A: Hi, you can definitely use Paperguide without installing the extension, as it is not mandatory. To use it, you would simply visit https://paperguide.ai/ and log in with your credentials.

However, the extension offers several features that enhance your experience.
Primarily, the extension allows you to add papers directly from web pages to your reference manager without needing to switch back to Paperguide. It also enables the "chat with PDF" feature on the web page, allowing you to ask questions directly on the page. Additionally, the extension lets you access references from your reference manager, no matter what tab you're in, making it easier to retrieve citations.

If you choose not to install the extension, the main drawback is that you'll have to switch between tabs to access these features, which can be a bit more cumbersome.