Search Tips

• Large Selection of Products and Brand Names. We have thousands of brand-name products to choose from. Whatever you need, you're sure to find it here.
  
• Powerful Web Tools. Find products fast with our Advanced Search tools.
  
• Peace of Mind. Take advantage of our convenient online order tracking, expert technical support, and a factory-authorized Repair Center.
  

Creating an Account

Creating an account is quick and easy. Not only does it keep your information secure in our system, it will provide you with access to all of our customized site features and save you time on your next order. We respect your privacy! Read our Privacy Policy.

To create an account, click the Login link at the top (or bottom) of the page and follow the instructions. For more information, see the My Account section of Site Help.

Searching for Products

There are several ways to search for products:

Browse all products in a category, such as "Digital Cameras".
Search by Keyword for a specific product or manufacturer.
Specify multiple options for more complex searches.
For more information about our search capabilities, see the Locating Products section of Site Help.

Secure Ordering

To protect our customers against credit card fraud, we provide secure online ordering. We securely store your credit card information only if you choose to save the information within your password-protected account.

Your order information is encrypted with industry standard Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology. SSL works by scrambling your name, phone number, credit card number, and order information so that only we, and your browser, can decipher it. You must have a browser that supports SSL (i.e., Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer) to order from us online.

Site Help: Locating Products

How do I find a product?

There are two ways to find a product:

· Browse our product database.

· Search our product database.

Browse

Use browse to find products by category.
Example: If you want to see a list of all notebook computers, select Notebooks from the Computers menu in the horizontal navigation bar at the top of the page. The Search Results page will give you options for narrowing your search.

Search

Use specific keywords to search for a particular product. Example: Type "Notebooks" and "IBM" for a list of all IBM notebook computers we carry. The Search Results page will list all IBM notebooks. However, it will also retrieve many other kinds of products that go with IBM notebooks. You can then refine your search using any of the other options listed on the Search Results page. If you search more specifically, say, for a ThinkPad A31, then the results will include only A31 notebooks and their accessories.

TIP: If you are looking for a particular product category, Browse is always more precise because it returns only the products in that category, not their accessories.

How do I browse the product database?

The navigation bar on the left of the page lists the top level of our product category tree. Mouse over any selection and you will see a menu of categories. Select the name of the category you want to browse. The Search Results page always presents other choices for refining your search. Also, the Search Results pages for some categories display Featured Products & Top Brands.

How is the product database organized?

Our database of products is organized in a tree structure.

At the top, there are nine categories of products: Computers, Monitors & Displays, Printers, Storage, Accessories, Software, Electronics, Networking, and Upgrades. Each top-level product category contains a list of subcategories.

How do I search the product database?

Use the Search box at the top of the page to search by keyword(s), Item Number (Item #), or Manufacturer Part Number (Mf #). Enter a keyword, phrase, or number.

Note: You can also limit your initial results by selecting a specific platform - "PC" or "Mac" - before searching. Our default - "All" - will return results for both platforms.

When you are finished, click "Go" to retrieve your results.

What's an Item Number (Item #)?

Every product we sell has an Item #. It is important to note that our Item # is NOT the same as the Manufacturer Part #. You'll find an Item # for every product on the Search Results page and on all Product Detail pages.

What happens after I start browsing or searching for products?

Your Search Results page will list all products that meet your search criteria. The link "Click to refine search" offers you a menu of options to narrow your search. You will see only the options that are relevant to your current search.

How do I navigate multiple Search Results pages?

Each Search Results page indicates the total number of products found as a result of your search criteria. When your search results contain multiple pages, you can navigate to other pages using the Next link at the top of each page.

How do I refine my search?

Search Results pages provide other options you can use to refine your search. Because the technology derives these criteria from the data, you will never reach a dead-end. Use refine search options to narrow your search or type an additional keyword in the "Search within results" box.

TIP: A keyword search for "Notebooks" will retrieve not only all notebooks, but all their accessories as well. The volume of the results may be unmanageable. However, if you browse to the product category Notebooks, then your results will contain only notebooks.

Example 1: You're looking for a relatively inexpensive notebook computer, but don't have a particular manufacturer in mind.

· On the Home page, select the Computers category, then select Notebooks. The Search Results page will list all the notebooks we carry.

· Use the Price list on the Search Results page to select a price range. The page will refresh, and your new results will contain only notebooks in that price range.

Example 2: You're looking for a digital camera with built-in flash and a 10X optical zoom lens, and you don't want to spend more than $400.

· On the Home page, select Digital Cameras in the Electronics category. The Search Results page presents other options to refine your search.

· Next, if price is your most important criterion, choose the $400 price range from the Price list.

· Choose Built-in flash from the Flash Type list.

· Choose 10 from the Optical Zoom list.

· Your final results will be only digital cameras with 10X zoom lenses and built-in flash costing less than $400.

How do I discontinue a particular search and start fresh?

Click on the Home link in the upper right-hand corner of the page and start over from the Home page.

How are the Search Results initially sorted?

Our site automatically sorts products based on their popularity. You can select your own sorting option in the Sort list, just above the list of products.

What if my Product Search returns no results?

If the product you are searching for is in the domain of IT products, then you are not likely to come up "empty handed". Browsing through our product tree will always return results because it is based on our product database.

If you've tried several keyword searches, and you still can't find what you are looking for, try browsing. If you are still unsuccessful, contact your Account Manager to help you.

How do I get information about specific products?

Click on any product name hyperlink and you will see the Product Detail page containing a description of the product and detailed specifications.

What information will I find on the Product Detail page?

The Product Detail page contains a product image (if available), rebate offers, detailed description of the product and a comprehensive list of specifications and technical notes. You may also see a list of Related Products to consider.