Meta Mart

I haven't been paying attention to the world of SL shopping lately, but kaia Ennui brought the Meta Mart shopping HUD to my attention earlier today. You can get the free customer kit, including HUD and wallet, at a number of locations as described on the website. Simply put, you scroll through the HUD looking for items for sale, listed in categories and subcategories and buy with funds you have deposited to the wallet. Similar in functionality to any vendor you might see in world, this one tags along wherever you go. As I understand it, the Meta Mart folks are still filling out the provider list and content in the early version isn't as robust as you would expect further down the road.

I tested it out and it worked as advertised. Though SL was a bit slow, it worked about as well as any multi-item vendor would. What are the ramifications of this new product? Will it revolutionize SL shopping? I won't go that far. For many, the communal shopping experience is still key. For some, the speed of the web sites such as SLBoutique or SLExchange are a main tool. However, I love to see new ideas put in motion and I can see people putting this to use.

NOTE: Soon after my test run with the HUD, I received an IM from the Meta Mart folks (Robbie Kiama) thanking me, urging me to keep an eye out for upcoming news regarding Meta Mart and letting me know IMs with questions are encouraged. Good customer service goes a long way. It will be interesting to see the evolution of this product.