| Version | 3.01 |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Silvawood Software |
| Release date | Jul 6, 2010 |
| Date added | Jul 27, 2010 |
| Os requirements | Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP/2003/Vista/Server 2008/7 |
| Requirements | None |
| Total downloads | 2,049 |
| Downloads per week | 2 |
| Price | $14.95 |
Description
Mercurius is a unique web search tool that helps you to narrow search engine and metasearch searches by listing keywords and phrases extracted from the web sites returned by a search. You can then repeat the search using any listed keywords you think are relevant, enabling you to reduce the number of results and find what you want. For example, a search on "William Shakespeare" returns more than a million results, but by using Mercurius and selecting "Ben Jonson" and "quote" from its list of suggested keywords, the search narrows to just a few hundred results, the first of which give Jonson's famous quote about Shakespeare being "not of an age, but for all time". So the Mercurius search assistant can a) guide you to keywords that would give you a better result when you repeat a search, b) reveal connections that you didn't know existed, and c) jog your memory as to what exactly you're searching for. It requires Microsoft Internet Explorer and can use most of the major search engines and metasearcher sites.
Review
This simple utility does more than access several search engines; it lets you quickly refine your search. Mercurius analyzes search results and finds out which words and phrases are used in the same context as yours. Then you can search again, adding these words and repeating the process until you find what you're looking for.
The interface leaves much to be desired. It would gain from being more integrated into Internet Explorer. The trial version doesn't allow you to fully value the utility because it disables crucial options such as search depth and the number of pages to analyze. Mercurius may help students and Web researchers the most.
