The Internet Hotel

by Craig Majaski

As the World Wide Web (WWW) continues to grow at an alarming rate so do the amount of programs aimed at helping you navigate it. As most readers probably know by now, finding sites that contain the information you're seeking can be a difficult task. Quarterdeck's new product, WebCompass, is a program that is supposed to make finding topics easier and faster. While it is an exciting idea, the program doesn't seem to function as well as Quarterdeck would have you believe. Right now on the WWW there are many search programs to use, like Yahoo, WebCrawler, or Infoseek. If you're like me, you have them bookmarked just in case you need to quickly find a site that interests you. Normally, the searches are fast and accurate (not to mention free!). In comes WebCompass, a program that will cost you $49.95. What's so different about it in relation to the search engines you already use? As you'll read, not very much. It's definitely not enough to warrant a $50 purchase.

When you purchase WebCompass you get quite a few programs for your money. A pre- configured (not the full version) of WebServer, Mosaic (a web browser), Winsock, and a Location Manager are all included. This package would be a great buy for someone new to the internet. Mosaic is a nice web browser, but you can download a free version of Mosaic or Netscape. Location Manager helps you establish an internet account and Winsock, like Mosaic, could be downloaded from the internet for free. So, if you are already hooked up to the internet, the package doesn't offer much for you since you probably have most of the programs. However, if you are new to the net and want a package that has all these programs in it, it might be a worthy purchase.

WebCompass itself is a decent program. Every time you begin, it asks for a topic to search for. I tested it out by putting in "WorldVillage" as my search topic. WebCompass then searches the WWW to locate anything to do with the topic. Here is where the program really shines. It searches about 5 different databases at once. My results came up from the search and it had found some confirmed topics in Yahoo and in WebCrawler. Overall, it does have a better comprehensive search since it uses more than one program. Obviously there were some of the same links listed in both the Yahoo and WebCrawler searches. After the initial search, you can save some or all of the links as a new topic so you can quickly come back to the links at a later time. Another nice aspect is that it can automatically update your topic index. That way, anytime a new link appears on the web that matches your topic, it is displayed with the others.

WebCompass does do its job, but not without some glaring problems. First of all, and most noticeable, is its slow speed. I'm using a 90 Megahertz Pentium with 8 megabytes of RAM, and this program seems to take forever. I could have easily gone to Yahoo and looked up a couple of topics before WebCompass would have located just one topic. I realize that it is searching in more than one location at once, but for a fast and easy search, any of the existing search engines would be quicker. Also, WebCompass is configured to be used with Quarterdeck's own web browser, Mosaic. It is possible to use Netscape or another browser with it, but it seems to slow down the process even more.

The whole interface is a little difficult to understand as well. It doesn't take long to become accustomed to the buttons and links, but it is a bit confusing at first. The instructions don't offer much help either. It does have an on-line help option, though, which should help you out of any jams you may encounter.

If you do a lot of searching and need to keep up to date on certain points of interest, then this program will prove useful. Likewise, if you're new to the internet and want a free browser and a comprehensive search tool, WebCompass will be of some use. Otherwise, save your money and use the current available search engines like Yahoo and InfoSeek.

It's too bad this product didn't live up to my expectations. I highly doubt it will live up to yours either.