What, you mean you want a witty title as well? (Top Ten Websites)

Member Name: The Duke

Product:	Top Ten Websites
Date:	12/01/02 (156 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lots of info and handy tips

Disadvantages: None

What was it the daft Welsh bint from Big Brother 2 used to say? "Oh my God!"? Well, that's what I thought to myself upon seeing this category onsite. Well, as a student, I've spent basically the last 5 years avoiding lectures by sitting in front of a PC in our Open Access Centres with their high speed internet connections. I should be more than qualified to write an opinion in here, shouldn't I? Anyway, these are the web sites I find most useful, but I wouldn't say they were my particular favourites. As is usual in my top ten lists, these are provided in no particular order.

http://www.pctips.com

Here's one for the nerds amongst you. This is an American site that deals with computer problems (specifically PCs). It uses the Ultimate Bulletin Board system for those of you who are aware of such things which basically means it's easy on the eye and easy to use. You can ask questions on a variety of topics: Windows 95/98/ME, Windows NT/2000, Windows Hardware are the main ones, but you can also get help on Windows 3.1, DOS, Web scripting and other sorts. It may take a few days to get a response because you only get messages back from other users who are normal people just like you and me (except they're nerds). You need to register to post on this site, but registration is free and you don't get any spam from supplying your email address. If you do use this site, remember to give as much information as you can because then someone will be in a better position to offer help.

(See also: www.protonic.com)

http://www.192.com

Everyone I show this site to is amazed at the information it provides, but all the information in this site is in the public domain anyway. This web site brings it all into one place for handy reference. It's a people finder for the UK, basically, and if you type in someone's name and their street name/city 192.com should provide details of addresses, phone num
bers and perhaps even a handy map of how to get to their houses. You need to register, which gets you 20 free searches a month (and you can pay to get more, or register for one of their membership schemes which gives you better search options). Due to extensive research I can reveal that neither Britney Spears nor Ali Landry are not listed.

(See also: www.bt.com and www.royalmail.co.uk for phone numbers and post codes)

http://www.tucows.com

I think this started off as a one stop shop for Internet related software - TUCOWS stands for The Ultimate Collection of WinSock Software, but has expanded to provide lots of different kinds of software including games, themes and skins. With handy mirror sites (i.e. sites which offer the same thing) all over the world, there?s bound to be a handy site for you.

TUCOWS offers software for lots of different computer platforms and operating systems, so if you run a PC, Mac or run Windows, 3.1, BeOS or Linux, you?re bound to find something. The site is well laid out and easy to navigate and you'll be downloading handy software in no time at all!

(See also: www.cnet.com and www.files32.com)

http://uk.imdb.com

This is the UK version of the Internet Movie Database and the only reason I've included the UK version is because I find it loads slightly quicker, although both sites are still quite slow. As far as I can see, it provides all the same content as the original American version. While not really that good for upcoming releases, this should be your first call when looking for information on past film or television productions. You want info on actors, actresses or directors? It's all here, with
histories as well so you can cross-reference.

(See also: www.imdb.com and www.blackstar.co.uk)

http://www.lonelyplanet.com

Are you interested in travel, but not fond of those beach 'n' bar holidays to Spain/Greece etc.? Well, he
re you are - a shed load of information bunged into one nicely designed web site under the banner of the famous Lonely Planet. Getting
information on the places you want to visit is easy as you simply click on an increasingly more detailed map. For example, to get information on Auckland, New Zealand you click on World Guide to get to a world map, then click on Australasia, then New
Zealand followed by the final link of clicking on the Auckland link itself. They also offer some basic advice on handy things
like travel health and insurance. The web site loads quite quickly which is handy if you're researching lots of various
places. At the same time you can also buy Lonely Planet books etc.

(See also: www.usit.com or www.statravel.co.uk or www.flynow.com)

http://www.google.com

It's fast, it's accurate and it'll rarely provide you with the wrong thing. It rocks.

(See also: don't bother - there's none better)

http://www.bbc.co.uk

News, sport, music plus streaming radio and supplemental information on all Auntie's programmes. This site rocks - news is
constantly updated, the site refers you to stuff that is imminent on radio and telly and is generally fab. It can be quite
slow to load, but they've handily given you a link for a text only (i.e. faster) version. What about local listings of what's
on where you live? I couldn't possibly begin to explain how much stuff is on this site from kids to learning to shopping. Visit immediately!

(See also: www.ananova.com)

http://www.microsoft.com

Yes, I'm recommending evil Uncle Bill's web site. Not because I like Uncle Bill, but because chances are, you're running some
of Bill's software and there is no finer place on the Web to find out about it or upgrade it. Not only is there the excellent

auto update feature for upgrading your Windows (98 or
later), but you can also upgrade your Office software if you have it.
Obviously, all solutions given on the web site are Microsoft approved, so if you want to do any dodgy "under the bonnet" tinkering, you'll have to go elsewhere to find out how. The site can be a bit slow at times, but generally the information it
offers is worth it. Of particular interest are the Knowledge Database and the pages relevant to your software which can include updates and other downloads.

http://tv.cream.org/

For those of you who are prone to reminiscing about days gone by when you?re down at the pub with your mates, then this site is for you. Crammed full of practically every kids television programme from the early 60's through to the recent efforts as
well as some programmes which, while not exactly kids programmes, would certainly appeal to kids (The Interceptor, anyone?).
But the thing I like most about this site is the way the old programmes are described. Instead of simple repetition of facts,
they are described in such a way that you imagine you are talking to a friend about the programme. At the home page on the
site, they say: "Don't just regurgitate facts, dates and figures - it's the essence of the shows we're after" because they also ask you to send stuff into them. I don?t know how complete the list is, but it's always turned up something related to
whatever programme I'm looking for. The design may be a bit crummy and 70s-ish, and some pages might be a bit slow to load,
but it's a fun site with lots of downloads of themes songs in mp3 format etc.

(See also: if there is another site, it couldn't possibly be better!)

http://www.netmag.co.uk/

This is the web site of the very, very splendid .net magazine from Future Publishing. It contains lots of material on things like web development and web browsers including lots of handy hints and
tips to make your web surfing quicker and easier. As
you might expect from a magazine (and web site) devoted to the Web, there are also interesting news stories in relation to
that subject. Topics you might expect to see covered would be the broadband fiasco, Echelon, Data Protection Act etc. The web
site is easy to navigate and quick to load, and so browsing through it is not going to be a chore. Highly recommended for those of you who spend hours per day surfing the web because you are bound to find some useful piece of information.

(See also: some above web sites for downloads, PC tips etc.)

So, there you have it - my top ten useful web sites. I could probably do a top ten fun web sites as well, but maybe another time, eh? Sorry if these are a bit mainstream, but I guess in this instance, it's the big boys who are doing the best job (in my humble opinion).

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