Number 261 - February 2005

The Internet? I Can't Live Without It!
By: Steve Bass
The computer was turned off (really!) and I was sipping coffee and reading the Sunday funnies.    There's Cathy searching for airline tickets on the Internet. In one panel, a friend describes spending an hour juggling flight schedules on screen, trying to find the best time and low price. Another friend tells about finally giving up after experiencing the World Wide Wait at every airline site she visits. Cathy also pokes around the Web and after four hours online, finally finds the perfect, discounted ticket.    When she finally gets on the flight, the passenger next to her explained how his discount ticket cost him $20 less then Cathy's.    The punch line? He apparently doesn't own a computer and got his ticket by making a ten-minute phone call.    Of course the guy missed the point. I mean, why in the world would anyone want to do something by phone when you could use modern technology?    Okay, I'll admit that I've done it. I'll invest 20 minutes using a dozen search engines trying to find a phone number for a restaurant. Oh, sure, I know it's in the Pasadena Yellow Pages. And the book's sitting on the bookshelf just across the room. But that's the point, right? It's not within reach and I'm already logged on.    Seriously, used judiciously, the Internet's a tremendous tool. In the last few weeks, I've been able to use the Web to: Get an obscure part for a camera lens, find replacement vinyl straps for a lawn chair, buy discounted wallpaper (50 percent less than the local shop), learn more about Home Theater devices than I could at a local store, find an out-of-print book, and hire a fencing contractor. Here are some other examples: Improve on This    The fencing guy came by way of ImproveNet, a web site that hooks me up with a contractor. You plug in the details of the job and they find a contractor in your area who is qualified to handle the job. The site reports whether the contractor has a general liability insurance certificate on file with ImproveNet, has a license in good standing, a clear financial history, and a clear legal history. Each item is updated quarterly.    So far, I've had good luck twice: first with a concrete job and again with the fencing contractor. Check it at www.improvenet.com Beam it to me, Scottie    Last year I had a satellite dish installed on the roof and subscribed to DirecTV. It's terrific. The picture's digitally and stunningly crisp, the signal's never failed (Hello? Charter Communication? How's your cable doing?), and the available programming is excessive. We're getting all the basic channels, a few premium channels, as well as the Independent Film Channel, all for a little less than cable service. (www.directv.com)    With all that high-tech beaming into the house, I don't want to sit in front of the TV and stare at DirecTV's on-screen scroll to keep track of what's playing. Instead, I use TV Grid, a nifty Internet service that jumps through hurdles for me. (www.tvgrid.com)    First, it offers what every other TV service has - a grid listing your favorite stations. So far, no big deal.    But when I move the cursor on top of the movie or show, a description appears in another frame. Click on the link and another Java-based window pops up letting me quickly jump to one or two movie review sites (www.mrqe.com/ or www.imdb.com/). Then the film's title is inserted into the search engine saving me keystrokes. Very cool.	It gets better: I want to watch a specific movie, say, The Producers. I can create a Perpetual Reminder. TV Grid searches every morning, e-mailing me if they find a match. Inside DVD    Do you have a DVD player? Then sign up for a free DVD of Infinity, a 1996 movie starring (and directed by) Matthew Broderick. It's an account of the personal life of Manhattan Project scientist Richard Feynman. First read some reviews here...http://us.imdb.com/TUrls?COM+0116635    I discovered the free DVD from Inside DVD: The DVD Entertainment Magazine on the Web. www.insidedvd.com/    Log onto Inside DVD's Web site, register, and they'll send you a DVD. Free. No hooks and no obligations.    And nope, I haven't received any e-mail or junk mail and I've been signed up for six months. That's because the DVD's advertiser sponsored.    Nonetheless, it's loaded with movie trailers, music, previews, and other stuff (and, because it's DVD, you can blithely ignore anything you're not interested in viewing). Shopping for a DVD or Anything Else?    If you haven't tried comparison shopping on the Internet, you're missing a ton of fun. Even if you don't buy anything on the Web, these resources take the hassle of comparing products and features.    The very best site at feature comparisons is www.compare.net. I started by searching for a DVD player. Once the models came on screen, I could click a few DVD models and in a few seconds, I had a grid on screen showing each product feature compared to the others. You can also drill deeper and have the site get you pricing.    There are loads of sites that'll check for low prices, but the two most comprehensive I found: Excite's Product Finder (www.jango.com/ xsh/ index.dcg?) and Bottom Dollar (www.bottomdollar.com/). But it doesn't stop there.    As I began shopping for an A/V receiver, two PIBMUG members told me about the Audio Review site (www.audioreview.com). I searched the site, found the A/V unit I was interested in, and found - ready? - 75 independent reviews.    People rate themselves as audiophile dweebs, casual users, or audio enthusiasts, and then post a review. The value is tremendous; I soon learned that the model I chose was both underpowered and had problems with high-range frequencies. It was a bad choice for me. I figured the reviewers were on the same wavelength as I so I sent e-mails to a number of them, asking for recommendations.    The replies were equally valuable. I read the reviews of another receiver and it helped with the buying decision. Better than relying on a Circuit City salesperson? You bet!    In the meantime, I've got to go online. A new Cathy's just been posted. www.uexpress.com/ups/comics/ca/index.html.    Copyright Pasadena IBM Users Group. (PIBMUG) Steve Bass is a Contributing Editor with PC World Magazine, frequently writes for Forbes ASAP, and is the president of the Pasadena IBM Users Group. He often writes with his tongue in his cheek. Write to him at stevebass@earthlink.net
Number 262 - February 2005