| REVIEWS
Cruising
Cyberspace
Web
Site Pick Of The Month
By Pam Wegmann
Periodically, every
business purchases new hardware or components. As an individual, you may
also be interested in buying a new desktop or laptop. With the vast
array of products out there, shopping can be confusing. You can help ease
that feeling of being overwhelmed by stopping in at
http://www.zdnet.com/computershopper
This site was formerly
called Netbuyer. It's a site owned by Ziff Davis, the magazine publisher.
This online guide is run by Computer Shopper magazine and is the largest,
most comprehensive hardware buying guide I have found on the Net.
While this site will
provide you with lots of information customized to your purchase needs,
it is not without its drawbacks. Because it is so popular, it's a busy
site. Expect delays and some very slow response times. Also, because it
is a customized online retail location, expect to be bombarded with ads
winking and flashing at you vying for your attention. In fact, there are
times when the content substance of the screen seems to have to fight for
space.
On the home page,
again cluttered with ads, you'll find the first column is headed "Shop."
This is where you start by selecting a category you want to research before
you buy. You'll find the list of categories comprehensive: everything
from cameras to desktops to LCD projectors to supplies. Specify the
features you want and you're on your way.
For example, researching
notebook PCs, you can specify, if desired, a manufacturer, processor, memory,
screen size, desired weight, etc. Once you've checked the feature parameters,
click on search at the bottom of the feature list, and the site will return
a list of specific products that meet the requirements you indicated, arranged
alphabetically by vendor along with prices and brief descriptions.
The best feature
of this site is the "Compare" matrix. Clicking on the compare button at
the bottom of the list gives a side by side table comparing each product
on your list feature by feature in neat, easy to read columns.
Back at the Shop
page of this site, there will also be a button named Computer Shopper Wizard,
which is another way to approach your purchase research. Putting in a profile
of how you intend to use the hardware will give you a list of recommended
buys with prices and features.
Once you think
you know what you want, you can head off in your car, or, save your time
and your gas, and order online right from this site.
You can also do a
text search for articles from current and back issues of Computer Shopper
magazine, provided you can find the text search button crammed down in
the bottom left corner of some of the screens.
So when you are ready
to buy that new printer, hard drive, modem, or PC,
stop here first.
Get a list of products that have objectively and electronically been evaluated
as matching your requirements. You'll be better armed so you can make a
better purchase.
December, 1998
Knowledge is Power!
Happy cruising! :-)
Questions/Comments
can be sent to pam@info-matters.com
or faxed to 504.738.0016. You can also reach Ms. Wegmann at 504.738.0070.
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