CMP's TechShopper Helps Consumers Find the PC of Their Dreams For the Perfect Price

TechWeb's Comparison Shopping Service Debuts at http://www.techshopper.com

PRNewswire
MANHASSET, N.Y.
Apr 16, 1997

Anyone in the market for the perfect personal computer now has a new resource on the Web that not only helps them research their various desktop/laptop options, but also points them to vendors who can deliver it to their doorstep -- CMP Media's TechShopper (http://www.techshopper.com/).

"Buying a PC is a trying experience, even for technologically savvy shoppers," explains Greg Schwartz, Producer. "TechShopper bypasses this typically painful process by putting under one roof a set of tools that aid the buying decision. There's simply no need to 'shop around' anymore when there's a personal shopper for you on the Web that can guide you to the PC of your dreams for the price your willing to pay for it. "

TechShopper, developed jointly by CMP Media Inc.'s TechWeb® and Agent Commerce Corp., features three integrated sections that provide consumers with a personal shopping experience, the PC Consultant, Product Reviews and Product News.

The PC Consultant

With Agent Commerce's PCAgent database of more than 4,000 PCs as its backbone, TechShopper's PC Consultant walks consumers step-by-step through their various options so that they can discover the right computer for their needs. Users can either browse through TechShopper's recommended systems, or they can enter specific criteria, such as the processor speed, memory/hard drive options, price, etc., to find only those systems that meet all their requirements. Once users narrow down their selection, the Consultant provides an extensive list of the vendors that can deliver that specific PC.

"The PC Consultant is much more than a database," said Jeff Pundyk, TechWeb's Editor-in-Chief. "With the technology expertise of our editors behind it, the Consultant provides shoppers with informed recommendations that are made with the user's PC preferences in mind."

Product Reviews

TechShopper offers the skinny on hundreds of systems, software, peripherals and networking equipment from the pages of CMP's publications, including HomePC, WINDOWS Magazine, InformationWeek and others.

Product News

With the rapid pace of the technology industry, product lines can change fast. TechShopper includes the latest hardware and software news from CMP's TechWire (http://www.techwire.com/) to keep consumers up to date on the latest advances.

Researching product information via the Internet is becoming increasingly popular, according to a recent CommerceNet/Nielsen Media Research survey. According to the study, 39 percent of all Web users last year searched for product information online prior to making a purchase, up from 19 percent in 1995.

TechShopper offers resellers, hardware vendors and other technology marketers with a unique way to reach consumers. For TechShopper advertising information, contact Chris Tice, Associate Publisher, TechWeb, at 516-562-7245 or ctice@cmp.com.

PCAgent is a service of Agent Commerce Corporation, a one year-old company based in San Francisco that aims to improve the buying and selling process for personal computers by applying technology and publishing models to electronic commerce. Using the latest advances in databases, graphical user interfaces, and electronic communications, PCAgent's technology-based shopping and selling services reduce the time and money spent researching manufacturers, products, and their sellers. At the same time, by utilizing a transaction-focused business model, PCAgent offers computer sellers and manufacturers a flexible, low-risk way to reach and sell to qualified buyers while building their brand.

CMP's TechWeb is one of the Web' top ten sites in attracting advertisers, according to Jupiter Communications' AdSpend report. Since its debut in 1994, the technology news and information super site has launched a host of individual sites including File Mine™, TechInvestor™, TechTools™, TechCalendar™, TechHelper™ and ActiveXpress™.

CMP Media Inc. provides publishing, marketing and information services to the broad high-technology spectrum -- the builders, sellers and users of technology -- through print and electronic media. All of CMP's publications and online products can be accessed through the company's TechWeb site on the World Wide Web (http://www.techweb.com/). Print titles include EE Times, Computer Reseller News, InformationWeek and WINDOWS Magazine.

-0- 4/16/97

SOURCE: CMP Media Inc.

CONTACT: Steve Rubel, 516-562-7434, or srubel@cmp.com, Catherine Jarrat
Koatz, 516-562-7827, or ckoatz@cmp.com, both of CMP Corporate Communications.