The Internet Mall: Shopping the Information Highway [18 Feb, 94]

[David Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

                             THE INTERNET MALL
                      Shopping on the Information Highway


           A monthly list of commercial services available via Internet


                  Maintained by Dave Taylor <taylor () netcom com>
                       [issue #2, 18 February, 1994]


Organized by floors: First Floor: Media, Second Floor: Personal Items,
Third Floor: Computer Hardware and Software, Fourth Floor: Services.


FIRST FLOOR: MEDIA


Books


Looking for some Shakespeare or Dickens? You'll find the online
version of Book Stacks Unlimited, of Cleveland, Ohio a great addition
to the Internet shopping mall. To connect: telnet books.com


Future Fantasy, a bookstore of Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery and
Horror, is now on the net. You can browse their catalog and place orders
through Mosaic. Use the URL:
   http://www.commerce.digital.com/palo-alto/FutureFantasy/home.html


United Techbook Company of Longmont Colorado offers an online book
service that encompasses over a million titles. You can connect, search
for titles, and order books by using the command 'telnet utcbooks.com'
with the account 'utc' (the password is also 'utc').


There are a number of specialty bookstores available through the Whole
Earth 'Lectronic Link: type 'gopher gopher.well.sf.ca.us' and choose
'commercial services' to find FringeWare,  Extreme Books (catalog also
available via email at 'catalog () mailer extremebooks com') and Nebula
Books, an online science fiction bookstore in Canada.


Infinity Link Network Services offers an online catalog of CDs, video
tapes, books, and laserdisks, all by connecting via telnet to
columbia.ilc.com - log in as 'cas' at the prompt.  Alternatively, use
gopher by typing 'gopher columbia.ilc.com'


Annex: Technical and Computer Books


Softpro Books is a small computer bookstore with shops in both Boston
and Denver and an online catalog of over 1000 titles. SoftPro is also
available on the world.std.com gopher server (choose "Shops of the
World").  You can also contact them through email:
softpro () world std com


O'Reilly & Associates, publishers of a wide variety of high quality
books on Unix and Internet topics offer their books directly through the
Internet.  Point your gopher to 'ora.com' (e.g., 'gopher ora.com') or
telnet to ora.com with the login 'gopher'.


High Mountain Press Direct offers books on Unix, CAD, desktop publishing
and geographic information systems topics. You can request catalogs and
order titles by sending mail to 'info () bookstore hmp com'


Artech House, a technical book and software publisher, offers hundreds
of different technical titles - and some software and video tapes - via
the Internet. Connect to 'gopher world.std.com' and choose 'Shops of
the World'.


One of the larger technical bookstores accessible online is Quantum
Books, of Cambridge, Massachusetts with 20,000 titles on-hand and a
database of 65,000 titles. The focus is primarily computer science,
math and physics.  Contact them by gopher: look in 'Shops of the World'
after connecting with 'gopher world.std.com'.


If you're in Canada and you're interested in computer books and other
technical books, Roswell Computer Bookstore of Halifax, Nova Scotia has
a catalog of over 7000 books available online. Use 'gopher' and connect
to 'nstn.ns.ca' and choose items 8 and 4 to see what they have.


Silicon Valley is a logical place to find a great technical and
computer bookstore, but through the Internet, you can also get to
Computer Literacy Bookstore by electronic mail: send a message to
info () clbooks com to learn more about this service.


Music and Video


Infinity Link Network Services offers a catalog of video tapes,
laserdisks, CDs and books accessible by connecting via telnet to
columbia.ilc.com - log in as 'cas' at the prompt.  Alternatively, point
your gopher there with 'gopher columbia.ilc.com'


With an online catalog of over 80,000 titles, the Compact Disc
Connection is perhaps the best of the current bunch if you're looking
for some specific music. To visit this store, telnet holonet.net and
log in as 'cdc' at the prompt.


SECOND FLOOR: Personal Items


Sunglasses, Shavers and More! catalog available through the Internet,
though users interested in the Braun, Bausch & Lomb, Corning, Forchner and
Victornox products will have to settle electronic mail only at this
point: send a message to 'sunglass () clark net' for a catalog.


Okay, so you can get flowers, music, and books through the Internet,
but what about that really special, unusual item you'd like to give your
significant other?  JT Toys offers an electronic adult toystore
accessible via gopher: connect to world.std.com and look in 'Shops of
the World'.


THIRD FLOOR: Computer Hardware and Software


Software


If you're a scientific type, you've probably already bumped into the
book "Numerical Recipes: The Art of Scientific Computing", but did you
know that all the source code shown in that book is available to buy
online in both C and FORTRAN? Connect with 'gopher cfata4.harvard.edu'.


The Programmer's Shop is a ten-year-old company offering a wide
selection of programming tools, with a catalog of thousands of
different products.  Also included in the list are applications,
utilities, hardware, and more.  Connect with them by 'gopher
world.std.com' and choosing 'Shops of the World', or through email to
progshop () world std com


If you're looking for the BSDI version of Berkeley Unix for your
computer system, you can contact the BSDI company directly via
electronic mail for information and catalogs. Use Mosaic and
connect to www.bsdi.com or try 'gopher gopher.bsdi.com'


Annex: CDROMs


Software junkies already know about Walnut Creek CDROM: it publishes
over forty different collections of public domain and shareware
software CDROM disks ranging from X Window sources to Mac and PC
programs. You can see their catalog by using 'finger info () cdrom com'
and order by sending mail to 'orders () cdrom com'.


CD Publishing Corp makes available a variety of different CDROM disks
containing archival copies of Usenet, networking software for PC
computers, and more. Gopher to gopher.cdpublishing.com for more
information.


Hardware


Interested in a new PC that runs a version of UNIX? Then you'll want
to check with Fintronic Linux Systems, a company that offers a wide
range of PC systems with Linux, a free Unix-like operating system,
pre-installed. Obtain their catalog by 'finger linux-sales () fintronic com'


FOURTH FLOOR: Services


Government Service Contracts and Documents


Looking for sales and pricing information on products available through
GSA contracts, indefinite delivery contracts, and open market?  This is
a great place to check: telnet netmark.com and use 'netmark' as a login
name.


Document Center is a hard copy document delivery service specializing in
government and industry specifications and standards. info () doccenter com
or gopher doccenter.com, choose "Document Center" or, if you're using
Mosaic: http://www.service.com/doccenter/home.html


Florist


If you're perennially late with flowers and other gifts for your
significant other, you'll be delighted to know that there's now a a
florist on the Internet. Grant's Florist and Greenhouse can be reached
through Mosaic (hhtp://florist.com:1080) or gopher; use 'gopher
florist.com'.


Credit Checks


With all these electronic transactions flying back and forth, it was
only a matter of time before a company came along to offer credit
reporting services through the net too. Infotech Information
Technologies of Charlotte, North Carolina now offer individual and
business credit reports, Dunn & Bradstreet information, a social
security locator service, arrest and conviction records and a whole lot
more. Contact them via email at 'infotech () fx net'


Commercial Email Address Tracking Service


If you've ever tried to send mail to someone just to have it bounce,
you might be interested in this professionally maintained, easily
searched commercial database of email users.  To learn more about
this service, send mail to 'sled () drebes com' with the subject "info".


Small Business Incorporation


Running a small business and ready to incorporate? You don't even have
to leave your terminal if you contact The Company Corporation, the
largest on-line incorporation service in the world. Connect to them
with 'gopher doccenter.com', Mosaic http://incorporate.com/tcc/home.html
or email: corp () incorporate com


Transcripts


Transcripts of various programs can be ordered directly throught the
Internet by connecting with Journal Graphics. To see their catalog, use
'telnet pac.carl.org', account PAC. Choose 'Information Databases'.


           **** Notes on the Internet Shopping Mall ****


  This listing is maintained by Dave Taylor, who is responsible for
  the specific prose in each listing. If you disagree with anything
  stated, have good or bad experiences with any of these services,
  or, most importantly, have additional services to add to this list,
  please send me electronic mail: taylor () netcom com.  Please note
  that I am in no way able to guarantee the legitimacy of any
  service listed herein and am in no way liable for any good or
  bad experiences you might have. Caveat emptor!


  The criteria for being on this list are that the services must
  be available on the Internet, must have products that they sell
  and must be able to be ordered through the net directly, either
  by gopher, wais, www, mosaic, or email. Excluded from this list
  are Internet service providers themselves and contract technical
  support from companies.


  This list is available through a variety of mechanisms: type
  'finger taylor () netcom com' for more the most recent information.


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