Comparing And Contrasting User Interfaces

Comparing and Contrasting User Interfaces

I went to the internet looking for book websites for the assignment listed in week four. I first thought to use websites that were not commonplace. However, Half.com was not user friendly. You had to employ too many steps to get what was needed. Borders.com had partnered with Amazon.com and could not be used because I had already planned to use Amazon as a reference or source. Amazon has become one of the must sought after and used websites when referencing books. Therefore, finding high-quality user friendly book sites became very difficult. I chose Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, and Joseph-Beth Booksellers.com as my three sources for this assignment. I will compare and contrast the three websites.

My first website is Amazon.com. I will start with them because they are my favorite. I have an account with Amazon. I love their user interface. Their website is so easy to navigate. Amazon offers so much more than books. They have partnered with a diverse collection of well known businesses. For instance, they have partnered with drugstore.com, Target, BabiesRUs.com, and more. I like the fact that I have created a store on their website that allows me to receive messages for my favorite items and authors. I can go right to my recommendations without searching the entire site. They have a very easy to use search engine and whenever you visit an item it creates a page of items visited. I can go back to an item from a hyperlink. Moreover, I do not have to re-search for an item previously viewed. I also like the ability to choose how I want to buy a book. Whether it is new, used, a collectible, or if I am not ready to purchase, I can create a wish list or buy later. I like the colors that Amazon uses and the ease of navigating. The only thing Amazon does not offer is a membership discount like Barnes and Noble. However, with everything Amazon offers, who cares? (Amazon, 2002).

BarnesandNoble.com is also a website I regularly use. It offers a membership discount with the Readers' Advantage card. I use them when I am ordering two books. When ordering two books or more, the shipping is free. With Amazon, your order has to total $99.00 or more to receive free shipping. BarnesandNoble.com is a separate entity from Barnes and Noble the bookstore. They are a bookstore only. They do not offer the extra shopping perks of Amazon. BarnesandNoble.com (bn.com) is not as visually appealing as Amazon nor is as user friendly. However, with