The Gator Alternative: Roboform Product Review

By: Rebecca Marler
Roboform Web Site: www.roboform.com
Cost: Reviewed Version is FREE, Pro Version is $29.95 (USD)

The convenience of using Gator is alluring.

Since passwords are often a random combination of numbers and letters, a convenient method to store them is very welcome. With an extensive number of passwords to remember at various websites, Gator made it easy to store the information away and surf without interruption.

For me personally I was willing to keep Gator and let them know my shopping habits for "market" research, but the continual reports and my growing suspicions that they were doing something more with my shopping history was disturbing. When the news broke about their "gatoring" ads (covering other pop up windows with their own) I just couldn't justify the use of this freeware any longer.

Luckily, there is an alternative - AI RoboForm (http://www.roboform.com). It works as an add-on to Microsoft Internet Explorer version 4 or later, all browsers based on IE, and Netscape 6.

I went to their site and downloaded RoboForm without a problem. Their website gives instructions on how to convert your Gator passwords into RoboForm - this worked quickly (within seconds) and easily. It does put a small g_ in front of your passwords (called PassCards by RoboForm) showing they were converted from Gator, however, you can change the name on the drop down menu.

The interface to RoboForm differs quite a bit from Gator. Whereas Gator puts an icon in your system tray, RoboForm integrates into your browser, providing a customizable toolbar (I was using IE 5.50). At first I thought I would find this irritating because I don't like things piled onto my browser but once I used RoboForm for about a week, I saw the advantages.

The toolbar has a drop down menu, which you can fill in and change on the fly, allowing you to view all your PassCards by name and changing descriptions to better file titles. One of my testers recovered all sorts of old password accounts, including those to her online banking system.

The "Go and Fill" feature of Roboform is one of its best and useful features. Select a PassCard/password and click on Go and Fill - it will take you to the page affiliated with the form/password and automatically enters the data. This is a fantastic feature because it allows speed of access and also it helps you decipher obscure passwords to sites you don't often visit.

When you fill out the form about yourself, it is far more extensive then Gator's. Like Gator it also allows you to have different accounts, (RoboForm calls them Identities). There is a password protection of this information but since I don't have to worry about that (home computer, I'm the only user) that is a feature I did not explore.

One problem I did encounter with RoboForm, was that it automatically defaults to fill in forms when you visit a page. This can be a bit of a problem for me as I manage a link directory where I need to input info (not my own) into the forms. Looking under "More" - "Options" you can change it where it does not autofill forms and correct this problem.

Some problems with Gator, that RoboForm circumvents ~
Gator had to contact "Gator-land" with a sign in; RoboForm is ready as soon as you open your browser. Because Gator had to contact Gator-land, it sometimes delayed in opening or didn't open at all. Some days, when going to a password site, Gator just sat there - silent and stupid.

Whenever I went to ANY page that had a form, regardless if I had intent to fill something out or not, Gator would float that stupid little "click on me to turn me on" window.

Also, of course, Gator had the irritating pop up ads. For instance, when going to Amazon.com, it would open a Barnes and Noble advertising pop up. No problem, I closed it. But as soon as I moved to a second page at Amazon, yet another pop up window! Roboform has no ads.

Overall my experience with RoboForm was very favorable. Easy to install. Easy to convert the Gator passwords and info over to the new system. It sat there quietly and behaved with no ads or pop ups.

Definitely a much better (and safer) partner to surf with then Gator.

©2001 Rebecca Marler, All Rights Reserved.

Rebecca Marler is the webmaster for Blue Moon Horse (http://www.bluemoonhorse.com) and the moderator for the WEBHorse, a message group for designers of horse-themed websites (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BlueMoonWEBHorse).

Input on Gator and RoboForm was also provided by Lara Poirer of Alaskan Web Design (http://www.alaskanwebdesign.com).

This article may be reprinted in its entirety if all copyright information and credits remain intact on the page where the article appears.