If you use multiple computers at home & at work, then you may want to access your bookmarks saved on your home computer on your workplace computer or vice versa. Or perhaps you may reformat your computer and forget to backup your favorites. Its always convenient to store your bookmarks in the cloud. There are several tools available to sync your bookmarks such that any new bookmarks you add at work show up at home, or any you deleted from your office laptop browser also get deleted on your home computer.
Google Chrome’s Bookmark Sync:
Google recently added the Bookmark Sync feature to the latest beta of its Chrome 4.0 browser.
Interestingly, Google had discontinued its Google Browser Sync add-on for Firefox last year with the obvious intention of making it available exclusively for its own Chrome browser.
Xmarks (formerly Foxmarks):
Xmarks (formerly known as Foxmarks) can keep your bookmarks as well as your passwords synced across Firefox, Internet Explorer, and the Mac OS version of Safari.
Xmarks was originally called Foxmarks when it used to work only with Firefox. This changed later when it released an upgraded version with support for other browsers such as Internet Explorer and Safari (Mac OS). Recently it has also launched an alpha version compatible with Chrome which is currently available only to testers. So now you can keep all of your bookmarks synchronised across all of these browsers.
However, the service in its new form also continues to lose customers as the domain xmarks.com which is used to sync bookmarks, used to be initially used for an adult website & hence is blocked by many proxies & firewalls worldwide – particularly at workplaces.
Mozilla Weave:
Weave is a Mozilla Labs project which takes the concept of syncing much further for your Firefox 3.5 browser & does a lot more than synchronize only bookmarks. It also lets you synchronize your saved passwords, browsing history, and even your open tabs.
Even more impressive, Weave works with Fennec, which is the beta version of Firefox for mobile devices like cellphones and PDAs. Fennec is currently available for the Nokia N800 & N810 Internet Tablets and could make its way on the upcoming Maemo based Nokia N900 handset.
Opera Link:
Opera Link syncs your bookmarks, speed dial, notes, browser history and other useful browser data between your computers running the Opera browser as well as mobile phones running the Opera Mobile browser. In a way, Opera has been the pioneer in providing the sync functionality.
Conclusion:
Firefox, Chrome & Opera have their own tools for syncing bookmarks which can be chosen if you exclusively use the same browser on all your computers.
If you use different browsers, then Xmarks is the only cross browser tool available to sync your bookmarks. Or you may also want to try out Delicious, the social online bookmarking site.
Which tool do you use for syncing your bookmarks? Do let us know through the comments section below.
very good post