So what's it like? It reminds me of one of those CD-ROM recipe books. Except instead of searching by ingredients or names of dishes, you use product groupings (ie hi-fi equipment) or keywords. Then the items list themselves in text format, together with the price eventually. Unfortunately, the glossy WinCIM graphical interface is infuriatingly slow, especially if you insist on viewing .gif images of the products. It took me, for example, all of five minutes just to enter a store, browse the goods, and make one selection. If I'd actually decided to buy it, it would doubtless have taken me a few more minutes to enter my Visa details. In the interim, I'm adding both to CompuServe's and BT's coffers.

    Delivery is, according to many who've used the system, another bugbear. Most retailers promise they'll get the stuff to you within five working days. Virgin Megastore, who sell CDs and videos, say they'll try, but warn that a 28-day wait could well be on the cards. Given the evanescent nature of modern pop stars, a delay of one month could mean that the group in question has gone out of fashion by the time their CD arrives. All of which snail-on-Mogadon software performance, not particularly competitive prices, delays in delivery in my opinion, makes the whole concept a waste of time. For the moment, anyhow.