Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) introduced a new Bing search toolbar last week that hopes to be your computing dashboard. The only problem is that, for now at least, it only works with Internet Explorer 7 or later running Windows 7, Vista or XP.

The toolbar includes tons of information including integrated email and Facebook. Using the toolbar, you can see when Facebook has been updated and view Facebook information without explicitly opening the Facebook site. You can even do status updates directly from the toolbar (if you want to).

In addition, you can incorporate Hotmail, Gmail and Yahoo! mail account information and get your email from the dashboard without opening any of the sites to do it. Bing has a notification each time there's a new email.

Finally, you can conduct searches (as you would expect), get breaking news, view maps and much more.

The Bing Bar appears to be very impressive, but the fact that it only works under Windows in Internet Explorer is sure to limit adoption.

For more information:
- see the Bing Blog post and video

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