The Internet Book Shop
URL: http://www.bookshop.co.uk/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Wayne Cunningham
IBS claims to be the biggest online book shop, and while biggest is not always best, in the case of a bookstore, it means a lot. O.K., browsing through a bookstore is like meditation for me; I lose all sense of time, who I am, where I am. That is, if it¹s a big enough bookstore, if I can get away from any windows to the outside world, then you won¹t see me for at least a couple of hours. IBS, with 780,000 titles, is big enough. The fact that it¹s online means no distractions, like sirens from the street, or loud people. Browsing a bookstore¹s shelves is a lot like surfing Web pages, which is probably why an online bookstore seems like such a good fit. As far as online commerce goes, it¹s easier to ship books all over the world then it is to ship cars, or pets. And shipping is an important factor with IBS, because it¹s based in Britain, or Oxford, to be exact. Worldwide shipping has a lag time of four to 14 days, which doesn¹t matter a heck of a lot when you¹re ordering a title you can¹t get from any local bookstores. For Web pages, a U.K. address also means slower response time, which could be a problem if you¹re doing extensive searches. Oh yes, there¹s a search utility, an essential resource for a site like this. It¹s quick and easy to use, allowing you to search by title, author, ISBN, or publisher. If you¹re not sure where you want to start browsing, then the subject listing might be the place for you, although I did find the subject breakdown just a little bit weird, such as the category ³Fiction, ŒTrue Stories,¹ Humour.² I¹m not really sure what ŒTrue Stories¹ have to do with fiction. In fact, I think they are kind of the opposite. The site also has the Bloomsbury Good Reading Guide, a compendium of recommended authors and books, which is an excellent way to find new favorites. What really endeared me to IBS was it¹s special focus section on Hergé¹s *Tintin*. Not only does it have every one of the graphic novels, each page has picture from the cover.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 18

Jumbo Shareware
URL: http://www.jumbo.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0496
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Wayne Cunningham
With almost 50,000 programs, Jumbo can definitely claim to be the Internet¹s ³Official Shareware² site. Shareware and freeware is categorized by type, then operating system. Once you find something you like, you¹ll link to a list of FTP sites from where the software can be downloaded. The number of sites varies depending on the software. Nice graphics. If it exists, it¹s probably here.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 18

Amazon.com! Books
URL: http://www.amazon.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0796
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Wayne Cunningham
Claiming to be ³Earth¹s biggest bookstore,² and offering over a million titles, how could this site be anything but a Site of the Month? Think of it: One million books! So much knowledge, so much reading. Of course, whether ³biggest² is necessarily best is up for debate. Also, if the term ³bookstore² implies a physical space, does Amazon.com even qualify as a bookstore in the usual sense? Perhaps not, but, then again, nothing on the Internet is usual. The sense someone gets when they search the Amazon.com Web site and find so many books that match their interests, is of a super vast warehouse with miles of book-laden shelves. The whole thing would be completely overwhelming without something as fundamental as a search engine. The core of Amazon.com, finally, is the search engine, which allows four different ways of looking for a particular book. The easiest interface allows the user to search by title, author, and/or subject. The simplest, but least effective method is by keyword, such as a word in the title, or something to do with the subject matter. There is also a search form that surveys all the keywords available and a page with an open field for entering queries in Amazon.com¹s search language. For general browsing, hyperlinks lead to books classified by awards, bestsellers, and Amazon.com staff picks. The awards section covers some pretty broad territory, from the Hugo award to Pulitzer Prize winners. This section is useful if the reader is looking for a critically acclaimed book, or just trying to answer a trivia question. The bestseller lists have national listings and one specific to Amazon.com, (which, by the by, could provide interesting market research data about what sort of people are actually practicing Internet commerce; that is, if you can judge a person by the books they read.). In the democratic tradition of the Internet there is a section for individuals to write their own reviews of the books Amazon.com has to offer. All purchases can be made online, and each book¹s entry gives a timetable for delivery.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 18

Hot Hot Hot
URL: http://www.hothothot.com
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0996
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Rachel Saidman
The Internet's first "Culinary Headshop," Hot Hot Hot will tantalize both your mind and your tastebuds. You can search their extensive catalog for a range of hot sauces and salsas and either order directly from the site or by phone. Also featured are tasty tidbits of information about chiles and other fiery concoctions. The design is top-notch, with vibrant, primitive graphics against a tabasco red background. Easy to use, fun to read, and great to look at, this is a must for spicy sauce devotees, and friends searching for gift ideas.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 18

Fat Cat, Inc.
URL: http://www.fatcats.com/index.html-ssi
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Rachel Saidman
Fetching felines meet political satire at Fat Cat, Inc., the toys-for-cats online emporium. This site combines fanciful graphics and clever animations with cunning cat toy gimmicks pets and their owners will both appreciate. Catnip stuffed dolls for cats to sniff include Toss Perot, See Bill Run, and Newt Hoot (where's Bozo Bob?), as well as a stuffed vet, mean dog, and nasty neighbor on which cats can vent their pent-up hostility. Kids can download paper cat dolls to dress up and color, and can also post drawings of their favorite kitties. C-3 A-3 T-3
Overall Rating (out of 18): 18

CSA Archive
URL: http://www.csa-archive.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Rachel Saidman
Kitsch is king at the CSA Archive, a huge repository of advertising line art from the 1920's through the 1960's. The catalog, available for $49.95, documents over 7,000 historic and advertising illustrations. You can also order the CSA Archive Diskette or CD-ROM Collection which provides icons and dingbats for editorial and advertising use. Other products include Zippo lighters, t-shirts, and other funky home and personal accessories. Product photos could definitely be bigger, but graphic designers, desktop publishers, web site developers, and anyone else involved in the design field, should definitely take a look at the products offered at this site. C-3 A-3 T-3
Overall Rating (out of 18): 18

Internet Shopping Network
URL: http://www.internet.net
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1196
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Jose Alvear
From the creators of TV's Home Shopping Network comes ISN which sells computer software and hardware. They boast over 35,000 computer products and offer free membership to all. They have weekly specials, contests, and secure shopping with Netscape or Microsoft's IE. The search option comes in handy, allowing you to search by product name or manufacturer. It even tells you when something is out of stock. All that's missing are those unctious HSN hosts hawking their wares.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 18

T-Line Design
URL: http://www.t-shirtoutlet.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1196
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Jose Alvear
This site uses frames, cute animated buttons, very heavy graphics, and it requires Netscape. In fact my MS Internet Explorer couldn't handle the JavaScripts. They sell T-Shirts here (of 100% heavy pre-shrunk cotton) with themes like: Gags, Kimba, Blur, Satire, Americana Humor, Beer, and more. Their Reminder Service sends you email to remind you of special occasions -- like *Cinco de Mayo* or Bastille Day -- 8 days in advance. I have to remember to buy a Bob¹s Big Boy shirt for that friend of mine with a fondness for the fat little carnivore in the checkered overalls. What a great way to celebrate independence!
Overall Rating (out of 18): 18

Virtual Vineyards
URL: http://www.virtualvin.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1196
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Jose Alvear
Virtual Vineyards has branched out. Besides selling wine, they have a food shop where they sell pasta condiments, coffee, tea, candy and more. If you're new to wine and don't know a Cabernet Sauvignon from a Gewurztraminer, take their tour. Then try their recommendations and samplers. Not only do they take American Express, but also Visa, MasterCard and Cybercash. You can join Peter's email list, (that's VV's founder Peter Granoff who is a renowned wine connoisseur) for the latest on wine. Overall, there is a positive vibe here, that doesn't insult the wine-ignorant while managing to cater to the wine aficionado.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 18

Cyberian Outpost
URL: http://www.cybout.com/cyberian.html
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1196
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Jose Alvear
I got so caught up checking for computer hardware and software specials that what I was trying to do; namely, review this site. What the Cyberian Outpost lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quality. The philosophy here is that they don't sell anything that they don't evaluate first. Before offering an item for sale, they provide their "own objective editorial information". Some of the in-depth information appears to have been lifted from press releases, though, so -- as always -- *caveat emptor*. There are screen shots, box shots, hardware requirements, and miscellaneous specs. The home page features a slew of specials (although the graphics make them look like banner ads) and links to other areas such as the Mac and PC versions of the store and the Kid's Store. You can check the status of your order as well. I didn't order anything, but the specials will keep me coming back.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 18

Mo Hotta Mo Betta
URL: http://www.mohotta.com
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1196
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: Yes
Author: Wayne Cunningham
Two dissimilar antidotes to the modern malaise have gained popularity in recent years: cigars and hot sauce. The cigar resurgence has been fueled in large part by celebrities like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Madonna, and Michael Richards, (Seinfeld¹s Kramer), and taken up by a post-yupster generation hell-bent on enjoying the finer things even when they can¹t afford them. The (slightly narcotic) effect of a good cheroot on an existence made bland by the constraints of modern society, is to make that existence even blander, to dull and soothe like a painkiller. By contrast, hot sauces, which are all the rage in the specialty gourmet market, are the accouterment of those who seek to restore some edge to their lives. Face it: Just because your life has lost its piquancy, doesn¹t mean your food has to. Featuring products with intimidating names like Dave¹s Insanity Sauce, Pure Hell, and Endorphin Rush, the Mo Hotta Mo Betta company sells condiments that are sure to rekindle the fire in your belly. The sauces are made by small companies all over the world, and can be ordered from Mo Hotta via mail, e-mail, and telephone. Though the small operation has had a paper catalog since 1988, its Web site, designed by Studio G (http://www.etropolis.com/studiog/index.html) has really garnered it some attention. Sporting a look like something from Crayola, the somewhat crude, yet engaging artwork is consistent throughout. There are no photographs at all, in fact; even the product pictures are drawings. The content of the site is ample and well-integrated. The splash page gives visitors an option between the text and graphic versions, while the index breaks everything down into four simple subject areas: the catalog, an ³About the Company,² recipes, and a contest. The catalog is, of course, the most extensive part of the site. Each sauce has a humorous description that reads like the items in the J. Peterman catalog, only a little more whacked. The recipe section has a good many ideas for cooking with the sauces that Mo Betta sells, even including recipes for desserts and beverages. A Bloody Mary sounds good, but a spicy hot Peach Pie? The contest section features games of the ³guess how many gumballs in the jar² variety, with prizes that would make any hot food aficionado slather. How¹s about four pounds of Red Savino Chilies, eh? One a day would keep life interesting.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 18

Atomic Books
URL: http://www.atomicbooks.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0996
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Miles Orkin
Boom! The stockpile of twisted literature available from this Baltimore, Maryland bookstore will blow your mind. They offer esoteric tomes on topics ranging from erotica to anarchism, conspiracy theories to survivalist techniques, as well as an armory of underground and adult comics, graphic novels, cult films, pin-ups and zines. Most items listed in the well-organized Atomic inventories are accompanied by brief, informative descriptions to facilitate your online shopping experience, and some also include pictures and links to the publisher's website. Atomic specials and new releases are featured regularly. Lead suit optional.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

TruCost
URL: http://www.trucost.com
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0996
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Miles Orkin
Do not, under any circumstances, buy a computer or any hardware or software without hitting this site first. TruCost, "Your one-stop shopping center for the lowest computer and software prices," has an astounding catalog of computer equipment from more companies than you knew existed, all available at dealer cost. No hype, no flashy photos; just specs, and prices. Even if you're not ready to buy, you'll be impressed by TruCost's exhaustive list of links to vendors and toll-free numbers for service and support. Best of all, TruCost won't cram your mailbox with redundant catalogs three times a week.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

DealerNet
URL: http://www.dealernet.com
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0996
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Rachel Saidman
Car buffs have a home on the Internet at "The Virtual Showroom," where you can do everything but take the sucker out for a test drive. This site verges on information overload, with dealers, new cars, used cars, specialty vehicles, finance and leasing information, reviews, and a chat room, but the information is presented logically and with graphic pizzazz. I would be interested to know how this extends into the 3-D world-does the dealer honor the Web site price? Is it still negotiable? Nevertheless, this is a good place to start for an overview of what's out there and what it¹s going for.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

Notebooks.com
URL: http://www.notebooks.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1196
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Jose Alvear
Do you know the difference between active matrix and dual passive screens? Planning on purchasing a notebook computer? Here, they offer a three step effort: first, learn all about laptops. Then click and choose your price, the configurations you need, and the options you want, and voila, you get a list of computers that best match your needs. Lastly, choose your computer model and enter your contact information so someone can contact you to discuss the purchase. No online ordering. There are, however, links to computer manufacturers and a resource for laptop accessories. Overall, a very informative and easy-to-use site.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

The Cookie Connection
URL: http://www.soupweb.com/cookie/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1196
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Jose Alvear
The Cookie Connection's logo, a scary evil faced clown, greets when you enter. It also appears as the not-so-subtle background picture. Founder Paul Goeltz says "It's fun. It's a real high. I'm really into what I do.² "Come again?" The story is this: Paul, a Dead-head, wanted to sell something at Grateful Dead concerts. synapse fires, light bulb goes on, and he decides to begin the Cookie Connection. It appears they sell "Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip-Raisin-Banana Cookies.² Sounds like one big chockful o¹ taste cookie to me. Shipped Next Day, 2nd Day, or Regular Mail.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

CD Universe
URL: http://www.cduniverse.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1196
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Jose Alvear
Ho, hum. Yet another online music store. CD Universe (which also carries audio and VHS tapes) boasts 180,000 items representing all types of music. You can browse their catalog by musical genre, including categories for Bubblegum, Dub, Jit, Mento, and Mpb. Or look up your favorite band with their search function. If you cater to the popular, see the latest best-selling charts. One unfortunate fact: "All orders must be entered on line." They don't do fax, email, mail or even walk-in orders. A good feature: when looking at a band's discography you can click on "Roots & Similar" to see similar bands. Maybe one of them plays Mento. Maybe not so ho-hum after all.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

ShopPBS
URL: http://www.pbs.org/shop/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1296
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Jose Alvear
PBS, in an ongoing effort to raise money, has put up some items for sale at their online store. Some of the merchandise is pretty unspectacular, like the Frontline wrist pad and the T-shirts. No surprise that the biggest part of the store is the PBS Home Video Collection where you can choose from dozens of shows that aired on public television. Some of the stranger titles include "The 15-Minute Acupressure Face Lift", "Torvill & Dean: Face The Music Tour" and the horrific-sounding "Dolphins With Robin Williams." The video selection is searchable though, so you don't have to browse by title like I did. ShopPBS uses Cybercash instead of credit cards but plans to accept checks soon.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

Spiegel Directions
URL: http://www.spiegel.com
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1296
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Dorrit Tulane Walsh
It¹s slick, speedy, sightly, and. . .Spiegel? That¹s right, reliable old Spiegel has gone upscale, and produced a Web site to match their new image. Starting with the slogan, ³shopping @ the speed of life,² not only can you view full descriptions of products (Barbie even has her own section!), but you can also search for a particular item, see what¹s on sale, order online, and even learn how the family Spiegel got its name. Not all catalog items are here, but it¹s a good selection to start with‹plus, you can order anything from the catalog online, too.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

World Wide Music
URL: http://www.WorldWideMusic.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0197
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Deb Richardson
Offering some 200,000 samples from 40,000 different cassettes and CDs, this online music store uses the Real Audio plugin to fullest advantage, allowing visitors to download previews from each album in the virtual store. Each artist's entry also includes a full discography, a listing of all the songs on each album, and a small-but-usually-legible scan of the cover art. Also included is an online chat room and an automated service which keeps track of your musical preferences and provides "recommendations" upon request. A fast connection is a definate plus when visiting this site, and don't forget to download the latest Real Audio technology before you head out. One minor glitch - WWMusic was not accepting orders at the time of my visit.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

Edna Creek Mercantile
URL: http://www.libby.org/mds/mds2.htm
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
This site was created for those who want to combine the old-fashioned home-y-ness of the small town Mercantile, with the speed and convienence of the Web. The Folk¹s over at Edna Creek have a love for the romantic imagery of the old west‹ this site brims with it. The product selection is rather limited, but you can order all items over the Web, and they are featured on attractive, well designed pages. Anyone who prefers mountain villages to cities, and trout fishing to golf, will want to swing by the Merc when passing through Edna Creek.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Long Grove Confectionery Company
URL: http://www.longgrove.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
Forget Mom¹s birthday? Want to send that special someone from the chat room a chocolate computer? Never fear, Long Grove is ready to meet your needs 24 hours a day, and with a wide and quirky variety of mouthwatering chocolates to chose from, you should be able to find the perfect gift to bring a smile to any chocoholics face. You can order all their delicacies from a form, have them gift wrapped and delivered, and get a free box of chocolates for yourself. Despite all this, since the only payment option Long Grove gives you is plastic, and it¹s forms are insecure, I probably won¹t be ordering any luscious chocolate tackle boxes.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

X-Large Inte(r)network
URL: http://www.cinenet.net/xlarge/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
For today¹s young suburban fashion plate, X-large brings it¹s entire clothing catalog to the web. Unfortunately, it just scanned in the catalog, viewable one bandwidth-eating page at a time. The site is much more than a catalog, though, developing an image of the company as a propagator of irreverent, angst-ridden, youth culture. From video game manuals to an essay praising the merits of liquor, X-Large runs down what¹s hip in sound bite sized chunks. It has a small archive of sounds and video, and a very active open forum which is mostly a discussion of Hip-Hop. The site is very cool, definitely worth a visit even if you are not interested in their catalog.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

AutoSite
URL: http://www.autosite.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Browsing through AutoSite is an enticing way for car fanatics to shoot the day. You must join (at $9.95 for 30 days) to get the full impact of this home for buyers and auto-philes. But even if you don¹t want to subscribe, come here to learn more about symptoms of car trouble and suggested solutions, get the specs on new cars by manufacturer or country, and even see good-sized photos of most models. Those who register also get access to current base prices for new cars, comprehensive standard and optional feature lists, financing info, and blue-book value for used cars. Lots here.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Auto-By-Tel
URL: http://www.autobytel.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Auto-By-Tel on the Web really means ³Auto by e-mail and phone.² It¹s geared to serious car buyers who already know the make, model, and options they want on a new car, and want a quote from a dealer. Submit your query (along with your name, contact info, address, and how you¹ll finance the car) via e-mail, and one of the qualified ABT dealers will call you back shortly with a quote. Not unreasonably, ABT takes pains to say that it is not a price-quoting service, and prefers queries from immediate (this week), serious (1-2 weeks), or future (1-2 months) buyers. Very cool.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Offworld Metaplex
URL: http://offworld.wwa.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Wayne Cunningham
An extremely groovy and eclectic shopping mall with an outerspace theme. The credits read ³Offworld Metaplex, founded by Slith Darkmass, 2035.² One purpose of the site is to advertise Darkmass Productions¹ Web design services, so the graphics are really good, although somewhat unrestrained. Unfortunately, it lacks one very important factor that most malls have: shops. You know, places where you can buy things? It does have enough goofy stuff, like art galleries, a wishing well, and the black hole of pain, that it¹s fun to go there anyway. And you won¹t spend any money.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Speak To Me Catalog
URL: http://clickshop.com:80/speak/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Wayne Cunningham
The unifying element to each item sold on this site is that it speaks. Ahhh, the wonders of microchip technology. The catalog runs from the serious ‹ tapeless recorders ‹ to the humorous ‹ swearing keychains ‹ to the bizarre ‹ a talking spatula. Talking spatula? At this point, we should all collectively say ³Go figure,² and get on with our lives. Complete online ordering capability, but the graphics are way-bad. Lots of audio clips, though.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

FreeAdz Classifieds
URL: http://www.freezads.com/classifieds/l_view.html
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Reed Rahlman
This electronic version of the Boulder County, CO paper lets individuals list free. Businesses, collectors, and breeders (which, I assume, refers to people who deal in animals, and not the slang expression for heterosexuals) pay for theirs. Also included is a ³Soap Box² page, where you can rant about any issue you want, as long as you present solid arguments (which takes the fun out of it, if you ask me). Useful, but only if you live in the area, or have a desire to see what they're trying to unload out there.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Bargain Finder Agent Prototype
URL: http://bf.cstar.ac.com/bf/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0496
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Wayne Cunningham
This brilliant little utility from Andersen Consulting does your music shopping for you. Just enter the artist and album title you want to find, and Bargain Finder goes to nine online music stores, and comes back with prices. Or it would if CDNow, NetMarket, and CDLand weren¹t blocking it ‹ Bargain Finder seems to have problems integrating with other stores¹ search forms. The only store it consistently returned prices from was CDworld.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Ken Crane's Laser Disc Super Store
URL: http://www.kencranes.com/laserdiscs/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0796
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Laser discs are well-suited to Web shopping: you can search by genre, title or format (letterbox sometimes available), and you can order jackets or sleeves for the discs you have, and for those laserdisc fans who don¹t have access to a large selection locally, Ken¹s is a good resource. Besides the usual genres, he offers specialties including X-rated, exercise, Star Trek, karaoke, TV classics, and Voyager Criterion titles. Aficionados will know how his prices stack up, but given the wide selection and choice of delivery speeds (regular, fast, and I¹ve-gotta-have-it-tomorrow), chances are this is one to bookmark.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

RIGHTEOUS RAGS
URL: http://www.onto.com/righteousrags/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0796
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
³Dead fish swim with the stream.² ³A big head is a big load.² ³Get a grip.² These are slogans you too can buy and wear, courtesy of Righteous Rags. The site offers a simple product line (T-shirts, mock turtlenecks, sweatshirts and caps) which promote ³virtuous attitudes² such as integrity, honesty and hard work in larger-than-life display type. It¹s easy to find what you¹re looking for, the product sketches are appealing, and you can send email with your comments and questions. When I visited, there was only one problem: the order page was under construction. Delayed gratification, anyone?
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

AutoLink
URL: http://www.allcars.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0896
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Here¹s a good idea: list your used car for sale for the one-time cost of $24.95. You supply specs using long pop-up menus; a photo is optional. Prospective buyers can search by make, model, year, or price, and retrieve all the listings that match. The well-organized site was created by a group of sales and leasing outfits. As with most of the Web, the site will improve with a greater variety of listings and more locations (at present, it reflects Long Island, NY and not much else).
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Consumer World
URL: http://www.consumerworld.org/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0896
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Consumer World is a mega-site of useful links to all things consumer-related: phone and zip code directories; Better Business Bureau ratings, federal consumer publications, legal references, etc.. Rather than scroll through all the links, you can jump to subject areas. And, though it¹s a big site, this is a handy way to keep track of Panasonic 800 numbers, Popular Mechanics Car Buying Facts, HUD Asset Sales, state consumer agencies, and lots, lots more.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Nelly's Pilot and Aircraft Supply
URL: http://www.nellys.com
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0996
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Miles Orkin
There's no doubt that actual pilots and aircraft owners will gain the most from this site, with its comprehensive catalog of headsets, flight plans, airplane parts and navigation charts. Even so, don't pass Nelly's by just because you haven't received your wings yet. The animations that jump, spin and soar on practically every page are just the kind of online multimedia bells and whistles many surfers search for. Plus, you can find out about airshows, events, museums, galleries, literature, check out flight sim games and aviation screen savers.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Book Stacks Unlimited, Inc.
URL: http://www.books.com/scripts/news.exe
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
This ambitious bookstore invites browsers to pour over some 400,000 titles in a well-designed space. The site profiles new and award-winning titles and provides a searchable topic list. (Publish date, ISBN number, price, and ordering details appear.) Browse among audio clips and a large selection of electronic books posted several times a month. These include works from the likes of Kipling, Dickens, and Edgar Rice Burroughs. Earn credits ("Bookmarks") toward free books. You can also ship gifts. Stop by the Cafe to speak your piece about your favorites. Already well-organized, Book Stacks promises to become an enticing spot with more author and review information.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Moz
URL: http://www.bridge.net/~moz/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Moz-E Shirts (get it?) are either a swell idea or an awful one; I can¹t decide. Here it is: You put your e-mail address on a T-shirt for all the world to see. Florida college student Moz offers Nancy (of Sluggo fame), a conehead guy, a cool sax player, a steaming cup of joe, and Van Gogh flowers. Or send in your own fave graphic (standard formats, please) and choose a font from his esoteric selection. Cool feature: he'll sends you a GIF of what the shirt will look like. If you like it, be ready to pay cash; Moz doesn't take plastic.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Music Boulevard
URL: http://www.musicblvd.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
At Music Boulevard you you can browse music titles by genre, artist, album and song title. Albums display an All Music Guide rating and release date, and you can choose CD¹s or cassettes. (Though you must open an account before buying, it¹s transacted via a secure server.) Sign up for e-mail news of the shop's sales. One smart feature: choosing an artist gets you a list of similar artists to investigate. But when I picked Terence Trent D'Arby from the Oleta Adams list, they said no titles were available. Hmm.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Databoat
URL: http://www.databoat.com
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1296
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Jose Alvear
Lost in a sea of bad marine-related web sites? Put on your sea legs and come on board the Databoat, a great resource for all your boat needs. I can't imagine anything that isn't covered here. There are boat-related books, videos, kits, supplies, and music for sale here. And if it isn't for sale, the site probably links to it. Databoat connects to other boating companies and archived press releases so you can stay up-to-date on the latest in boating news. Databoat claims to be the first "CD-ROM Yachting E-Magazine" and you can purchase the latest edition here, too. Contests and other fun stuff round out this site nicely.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Jerry's Music Shack
URL: http://www.freemusic.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
Free music? No way. Jerry gives us an interesting, but short, list of Œfree or almost free¹ music. The catch is you have to buy other items, such as books, and the CDs come thrown in. It seems kind of like calling those CD-ROMs that come pasted into the back of $50.00 computer books free ‹ I don¹t buy it. This site does have a delightfully random sampling of music, but there were only about five CDs listed when I visited, and they were arranged in an cumbersome, albeit attractive, manner.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

A Tale of Two Kitties
URL: http://www.twokitties.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
If you like to display or even flaunt your love of cats, and you can tolerate intense cuteness, A Tale of Two Kitties could be for you. It¹s a well-organized, easy-to-view catalog of stuff for feline fans ‹ tote bags, T shirts, caps, and of course, computer accessories (you need a cat mouse pad, don¹t you?). Heavy on the pastels and cutesy copy, the products are clearly described and priced, and ordering is easy (fax, e-mail, mail, and phone). Not only can you outfit your entire house and body in cat-related goods, there are even a couple of products for your own tabby (more to come, no doubt).
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

AutoWeb Interactive
URL: http://www.autoweb.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Because they require research and comparison shopping, cars can be a good subject for Web sites. AutoWeb, ³The Nation¹s Electronic Auto Mall,² is a good place to check on current prices of new and used cars, by dealer, by state or metro area, and even by private owner. There¹s also Autos Wanted and Exotic / Classic Cars Wanted (this is a paid ad area), and with a decent connection you can easily browse though a respectable number of listings. Search for dealer info by location, services and hours, though the list is somewhat incomplete. It¹s a good start point.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Retail Slut
URL: http://www.hallucinet.com:80/retailslut/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
If you¹re the type who easily parts with money, do these items grab you? ³Poet shirt, rayon, ties at neck $74; mini-skirt, shiny stretch vinyl, zipper back with snap, $28; stretch jeans, super stretch, standard cut (not shown), $68.² Not enough info, you say? How about if you could see a small detail-indifferent black & white photo of these items on models? Welcome to Retail Slut. This Melrose Avenue store in LA offers you a table of item numbers and sketchy descriptions, or photos displaying same. Cute concept, now let¹s rebuild your page with real buyers in mind.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

World Wide Diamond Source
URL: http://plaza.interport.net/wwd/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0796
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Call me skeptical, but diamonds don¹t strike me as something folks are jumping to buy on the net. But if you¹re feeling compelled, you can do it here (at least, you can e-mail an order to be verified within 24 hours of providing a credit card number). Whether you want cut diamonds, engagement rings, studs, or tennis bracelets, there is a long list of item numbers and prices to choose from. If on the other hand you¹d like to learn a little more about the gems before you start shopping, this is a helpful place to begin. There¹s a short FAQ and info on the cut, color, clarity, and carat-weight ‹ the 4 Cs of diamondology.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Lyndy¹s Country Cupboards
URL: http://www.imall.com/stores/lyndys/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Our gal Lyndy says that her store, 45 minutes from downtown Houston, is in the ³country shopping mecca of Texas,² and that her Web page offers ³the only warm and cozy shopping experience on the Net!!² I¹ll give her this: the photos of products she¹s selling online are good-sized, and it¹s easy to find the descriptions, dimensions, and shipping costs right by each item. But I¹ll leave it to you to decide if you need to order a pair of fuzzy bears. Ordering seems easy (but your only delivery choice is UPS Ground), so if you¹re feeling warm and cozy, stop on by.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Biggest Little Craft Mall
URL: http://www.craftmall.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
OK, I haven¹t walked a mile in this mall¹s moccasins, but I¹m pretty sure I wouldn¹t call my cyber-mall ³The Biggest² anything until I made sure I had a lot of vendors signed up. The BLCM doesn¹t. When I looked, there was one seller in each of five areas (knitting, woodworking, cross-stitch, crafts, and stitch-pattern software). Not that they don¹t mean well. The site has built the capability for searching by geography, posting classifieds and email threaded discussion, tips on what sells, materials, and where to find supplies. They¹re trying.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Diners Grapevine
URL: http://www.dinersgrapevine.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
The Grapevine: Read menus, check prices, hours, reviews, get directions, find out which credit cards they take, or if kids are welcome. Unfortunately, most of the databases for these guides fall mighty short of offering these reasonable features, and Diners Grapevine is no exception. You can search by location, cuisine, atmosphere, entertainment, all right; but what you¹ll get is a listing, plain and simple, with street address and phone number. Period. The Guide¹s obvious emphasis is to get more listings (and salespeople to work for the Grapevine), and to feature restaurants using the Transmedia discount card, which not surprisingly is a sponsor of the page. Duh!
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

New York Food
URL: http://www.nyfood.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0796
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Got a yen for pizza, bagels, chow mein, or pasta delivered to your door? If you live in Manhattan, you might have luck with New York Food. At this writing, the selection of restaurants is predictably heavy in the deli department, but downright skimpy in cuisines like Indian, Thai, or Japanese. The criteria for cost and geographical boundaries are still very vague, but that¹s OK because other features of the service ‹ an area for posting your own reviews and reading others, for example ‹ are limited to New York customers of Internet provider Pipeline. The foundation is here for a nice service; New Yorkers, check back next year.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Rent Net
URL: http://www.rent.net/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
The value of information on the Web is only as good as the database behind it. Rent Net¹s onto a good idea, letting you search by Canadian province or US state, city, number of bedrooms, and price range for apartments. But of course there are only a handful of listings for any given search because the service needs many more participants to be truly useful. The features Rent Net offers are good ideas, too: listings include icons for pets, whether the place is a home, single unit or vacation site. There are even snapshots of a number of the buildings. It¹s small, but on the right path.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Atomic Books Electronic Catalog
URL: http://www.clark.net/pub/atomicbk/catalog/catalog.html
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Wayne Cunningham
The electronic catalog is the online version of the physical Atomic Books store in Baltimore, MD. And I know just how to get there because there¹s a map on the site. The book selection is great; it consists of all the weird and eclectic stuff you won¹t find at Barnes & Noble. Besides underground comic books and graphic novels, there are sections for revenge, hiding your identity, and trash culture. Unfortunately, online ordering isn¹t very sophisticated. No shopping basket; you just have to type the name of your selection into a text box.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Monkey
URL: http://www.digitalrag.com/mirror/monkey/monkey.html
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Wayne Cunningham
This is primarily a store for hats and shirts, with unique artwork by Ken Brown. Wait a minute. Did I say ³artwork?² This is clothing with prints of things like coffee cups. Artwork may be a stretch, but it is unique. The prices seem reasonable, although to actually order anything, you will have to revert to voice communications. Seems like good gift material for people in their early 20s.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Classifieds 2000
URL: http://www.classifieds2000.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Reed Rahlman
Classifieds 2000 specializes in cars. Sellers list free; buyers can easily access offerings either by scanning entire listings or scanning desired criteria. My search string of "Japanese car, manual, under $1,700" came up with more than a few good leads. If the car of your dreams isn't currently listed, a "cool notify" feature will e-mail you when one arrives. Classifieds 2000 currently only serves the San Francisco Bay Area, but expansions to Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Boston are in the works. Real handy, and they took time to make it look good, too.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Classified Flea Market
URL: http://ww.cfm.com/cfm
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Reed Rahlman
All ads are in the 510 area code (which is the East Bay Area, that vast district across the water from San Francisco), unless otherwise noted. Again, real handy if you're in this part of the country; means bupkis if not. The site offers free listings, simple search by any of the 90 categories, etc. The novelty here is CFM's ad of the week, which, on this outing, was a beaded wedding dress.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

1 World Plaza
URL: http://www2.clever.net/1world/plaza/shop.htm
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0496
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Wayne Cunningham
This electronic shopping mall has a directory of 35 online stores selling everything from audio books to baby blankets. It¹s organized well and designed nicely, but the stores aren¹t located on-site; you¹ll just find links to the stores¹ own Web addresses. Moreover, the mall offers no such amenities as security, or a food court.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

America's Choice Mall
URL: http://choicemall.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0496
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Wayne Cunningham
When you enter this E-Mall, you¹ll find a small variety of products; mostly strange mail order niche things. Most of the storefronts are on-site, and online ordering is available through a secure form. The graphics won¹t win any awards, and the organization is a little odd, allowing the user to select a mall by state, which doesn¹t make too much sense in the extra-geographical realm of the Internet.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

EMusic
URL: http://www.emusic.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Here¹s a music site that offers some reasonably smart searching (by song, title, year, artist, genre, label) for a 100,000-item catalog. As with a number of other music sites, though, EMusic has only a thin veneer atop an ugly text database, and within moments you¹ll be peering at small type to decipher your finds. There are some nice features including links to new titles and concert dates (under construction at this writing), top 40 charts, top sellers by year, and a way to review both your current and previous orders. Eventually, with some of its links smoothed out and a more readable storehouse of titles, EMusic could be a good stop for music lovers, instead of just an adequate one.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Designers Direct
URL: http://www.designersdirect.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0796
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Shopping becomes a chore at this site, which sends you through page after page just to see what¹s available (casual clothing), get descriptions of specific items (there¹re only eight), go to additional photos of said items (the top-level illustrations are truly thumbnail-sized). Hoo, boy. If you want to go to all this trouble for a Calvin Klein T-shirt or a $98 bomber jacket, be my guest. The site does offer multiple ways of paying, including an 800 number, so you might find an actual human to answer your questions. In terms of browsing, though, Designers Direct makes you work hard for a questionable reward.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

My Wish List
URL: http://www.mywishlist.com
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0896
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Winner of this month¹s chutzpah award is My Wish List, a gift registry for YOU. That¹s right, for a yearly or quarterly fee, you can list up to 25 items - product names, brands, colors, sizes - and then exhort your pals to go here to search for your heart¹s desires. Strangely, there¹s no way to buy anything that¹s listed, or link to pages where your wish list items might be. My Wish List simply takes money for posting your list. Nice graphics and easy navigation, though.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Good Stuff Cheap
URL: http://www.onramp.net/goodstuf/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0896
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
If buying close-out bargains is your idea of heaven, get on over to Good Stuff Cheap, a well-designed site offering leftovers and finals of everything from stuffed animals to karaoke systems, ³fun watches² to tackle boxes. Searchable menus let you create a ³personal shopper² that will notify you when there are new products available in categories you pick. Order using email, fax, or an 800 number. For the undemanding and inveterate shopper, GSC could be fun.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Archie McPhee
URL: http://www.halcyon.com/mcphee/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0896
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Wayne Cunningham
What do plastic hearts and wind-up robots have in common? Both things adorn the home page of the Archie McPhee Web site, but what does the juxtaposition mean? Is it meant to hint at some kind of man/machine duality in cyberspace, the human heart signifying the living, breathing human, the robot an artifice created in the likeness of man? And what shall we make of the fact that the underlying context of this odd coupling is the Web? Doesn¹t the World Wide Web suggest a unified whole? Not confrontation or duality, but harmony? No, people, don¹t be fooled. On the surface, Archie McPhee may seem to be a mere retailer of fringeware, cast-off experiments from the tawdry age of mass-production -- rubber insects and strange alarm clocks and hot pink, vibrating gewgaws -- but Archie McPhee is really about subtext. It¹s apparent in the very name. Even before the proprietors of this funky store in Seattle thought of the appellation, Archie McPhee already existed in the collective unconscious, like one of Plato¹s forms or the Oversoul. All any American needs, in this late-capitalist culture of ours, is to hear mention of the name, Archie McPhee, to experience an immediate sense of calm and familiarity, as if he, (it ) were an old beloved cartoon character, evocative of all childhood¹s happiness. The Archie McPhee catalog is legendary. Somehow -- as if by magic -- it turns up in random mailboxes around the country. Folks read it and pass it around to friends, but unlike karma (and boomerangs, for that matter), it doesn¹t come back. The catalog, and the store in Seattle, are filled with plastic eyes, weird toys, plastic pools of vomit, and a lot of stuff that¹s just indescribable, not to mention incredibly inexpensive. The Web site is diminutive in comparison, culling the best merchandise from the stockroom, highlighting such wonderful novelties as the Fighting Nun Punching Puppet. And a Nun puppet with punching action inevitably brings us back to the subtext. (You knew it would.) On one level, there is the comic notion of the peaceful Nun, unwise in the ways of the world, engaging in fisticuffs. The comic nature of the puupet lies in the fact that a duality is melded together in the whole, the gestalt. The deeper subtext, of course, has to do with the whole human condition, that humans are like DNA, containing all possible human characteristics in one novel package. The double helix intertwined, the Yin and the Yan, evil chasing its tail. (You know you know what I¹m getting at.) Archie McPhee teaches us harmony on the home page, and everywhere throughout the site. Archie McPhee may be nothing more than a figment, but he¹s a figment on the razor¹s-edge path to enlightenment. Amen.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Wine Country Gourmet
URL: http://www.winegourmet.com
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0996
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
Looking for some garlic stuffed Sevillanas Olives? How about hot pepper jellies? If you can't make it to the California Wine Country, this online shop will deliver those and other fine (and unusual) products to your door. At a loss as to what to do with distinctively California cuisine ingredients like fruit chutneys? Don't be too embarrassed. After all, recipes are provided on the site just for that purpose. Chutney Spiced Gingerbread sounds especially tasty. Order online or call the 800 number. And don't forget the vino, sold separately.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Auction Advantage
URL: http://emporium.turnpike.net/~auction
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Miles Orkin
Despite the fantasies this site's name might inspire, you'll have to look elsewhere for Picasso etchings, oriental rugs and Kennedy family furniture. Surf no farther, however, if Florida commercial property and Colorado vacation condos are what you desire. Auction Advantage deals strictly with real estate auctions throughout the country. It includes pictures and descriptions of property to be auctioned, plus links to related sites (for example, a City of Lancaster, California link for a ranch being auctioned there). The information is concise and up-to-date, but probably not too interesting unless you're actually in the market.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

The Sound Garden
URL: http://www.soundgarden.com/music/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0996
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Miles Orkin
Sorry Chris Cornell groupies, this site has nothing to do with the Seattle band of similar nomenclature. The Sound Garden is actually a Baltimore, Maryland independent music store, with a huge stock of new, used, rare and bizarre records, tapes and CDs. The site sports record reviews, press clippings, special deals, a best seller list, a searchable catalog database (with instant-ordering capability), a listening booth, and even an in-store ³sneaky spy-cam.² Mail-order is easy as a mouse click, and the Sound Gardeners claim that if they don't have an item in stock, they'll find it for you within days.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Byte.my.disk!
URL: http://home.earthlink.net/~bytemydisk/index.htm
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0996
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Rachel Saidman
Censorship on the Internet (The Communications Decency Act) is a hot issue. Gabby, Cynthia, and Monica are feeling pretty pissed off about it and, hey, you wanna buy a t-shirt? I'm not sure if the visuals-featuring attractive young women straddling chairs with pouty lips and tousled hair are tongue-in-cheek, but irony notwithstanding, how about some beefcake, girls? Horny young guys aren't the only ones surfing the Internet, and if I'm going to fork over $39.99 for a t-shirt, I want to get my money's worth.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

The Blue Armadillo
URL: http://www.bluedude.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Once upon a time, there was a meek, blue armadillo destined to become roadkill. After nearly meeting his fate at the hands of an 18-wheeler, he started pumping up and turned over a new leaf. Now known as Blue Dude, he spends time surfing, rollerblading and posing for a line of T-shirts. Any or all of nine in the series can be yours -- or you can even rep the whole line. Cute designs and a story line make this an appealing notion.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Internet Plaza
URL: http://internet-plaza.net/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Rachel Saidman
A "virtual mall," you can either window shop at the Internet Plaza or browse through merchandise at numerous and varied retail establishments. Shops are divided into categories including Book End, Fashion Blvd., Gourmet Lane, Sports and Fitness St., Travel Ave., and Kids Way, each represented by a handful of stores. For those folks who either loathe, or are unable to reach, the real thing, this is probably not a bad alternative to shopping malls: no parking hassles, lines for dressing rooms, rude clerks, or crowds. Navigating the site is easy, the mall metaphor consistent throughout. C-2 A-2 T-2
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

West Coast Paper Company
URL: http://www.wcpc.com/index.html
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Rachel Saidman
The Paper Channel is West Coast Paper Company's web site, dedicated to the manufacture and sale of paper. The problem inherent in this concept is that one of the great things about choosing paper is handling samples to feel their unique weight, shade, and texture. The product catalog section contains photos of the packaging, but tells very little about the actual physical characteristics of the paper. Those who are familiar with WCPC's stock might want to order online, but those who haven't used their paper will probably want a tangible sample of the product prior to purchase.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Steve's Steak Central
URL: http://www.bestbeef.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1196
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Jose Alvear
Steve from Steve's Steak Central isn't just talking ordinary steaks, here. He¹s talking "inspirational steaks.² All the steaks he sells are "Certified Angus Beef" by the American Angus Association. Not just beef; pork, veal, and lamb as well. (The AAA, I've learned here, certifies only the best steaks.) Besides buying beef you can browse through their menus and recipes. You can even get tips on meat freezing, thawing and recommended cooking techniques. Of course, inspiring beef doesn't come cheap; expect to pay a premium for these choice cuts.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Natasha¹s Café
URL: http://www.natashascafe.com
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1296
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Emily Soares
More of a New Age J. Peterman¹s than anything else, Natasha welcomes you to her café with ³A Drum, a Dress, and a cup of Turkish Coffee.² She sits facing her visitors wide-eyed, decked-out in exotic cap and robe, hands held together in meditation. Natasha will share her soulful observations of inanimate objects, and then try to sell them to you. About the Weeping Buddha woodcarving, she says, ³I see a strong handsome man not hesitant to express his emotions... I like what I see... I like touching him.² You can read about her husband¹s Greek adventures, the inspiration behind the Greek Sheepskin Vest ($195). How Œbout an African Thumb Piano, a Jembe Drum, Egyptian Pendant, or Afghani Freedom Fighter Hat? As annoying as the travelogue sales captions are, everything looks nice.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Consumer Information Center
URL: http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1296
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Jose Alvear
Admit it: You've ordered the Consumer Information catalog. You know: Pueblo, Colorado? the TV commercials? If not, come have a look: The CIC has been helping consumers get government information and publications since 1970. In fact, 40 government departments and agencies dole out over 200 booklets a year dealing with everything from cars, money, children, housing, business, travel, employment, the environment, food, and then some. Not all the booklets are online, but for a complete list, order the print catalog by snail mail; you know the address.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Starting Line Products, Inc.
URL: http://www.netib.com/startingLine
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1296
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Jose Alvear
Staring Line Products is a snowmobile manufacturer and distributor. As such they include their catalog online so you can browse the selections and even place orders. When looking at a particular snowmobile, you can read detailed descriptions and click on an item to order. Truth is, there could be lots more here about snowmobiling (where are all the cool links?). The newsletter and snow mobile race results keeps you entertained, if only for a little while.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Enviroshop
URL: http://www.enviroshop.com
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1296
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Jose Alvear
Buy with your conscience. Enviroshop brings you cruelty-free, pesticide-free, non-allergenic, socially responsible products. Items include cleaning supplies, toys, clothing, jewelry, books, videos, pet items, and office supplies. All very green. And speaking of green, this is a secure site that accepts credit cards. The hierarchical layout lets you go from category to sub category. There are detailed descriptions of the products and pictures too, so you know what you're getting. If you can get past all the corny clip art images here, you should have a fine, environmentally-friendly shopping experience.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

The NetCheck Commerce Bureau
URL: http://www.netcheck.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1296
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Dorrit Tulane Walsh
Think of NetCheck as a Better Business Bureau for the Internet. Companies pay to join and get listed here, and, with those fees, NetCheck is able to provide you, Ms./Mr. Average Consumer, with free services like handling complaints against shady Internet vendors, site copyright violations, and get-rich-quick scam spam e-mail. (There¹s a form right here to file any of the listed complaints.) They also keep a file of complaints, searchable-by-company against their members. Seems like an OK idea, if it works‹and the only way to know that is to try it.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Music dot Apple dot Com
URL: http://music.apple.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0197
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Dorrit Tulane Walsh
³Rotten apple?² Nah, that¹s just too easy. This site¹s a tease‹really good looking, but you quickly discover there isn¹t a smidgen of substance behind the facade. Allegedly ³some of the coolest music known to man,² is here, but all I found was an opportunity to join a ³Digital Party List,² which brings you dates of QuickTime Live events via e-mail. ³Find the Music² is all the CDs nominated for Grammies in 1995. Hey, Apple‹the Grammies were given out last February! No sound samples, either; clicking a CD just shoots you over to CDNow. Calling Dr. Kevorkian. . . AESTHETICS: 3 CONTENT: 1 TECH SAVVY: 2 Pat‹If the Dr. Kevorkian remark¹s too much, you can change to: Please, put this site out of its misery.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Word Mill Used Book Store
URL: http://www.wordpr.com/book/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0197
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Dorrit Tulane Walsh
Here you can order up to 5 used paperback and hardcover books‹all $2.50 each‹and you don¹t even have to pay until after you get them. The selection isn¹t huge, but is adequate; plus they carry fiction and non-fiction. BUT, the bad news is that the postage is hefty, delivery takes up to a month, and some of the plot descriptions (e.g. The Women¹s Room) aren¹t very accurate, so you better already know what the book¹s about. This site¹s worth checking out if you¹re in the hinterlands, but city-dwellers can probably do better at a local used book emporium.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Discount School Supply
URL: http://www.earlychildhood.com/dss.html
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0197
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Deb Richardson
This online shopping service is a great idea which is a potentially fantastic resource for overworked elementary school teachers all over the US. At first glance it seems to be 'yet-another-online-catalogue,' offering (at present) a limited number of children's arts-and-crafts supplies. DSS has added a twist, however - each product description is accompanied by a number of related project ideas and lesson outlines. Sadly, Discount School Supply will only send its full, hardcopy catalogue to US addresses (a problem since Mom is an elementary teacher in Canada), and while it offers a 1-800 number and a snail-mail address, there isn't a mailto to be found. Definately a good start to what could become a valuable source of ideas for those saints of our younger years.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

EMusic Home Page
URL: http://www.emusic.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Here¹s a music site that offers some reasonably smart searching (by song, title, year, artist, genre, label) for a 100,000-item catalog. As with a number of other music sites, though, EMusic has only a thin veneer atop an ugly text database, and within moments you¹ll be peering at small type to decipher your finds. There are some nice features including links to new titles and concert dates (under construction at this writing), top 40 charts, top sellers by year, and a way to review both your current and previous orders. Eventually, with some of its links smoothed out and a more readable storehouse of titles, EMusic could be a good stop for music lovers, instead of just an adequate one.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 14

The Great Fax Cover Sheet Co.
URL: http://www.iwsc.com/greatfax/index.html
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Hankering for a remote control holder? How about fax cover sheet cartoons or funny fax post-its for your outgoing communiques? Or can we interest you in a pair of rolling scissors for ease of cutting? If you want any of these things, stop on by and order them here. You can e-mail your order, call the office, or send your request to a BBS. (Naturally, you can also fax.) The items are adequately described, but this would be a more useful site if it offered more products. As it is, it¹s not bookmark quality - nor is there a compelling reason to visit.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 14

PlanetMARS Inline Skate
URL: http://www.gateintl.com/PlanetMARS/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Like running shoes, roller skates have gone totally high tech. The inline skates favored today by hip rollers look like space boots on steroids. Blast off to Planet Mars, for a BIG dose of skating gear ‹ and of the Netscape blink feature ‹ and start shopping (pay by check, credit card, or wire transfer). The site is very graphics ‹ and Tables ‹ intensive, but the Martians don¹t provide any background about the products you¹re considering other than low-res photos, and low, low Planet Mars price. Planet Mars is probably better suited for the average-sized, diehard fan who already knows it all and doesn¹t want pointers to other resources or additional info.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 14

Jones Digital Store Trading Post
URL: http://www.jii.com/jds/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
³So, virtual partners, get ready to fill yer saddlebags with the finest goods and services on the electronic supertrail today!² And just what will you be filling yer saddlebags with? To date, wholesale paper and stationery; videos and CDs from Jones¹ bookstore (including a 20 hour set of Newt Gingrich lectures); elasticized wrist-holders to stave off RSI or carpal tunnel effects; security software, and ski accessories. Like so many small business sites, its ambition (and prose) far outweighs its ability to deliver more than a small hodgepodge of strictly optional goods. Don¹t feel like moseying? Can¹t say I blame ya.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 14

EPage Internet Classifieds
URL: http://ep.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Reed Rahlman
This general merchandise online ad paper claims 75,000 actual readers ("not hits!"). Commercial ads support the free placements by regular humans. Searches are available by region and subject, which are broken down into detailed sub-groups. It could be a good source to find what you're looking for, but it needs more ads to choose from. Still, if you have something to sell, it can't hurt to post it here.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 14

Net 1
URL: http://www.netchex.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0496
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Wayne Cunningham
Net 1 promotes NetChex, a system for secure Internet money transactions. NetChex software can be downloaded from this site. One problem is that the software only exists in PC format. Another more serious problem is that few vendors have adopted NetChex as a standard. If nobody accepts our NetChex, we can¹t very well spend our money, can we? An impressive looking site on the surface, but NetChex has yet to deliver the goods.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 14

ElectroWeb
URL: http://ElectroWeb.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0796
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
If anyone tries to tell you that shopping on the Web is fun, easy, intuitive, and beats facing the mallgoers, don¹t believe `em -- this site¹s proof. To shop here, you gotta plow your way through numbing market-speak lists of the various electronic, PC, and peripheral products ElectroWeb pushes, most of it in shorthand (64kb/s Data, 64kb/s Digital Voice, Max-X Bass), and sportin¹ fuzzy product shots. It pays to know exactly which model or title you want before browsing, and woe to the shopper whose taste ranges beyond the meager inventory offered here. If this were all there was to the Web, we would have moved on to the next fad by now.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 14

E-shop
URL: http://e-shop.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0796
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Patrick Joseph
This might be the closest approximation of the Home Shopping Network on the Web: Although not offering as vast an array of goods yet (hardly), it has exactly the same sort of wildly diverse, tawdry, no-class merchandise as the TV people do. My favorites: The Hand¹s Free Sports Ball Carrier and the Long Mu Mu (@ 16.95, a must for the lady of the house). Most of the departments are, as yet, still empty, but who knows? TV shopping was a huge hit: Maybe, God help us, this will be too.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 14

INTERIOR DESIGN INTERNATIONAL
URL: http://members.aol.com/intdesintl/index.htm
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0896
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Here¹s some friendly advice: Don¹t promise the moon if you can¹t deliver it. This site is merely a color brochure (with fuzzy photos) promising interior design services at $47/hour plus all expenses - and coming soon, a place to buy furniture, fabrics, wall and window coverings, and accessories from IDI¹s wholesalers. What can you do at the moment, you ask? Look at the photos of various rooms (no products identified), and send email to IDI. That¹s it. Please come back later.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 14

Island Outfitters
URL: http://www.islandoutfitters.com/island.htm
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0896
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
I guess the Island Outfitter folks must have a lot of time on their hands. Their text-intensive site offers friendly, chamber-of-commerce style reports on various Caribbean destinations including the Cayman Islands and Cuba, along with very few external links and an extremely secure way to order -- what else? T shirts and caps. Everything looks nice, but the product images are all fairly slow to load. Linking to some travel resources would help beef up the content so we¹re rewarded with more than T-shirts for our trouble.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 14

As Seen on TV
URL: http://www.asontv.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0896
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Bacon Magic. Pet Mitt. Dura Lube. Mega Mop. And yes! Ginsu Knives. As Seen on TV offers just what the name says: products you¹ve marveled over late at night on hyper-info-mercials. Each item features a product shot, some key sales messages, and a secure order form. But wait! There¹s more! You can also link to info on establishing your very own TV Store franchise: a physical location where you can retail As Seen on TV products. That¹s quite an offer friends.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 14

Fizbo Depot
URL: http://www.io.com/house/depot.html
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0996
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Rachel Saidman
Fizbo Depot is a National FSBO (for sale by owner) Home Listing Database. For $49.95, you get a six-month classified ad of your home, complete with a photo and description. While this is an intriguing concept, especially for people relocating to a new city, real estate brokers needn't start looking for new careers just yet. The site is clearly in its nascent stages, with only fourteen listings nationwide. For now, traditional selling and buying methods may yield more success.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 14

Hot Coupons
URL: http://www.hotcoupons.com
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0996
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Rachel Saidman
You know those envelopes full of coupons you get in the mail, the ones you quit opening when you realized they were mostly junk? Now you can actually seek them out and download them at the Hot Coupons site, which has taken direct mail online. You can take advantage of lots of neat coupons like 25% off at Closet World, products like Baywatch Merchandise and the Posture-X-Bra, or sign up for your own Hot Coupons franchise. This is a great resource if you need a new table pad, or are looking for alternative methods of hair removal.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 14

EvolveFish
URL: http://www.evolvefish.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
You've seen them, the metal fish gracing cars proclaiming a belief in either creationism or Darwinian evolution. EvolveFish, "dedicated to countering the destructive aspects of religious zealotry," offers products in the latter camp. These include Darwin fish (with feet), pins, mugs, shirts, and so on. Then there's a long list of organizations (mostly text, few links) advocating science education, secular humanism and free thought. Check out the supporting and opposing comments about EvolveFish, and take their survey on the issues raised by the footed fish. A place to ponder how far we've come -- or not.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 14

Seven Seas Trading Post
URL: http://www.7cs.com
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Rachel Saidman
Seven Seas Trading Post, claiming to be "one of the most fascinating places on the Internet," provides patrons with the opportunity to own a piece of history in the form of artifacts from around the world. Selected examples include a Greek Bronze arrowhead circa 300 B.C. for $149.00, a Civil War Bullet for $19.00, and an ancient Egyptian scarab from 600 BC for $79.00. Now, I'm not an archaeologist, but these prices seem kind of low for "authentic artifacts." Let the buyer beware.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 14

Great American Rose Company
URL: http://garoses.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1196
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Jose Alvear
All roses, all the time. The Great American Rose Company grows and ships roses directly from "The Rose City,² Madison, New Jersey. Using their online catalog, you can choose from a somewhat small selection of rose bouquets and get them shipped fresh from their farm to yours. You can also smother your sweetheart with roses by buying a dozen roses every month for a year. Once you receive your bouquet come back here to learn how to make them last longer and to prevent that affliction known as droopy roses. To order, use their secure online order form or just call or fax it in.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 14

The Kitestore
URL: http://www.kitestore.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1296
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Jose Alvear
Quite naturally, this site starts off by saying "Go fly a kite". If you are so inclined, come on in and check out their very large selection of kites and kite accessories. Browse by brand name and model, then take a look at a picture of the kite to make sure it's the right one. When you're ready to order, call them toll free, or fax your order. If you believe in online security you can e-mail your credit card information instead. Prices are listed in yen, pounds and good ol' American dollars. So join kite connoisseurs, Charlie Brown and Ben Franklin, and take advantage of the Kitestore's digital five dollar coupon before it expires!
Overall Rating (out of 18): 14

HomeSell
URL: http://www.homesell.com
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1296
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Jose Alvear
HomeSell is a For Sale By Owner (FSBO) network company that helps owners sell their own homes instead of going through real estate agencies. HomeSell charges $149.00 for a 90-day Internet ad and a packet to help you sell in your own neighborhood. The ads that are in place are pretty thorough, allowing you to view pictures of the exterior and all the rooms, plus read information on taxes, water usage, room dimensions, and much more. The only problem is the small number of ads listed, but HomeSell has promised more aggressive promotion and more ads in the near future including real estate from around the world instead of just USA and Canada. Individuals or real estate agents browsing the listings can contact owners directly.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 14

Eaton's
URL: http://www.eatons.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
One would think Eaton¹s, a very large Canadian department store chain, could find it¹s way to a decent Web site designer. The site is about as attractive as an employee breakroom, and loaded with features such as; text only fashion reports that are both dull and out of date, a shopping section that has maybe 50 items you *can¹t* order online, and a sleepy customer service section with little useful information. The next time you¹re traveling through Canada, be sure and check out the store finder, which lists locations and hours for each Eaton¹s.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 13

Sound Spectrum
URL: http://www.soundspectrum.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
If you don¹t need instant gratification, music is an easy shopping goal on the Net. You can often search your chosen site by title or artist, sometimes by genre, and order up a storm. Sound Spectrum claims 120,000 titles (30,000 of them classical), orders filled within 24 hours, online or fax ordering, and US orders to you within 3-7 days. These are good things. What¹s not so good is the less-than-smart search mechanism that doesn¹t tell you it needs last-name-first to deliver the titles you seek, and the plain-text database that doesn¹t provide release dates, labels, or genre clues. It¹s ok, but there¹s better.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 13

Latasia and Co.
URL: http://www.redshift.com/%7Elatasia/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0796
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Patrick Joseph
Oh, this one is precious. See,...at Latasia they ³think shopping should be fun, convenient, and exciting!² That¹s why they include ³lots of information (The Latasia Story), accessory tips (³nifty things you need to know²) and gift suggestions (³Aarh! Her birthday is this week, what do I do?² I¹ll tell you what you do, nimrod: Do her a favor and skip town). But wait,...there¹s more: Latasia is also an exciting opportunity to earn money at home! Ooooii. I¹d give this one a wide berth.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 13

Soundscape Gallery of Unique Audio + Video
URL: http://www.sonic.net:80/soundscape/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0896
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Unclear on their own concept, the folks at Soundscape Gallery in Santa Rosa, CA, have created a page of brochures about audio and video products they sell. Technophiles can read the specs (it helps to know model numbers) on stereo speakers, video cams, video projectors, stands and racks. No comparisons or consumer info here, unfortunately. If you¹re in the mood to buy, you can send email (unsecured) or call (M-F hours, some Saturday), and Soundscape will ship. For those in the know, this could be a useful place to collect hard data, but that¹s all.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 13

Cyberlink
URL: http://www.myna.com/cyberlink
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0896
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
By the look of the front door, it¹s clear Cyberlink wants you to head straight to their ³CyberMall,² but it¹s not clear why. The few links offer Jeep parts and rebuilding services; a skimpy selection of computer parts for liquidation; software to create catalogs on disk; a few pair of designer glasses. You can also link to 10 search engines. Blinking text is overused here and there are a lot of photo images to download. When you¹ve figured out what business you¹re in, Cyberlink, let us know.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 13

WebSnoop
URL: http://wishing.com/websnoop/ws.html
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0896
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Been getting junk e-mail lately? WebSnoop may be the culprit; it¹s one of a series of five applications marketed by WebAudit to online marketeers wanting to increase traffic. Though I was surprised to see an actual site for what I consider nefarious business, there are people both eager to market and be marketed to. Too bad WebSnoop doesn¹t provide a little more how-to detail up front; it just links to the other apps - five for $36 total! - and some breathless self-promotion. Thanks but no thanks.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 13

Developer Depot
URL: http://web.xplain.com/devdepot.com/sbcatalog.qry
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1196
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Gary Barker
Sponsored by MacTech magazine, Developer Depot is aimed at developers for the Macintosh OS. Although they sell at a discount, their site exists only to sell, sell, sell their hundreds of products. There are no FAQs, no games, no outside links, no frills, no fun and absolutely nothing for free. Want to know what that "Arnold Jr." t-shirt or those "Debug boxers"from the clothing and accessories section look like? You're out of luck. Clothes are not described or pictured. But if you want a programming textbook or a runtime engine, these folks will sell you one for cheap.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 13

The Used Computer Mall
URL: http://www.usedcomputer.com
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1196
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Jose Alvear
You can't get much more focused than this. There are *no* graphics -- none, zero, zip, nada. If you're looking to buy or sell used computer equipment, this is may be a resource. It works like this: People come to read and place ads for used computer equipment. It¹s free to post ads and they run for about a week. Click for the newest postings. All kinds of equipment is listed: RAM, hard drives, computer systems, notebooks, printers, even some software. When you see something you're interested in, e-mail or call the person directly. There¹s also information on auctions, shows, swap meets and other organizations that deal with used or refurbished equipment. It's hard to know, of course, whether people are really conducting business here, so it may warrant caution.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 13

Red Apple All Natural Foods
URL: http://www.olywa.net/redapple/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0197
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Jose Alvear
Birkenstocks? Echinacea? Vitamins? This can only be a combination juice bar, vitamin shop and cafe that is so popular with today's health minded bohemians. Unfortunately, Red Apple is just another pointless virtual storefront with no shopping capabilities. Sure, they can snail mail you their catalog, but you can't buy anything online. Best of all, you can see their menu in case you are ever in Olympia, Washington. (It seems that there are more menus on the Net than in some apartment lobbies.) The only saving grace are the relatively few articles on health and herbs where you can learn to winterize your immune system.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 13

CompIndex
URL: http://www.compindex.com
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1296
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Jose Alvear
Something's not right here. CompIndex says surfers can search and compare computer products here, and it¹s true. But don't expect to find Dell, IBM, or Gateway here‹only small, obscure computer resellers are listed. Still, if you¹re interested in buying from resellers, you can do it here. To begin, select from over 40 categories (systems, video boards, software, accessories, printers, etc.) and choose the features that are important to you. The results list all the models that match your needs along with a phone number to contact the reseller yourself.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 13

Bubba's Bazaar
URL: http://www.intro.net/free.html
Category: Shopping
Issue: 1296
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Dorrit Tulane Walsh
A better name for this links a-go-go compilation is Bubba¹s Boring Bazaar, as there are only two themes: free stuff and babes. Bubba provides different categories of freebies, but some items listed as totally free aren¹t, numerous links are broken, and many listed items are just, well, stupid. His ³Hot Links² are anything but, as most are insipid ³babe² pages‹you know, babes in lingerie, babes in hot tubs, supermodel babes. The only remotely redeeming feature is his links to other freebie sites; thankfully, most are better than Bubba.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 13

Mark Products
URL: http://www.staysafe.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Where to begin with Mark Products? It took me several passes through this site to figure out what was for sale, let alone why I should buy it, or how. The page is a classic collection of HTML don¹ts, English-language don¹ts, and marketing don¹ts. The company sells personal security products, including stun guns, various sprayers, sensor units, personal alarms, and my favorite, ³jogging counterstrike weights² (they contain cayenne pepper spray). If you can wade through the poorly organized layout and unhelpful copy, you¹re free to order online, via fax or phone. about to download has 17 chapters on helping to protect yourself & loved-ones from everyday crime.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 12

Violet
URL: http://www.webcom.com/~gabriel/violet/home.html
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
This classy looking site that makes just a few products very appealing. The slightly-precious categories (³Cozy² for two styles of comforter, ³Covet² for earrings and a necklace, ³Handy² for a toothbrush holder) are still lovely to behold on the screen, and the products are not items you run into every day ‹ as the prices will testify. Even so, the images of the products, their brief and informative descriptions, including price, will surely whet the appetite of shopping devotees. Ordering is easy; you can choose to charge by phone or fax if you¹re nervous about credit card numbers. Put your bookmark here.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 12

Nine Lives Clothing Consignment Store
URL: http://www.los-gatos.ca.us/nine.html
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0796
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Winner of the Unclear-on-the-Concept prize is Nine Lives, a used clothing store in Los Gatos, California. Here¹s how it works: you customize a shopper¹s profile and then send the site¹s personal assistant to find clothes or shoes from the store that you¹ll like. What you¹ll get back is a text-only list of items listing color, size, and fabric, and price. Like what you read (but can¹t see)? Then call the store to put a 24-hour-hold on the merchandise and go to Los Gatos to buy it! Sorry, no shipping available. Get a clue, Nine Lives: Scrap the Web site, print up some flyers with the money you save and stick Œem on windshields. I suggest they save their money to print circulars to put under windshields.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 12

A Gift from Paris
URL: http://www.gift-paris.com
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0996
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Rachel Saidman
As one would imagine, this site features photos of French accessories that can be ordered online. Perhaps for some people, the novelty of receiving a gift from France will be sufficient. However, the ten featured items (including faux pearl earrings, a quilted leather fanny pack, and Pierre Cardin keychain) look like they were purchased at the duty free shop at Charles de Gaulle airport. Is this what French people think Americans think French people really wear? Only the daftest Francophiles will shop here.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 12

P&G Auto Parts
URL: http://www.northernlife.com/pgauto/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0197
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Jose Alvear
Auto parts by net? Why not? In this case, it's more like, why bother. These "auto dismantlers and recyclers" are based in Toronto, Canada and can't help you if you're in Piscataway or anywhere but the local Toronto area. P&G Auto Parts is yet another local cyber storefront attempting to jump on the Internet bandwagon. Unfortunately, there's nothing for you to do here unless you want to stare at gleaming auto parts and tire specifications. You can't purchase anything online and I doubt you'll want to drive to Toronto to take advantage of their "FREE Spin Balance with Every Tire Purchase" offer. Ho hum.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 12

Computer Craft
URL: http://www.computercraft.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0197
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Deb Richardson
A sorrier site I have never seen. It starts off with the two things I most love to hate; the java-scripted scrolling status bar, and the pointlessly gratuitous use of frames. Every page is default text on default grey, with the monotony broken only by a passel of slightly-out-of-focus adbanners. The "menu" offers links to text-only advertisements for a variety of hardware-related companies in NJ, text-only information about how to advertise on this lump, and a couple of poorly written (and, you guessed it, text-only) articles about how to perform various home-surgeries on your beleaguered PC. In short, I can see no reason to visit and certainly no reason to return.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 12

Welcome to ISN
URL: http://www4.internet.net/cgi-bin/getNode?node=1&source=DYHO&session=2798755
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Internet Shopping Network is a Web pioneer, with handsome graphics; clear, readable screens; a sensible directory of products; and shopping categories. Its shopping categories make sense for the Web: computer and photography gear, specialty foods, flowers, home and office accessories. Being a trailblazer doesn¹t ensure volume or quality, however; there¹s still no compelling reason to buy here. But at least you won¹t develop a headache by browsing, and ISN will be worth visiting more than once.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 10

marketplaceMCI HOME
URL: http://www2.pcy.mci.net/marketplace/index.html
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
MCI is making a valorous attempt to corral online shoppers with its Marketplace. There are several points in its favor: It¹s signed up a few name-brand retailers (Hammacher Schlemmer, Lillian Vernon, Nordstrom, Footlocker, Mac, and PC Zones); the page is fairly easy to navigate and comprehend; and you don¹t have to register in order to browse. But none of the retailers offers a full line of products, or anything approximating their (paper) catalog selection. It¹s clearly just the beginning, and though you may not be tempted to shop here yet, chances are good you¹ll want to come back.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 6

Virtual Book Shop
URL: http://www.virtual.bookshop.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Used books may be among the products best-suited to be on the Web, as the audience is clearly full of readers and researchers who delight in finding a very particular item. The folks at Virtual offer you access to their no-frills database of rare books, first editions, antiquarian, and collectible titles. You can search by author or just check out their listings. When it comes time to order, the VBS process is refreshingly painless and straightforward.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 6

DreamShop
URL: http://pathfinder.com/@@ws6eDMGEgQMAQI9t/DreamShop/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0496
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Reed Kirk Rahlman
One of the more cumbersome URLs in existence hosts TimeWarner¹s DreamShop, a collection of upscale catalogs including Eddie Bauer, The Sharper Image, Williams-Sonoma, and The Bombay Company. The site is colorful despite its sanitized corporate feel, and suggests an aura of having never been touched by human hands or imagination. Features include the Personal Shopper search engine, which facilitates searches under Timeless Classics, Under $20, and Indulge yourself.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 6

A HOUSE OF CLOCKS
URL: http://www.clockstore.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
If you have a thing for cuckoo clocks or other large timepieces, skip the GIFs of the actual House of Clocks (in suburban Seattle) and peruse the rest of this page for a few moments. But for purchases that range from a Krazy Kat model ($30) to mantel clocks ($300-$600), you might want a bit more description, more refined dimensions, or at least a better image than you¹ll see here. At least Clockstore offers a three-year warranty on its clocks ‹ and a page of links to other clock-lovers¹ sites.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 5

Welcome to Cybershop
URL: http://www.nfic.com/Cybershop/Online
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Cybershop¹s bold, busy, colorful, and loaded with lots of graphics and buttons that take you s-l-o-w-l-y to products listed by manufacturer (!) under generic categories like bathroom, bedroom, electronics, gourmet food, toys, and so on. You can also do a custom search of the Cybershop database ‹ but be prepared for long waits, annoying mandatory jumps from product description to price (why don¹t they appear on the same page?), and unfamiliar product names. This site is about as much fun as waiting for a clerk to get off the phone to wait on you.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 4

The MegaMall
URL: http://infotique.lm.com/cgi-bin/phpl.cgi?megamall.html
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
To put it simply, MegaMall is just a tad overblown. There are impressive front doors, navigational text, and graphics aplenty, but these are merely a facade for a hodgepodge of small vendors with fairly scant offerings. The categories are many (antiques, jewelry, sporting goods, pets), but the pickings few. MegaMall focuses on unappealing text blocks and has few pictures. Also, a fair part of its site actively promotes the mall to new clients, which lessens a customer-friendly feel. If this is what shopping online is all about, ³traditional² malls don¹t have much to worry about.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 4

eMall
URL: http://eMall.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
eMall is not exactly ready for prime time. The promising front-end covers a multitude of sins ‹ skimpy product lines, unappealing text blocks describing those products, dead-end screens just two layers from the top. Basically, it¹s an inch-deep cover for just a few items, and not ones generally considered ³must-have.² The assortment is strange, too: mens¹ suits, gardening magazines, T-shirts, wooden picture frames, the ubiquitous Web florist, spices, coffee and tea, commercial leasing ‹ not exactly a ³full-service² mall. Next time, eMall, get your vendors in a row before declaring yourselves open for business.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 4

Welcome to Web Warehouse
URL: http://webwarehouse.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Web Warehouse is kind of like a strip mall , and most of its shops are holding a closeout sale. WW wants to grow, of course, but at the moment, the mix of vendors includes purveyors of luggage, watches, an off-brand long-distance service, diamonds, coffee, books, office furniture, and, of course, flowers. Each of these hedges its bets by only offering you a few items. You don¹t get to pick through much, and you don¹t know why. Let¹s hope the strip mall goes away, or gets smarter before too long.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 3

Internet Shopping Galleria Main Menu
URL: http://www.intergal.com/
Category: Shopping
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Welcome to a plain-vanilla grid of non-imperative shopping choices: pet products (rain slickers for dogs), cuckoo and grandfather clocks, a modeling agency (featuring two models), San Diego singles, golf balls, extremely sparse jewelry (one item only when I looked), Dial-A-Contact Lens, and, of course, the standard Web floral offerings. Chances are you wouldn¹t head to a mall off-line with such generic, scanty, and wildly diverse outlets. Why should you settle for it on the Web?
Overall Rating (out of 18): 3