Ad blocking isn't as major a concern these days as it was in the past, due to browser improvements, but I recently got my hands on this program, which comes from the makers of SUPERAntiSpyware, so I gave it a try. ( on XP/sp3, 2 GB RAM).
It is a commercial product available from here:
http://www.superadblocker.com/?tag=SUPERADBLOCKER
Cost: $29.95, with yearly renewals about half that price.
SAB is a combined popup/spyware/adware/banner/trojan/cookie/ID theft blocker, which includes optional real-time antispyware protection, and the SUPERAntiSpyware Personal edition program. Since I am happy with my current real-time protection I did not enable this. It supports both IE (but not IE8) and Firefox (but not v3.x) but not Opera. Windows 7 is not supported. Since I use both IE8 and Firefox3.5, I wondered how it would perform. I will only address its popup blocking, not its other features.
Results:
- Its installer is a 6 MB download that installed easily. It included no extra bundled software, but it does install a BHO in your browser, an optional toolbar, and of of course inserts itself in your startup (SadBlock), and adds an icon in your tray.
- Its SadBlock.exe process in Task Manager shows a huge memory usage of ~70 K.
- It does not appreciably slow down my startup, system, or internet browsing.
- No conflicts detected with my other security apps.
Efficacy:
With IE8, I rarely get pop-ups or ads, but I still get notifications (where the ad would have been placed on a website page) that the content cannot be displayed. And if I try to use the browser's back button from such a page, I have to click past the many adyieldmanager-type entries, or use the drop-down browser button to bypass them to my last page.
SAB removes the notifications, and allows me to use the back button in IE with one click. Very useful.
I tested my integrated IE8 and Firefox 3.5.5 popup blockers at the following test site:
http://www.popuptest.com/
- IE8's blocker blocked all the common popups, but failed several of the others (floating airplane, drop-down, and sticky popups).
- Firefox blocked all except the drop-down and sticky popups.
- SAB by contrast passed all tests using IE8, but added no further protection to Firefox 3.5.5.
Similarly, when doing a Google (or other search engine) search, SAB blocks all sponsored ads and links in IE8, but not in Firefox3.x.
Summary:
SAB has value as an ad blocker to those using IE8 as their default browser, even if IE8 is not supported. SAB does block all adware and ads very well, and does it better than IE8.
It currently has little or no ad blocking value for users of Firefox 3.x or Opera browsers, or for those using Windows 7.
I note that a new version of SAB v5.x is due to be released soon, which reportedly will support IE8 and Firefox3.x fully, and Windows 7. At this time however, I can't recommend this program.