Google Monetizes Start Page, Vocal Minority Gets Vocal

If you love something, set it free. Then, if you’re lucky, maybe you can figure out a way to make money with it. Despite what appears to be a vocal minority that is unhappy with the changes, that’s what Google (GOOG) may have finally been able to do with the redesign of its popular iGoogle start page.

Announced on the Official Google Blog, the new iGoogle start page features a major UI redesign that allows for both traditional, boxy widgets and a larger “canvas” mode that can take up the entire iGoogle pane. A key aspect of this change is a shift from iGoogle’s previous horizontal tab navigation to a left-hand sidebar.

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