Congoo is a search engine launched this month that gives registered users free access to a selection of online publications that normally requires a subscription or fee to read. Does this sound too good to be true? Well, there are a couple of snags.

Not hassle free

To get started you have to download the Congoo plug-in called NetPass and register. The plug-in doesn’t work with Firefox for PCs and it doesn’t work on Macs at all.

The plug-in is in fact a toolbar and once it is installed it will consume precious space in your browser window. If you already have a toolbar or two installed like many web heads, it is bound to get a little crowded.

Quality publications

It you have a PC and choose to install the plug-in, you can get access to between four and 15 articles per month per publisher. Among the publications available you find important and trusted sources such as Encyclopaedia Britannica Online, Financial Times, BusinessWire, The Boston Globe, and The Chicago Tribune.

Something for you?

Many public libraries also offer free access to subscription databases. And if you work or study at a college or university, the campus library may also have online subscriptions that you can access for free.

If you want to read this content from home, and especially if you are a regular reader of one or more of the major US newspapers that can be accessed with Congoo, this could be a convenient and certainly an affordable solution.