BEST OF THE WEB
 Amazon.com |
The site itself is nothing fancy, but all the better for browsing for books. There is a very powerful search engine that lets users search by name, title, keyword or interest. You can also enter your own reviews of books to assist others, another great example of users helping users.
| (tie) CDNow |
Many sites offer music CDs at discount prices. What CDNow adds is context. This site is closely linked to the All-Music Guide so you not only get a decent price, but you can click to see reviews of the release before you buy.
There also are abundant links to music news and other information so it's hard to order a rotten CD. You don't have to search very hard, either. The site boasts the logo "biggest, fastest, best" and lives up to the challenge. The company claims it stocks 165,000 products and offers two-day delivery on in-stock items.
Shipping prices are very reasonable, $2.49 for the first item, 49 cents for each additional, up to a maximum of $4.94 per order even if you order 100 CDs.
The site's text-only mode is clearly marked and works very quickly for those in a hurry.
 eShop |
eShop takes a new approach to shopping on the Web. First-time users to the mall, which includes major retailers Tower Records, Spiegel, The Good Guys, and 1-800-FLOWERS, have to download a large client application before they can shop the virtual storefronts. Tower Records appears to be the major draw of the center, offering its massive selection of music at discount prices.
If they take the time to do so (the Windows version is about 1.3 megabytes in size), it is installed as a helper application under Netscape Navigator or other Mosaic Web browser. What that offers users is speed -- with so much of the graphic content already on the users' machines, clicking on a store makes it fly to the screen.
When something is changed or added, eShop only needs to send the changes to your computer over the modem, saving time. You must be willing to give up 2 megabytes of hard drive space for one shopping site, but the result is the best of both worlds -- graphics and speed. Those without Internet access can get the same software and connect via a local access number in many cities.
The merchants support electronic coupons, which are sent automatically, and secure transactions. In fact, eShop offers a guarantee; if credit card numbers are stolen and items illegally charged, eShop will pay for them.
![[Best of the Rest]](bestrest.gif){kind=small}
| 4. FTD-Internet |
FTD-Internet offers excellent flower and gift delivery and an innovative reminder service for the forgetful. Enter the special events in your life and you'll get a free e-mail reminder. Colorful graphics make this a pleasing site to visit.
| 4.(tie) MarketPlace MCI |
This is a great selection of 30 stores at a very fast site. Major retailers include Borders Book Stores, Damark International, Foot Locker, Lady Foot Locker, and Cyber Warehouse.
| 4.(tie) Sharper Image |
He who dies with the most toys wins. A great site offering high-tech products and more. Great use of photos gives you a clear idea of what you are ordering.
| 7. CD World |
CD World is another fine site that offers deep discounts on a wide selection of music CDs.
| 7.(tie) Cyber Warehouse |
Cyber Warehouse offers discount computer components and electronics. Limited selection of brands and models hampers this otherwise good site.
| 7.(tie) CD Link |
Another top-notch music CD site that offers thousands of artists at discount prices. The server is quite fast, and service seems first-rate.
| 10. Internet Shopping Network |
Once this division of the Home Shopping Network gets more content, it will be a killer site. It's now heavy on computer components at deep discounts, but light on other categories. Heavy bargains are here to attract new users.
| 10.(tie) Ken Crane's Laser Discs |
Movie lovers flock to this chain of Southern California laserdisc shops. Now they are flocking to its Web site, which offers 30 percent discounts off most titles. The huge database is fully searchable; shipping is quick.
| 10.(tie) Virtual Vineyard |
Here you'll find lots of quality wines at reasonable prices and an &"Ask the Cork Dork" section for questions about serving wine with certain foods.
| 10.(tie) Minor Leagues, Major Dreams |
When you need to have a jersey from the Rochester Redwings, the Hickory Crawdads or any other minor league team or sport, this is the place. A hard to read background in Netscape Navigator hampers this otherwise wonderful site.
| 14. The Voyager Co. |
This site has an eclectic collection of music, laser discs, and video coupled with a ton of information. It's a graphics-heavy site, so the bandwidth-challenged might allow some time for the visit.
| 14.(tie) Music Boulevard |
Offering a "full, limited or slender" graphics selection, this site has more than 150,000 CDs with reasonable shipping prices.
| 14.(tie) Shopping 2000 |
This one-stop shopping mall offers more than two dozen stores and catalog outlets including J.C. Whitney, Current, Things Remembered, and Omaha Steaks International.
| 17. Eddie Bauer |
Great clothing, home furnishings and gifts are at this site, but occasionally slow connections hamper it. The page design is good.
| 17.(tie) Hollywood Shopping Network |
This site offers a fine collection of Hollywood related items, including photos. Some dead links on the main page hamper this site.
| 17.(tie) Parentsplace |
Parentsplace has a great collection of small businesses aimed at parents as well as a fine collection of free information. Simple but effective design gives information fast.
| 20. L.L.Bean |
You get clothing for the outdoorsy person, but lots of public service links (such as to U.S. Parks) make this site a good bet for other reasons as well.
| 20.(tie) Prison Blues |
Clothes sold here are "made on the inside to be worn on the outside." This site features clothes made by inmates of Oregon's prisons. But it doesn't stop there, the site also offers a virtual tour of the prison and an issues section of related sites. The inmates model their own wares.
| 20.(tie) Cyber Mart |
Several stores are included in this mall including big names such as Spiegel, Nature's Blooms, Sundance, The Sharper Image, and Productivity Plus.
| 23. Net Sweats & Tees |
"Nuthin but Net" clothing is sold at this site, which is aimed at the Internet surfer who needs to leave the house once in a while.
| 23.(tie) Picture Palace |
Thousands of video movies on tape and laser disc are available here at reasonable prices. The page is nothing fancy but has a very functional search engine.
| 23.(tie) Shopper';s Advantage |
Members can choose from more than 200,000 items at deep discounts. Nifty search capabilities narrows your choices down for you.
|
YOU'RE VISITOR LE FastCounter THANK YOU! |
Cyberbubba name, design and related
marks are trademarks of Cyberbubba
Copyright© 1998
Cyberbubba All Rights Reserved.
disclaimer