MultiSearch

You can use this simple tool for free to look up information using several search engines, but its approach only saves you a few steps. We would have preferred that MultiSeach integrated with our browser.

MultiSearch is easily installed, but it adds a desktop shortcut without asking. The colorful interface has easily recognizable command buttons at the top, a list of search engines on the left-hand sidebar, and a viewing pane. A single field is labeled simply Search, so it's pretty clear what you need to do first. We made a few missteps after that, trying to hit Enter to pull up search results and looking for the Go button equivalent. It didn't take long to figure out that you have to select one of the 12 search engines from the default list to see results. It was easy to click through the various search engines, and you saved time by not having to type the search term over and over. Just as you would with a traditional browser, you can click through the search results links, but you have far fewer browsing options. With MultiSearch, you're limited to a few navigational commands and the option to print or save results. The only customization allowed is editing the list of search engines, and the tutorial is a bit of overkill, considering the window holds a single field to enter a URL.

MultiSearch worked exactly as promised, but this isn't a tool we'd consider a must-have. It may be able to find the information, but in order to really use the pages a search engine pulls up, most users will want to use their default browser. We'd prefer to see this freeware as a browser extension, giving us the benefits of quick searches without giving up any browsing functionality.