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.