/7/8 and Firefox 2 (or higher).
Social Bookmarking
By right-clicking on the taskbar icon and selecting Social Bookmarking, you can view groups of the most used tags. When clicked, these clusters show all of the bookmarked pages associated with a particular tag, providing a compelling way to discover new content. Although BookmarkSync’s Social Bookmarks and Xmarks’ Smarter Search perform similar functions, we preferred the former’s tight integration into standard search query results.
Verdict
Fast and intuitive, Sync2It BookmarkSync is a well-rounded tool that allows you to keep your favorites with you as you move from PC to PC, as well as discover new content. We would have liked the ability to install the toolbar on more browsers than just Internet Explorer and Firefox, but BookmarkSync is a highly recommended sync program.
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