FAQ for Online Shoppers

What is this?
This is an attempt to make online shopping easier. The SmartShopper program allows you to set up profiles for friends and family to make it easier to shop. You can search, browse or shop through the profiles that you've set up. The program works in conjunction with Amazon.com.

Why would I want to use this software instead of just going to the web site?
Over time, you can create detailed profiles for friends and family saving you a lot of time and effort when shopping for birthdays or holidays. The actual sales transactions all go through Amazon.com, meaning that you're dealing with the world's leading online retailer.

And personally, I think that the interface is a little bit more straightforward, with a lot less clutter.  (But then again, I wrote the program, so I'm a little biased)

What's in it for you?
The program was written to take advantage of the Amazon Associates program. This means that I typically will get a small referral fee from Amazon for directing business to them. This doesn't affect the price that you pay. But it might help my daughter go to a nicer college.

Can I purchase any product through this program?
Some of the products offered through Amazon aren't able to be added to the program's shopping cart. (This is because they are actually being sold by a different vendor through Amazon). The program will allow you to connect to Amazon.com directly to purchase these items.

Can I share this program with friends?
Of course. Please do. In fact, if you have an Amazon Associates account, I'm willing to provide a version of the program that's keyed to your Associates ID. (For more information about this, see the Amazon Associates FAQ)

Will this run on my computer?
I hope so. But the reality is that it won't work on all computers. Without getting too technical, the program uses something called the ".Net Framework", which isn't supported by all computers. (Computers that are running Windows XP will support the program)   If you don't have it installed already, you'll be prompted to when you try to install the SmartShopper.

What is the "Microsoft .Net Framework" and why do I need it?
This is a free piece of software that Microsoft provides to run certain programs. The SmartShopper relies on it to run.