TODAY'S TOURBUS TOPIC: RIDER'S REVENGE #27

Hi all... it's time for another Rider's Revenge issue, where I share sites that your fellow Tourbus riders think are useful, fun, cool or otherwise worthy of attention. If you have a favorite site that's of interest to an international audience, send it along for the next Rider's Revenge!

TOURBUS is made possible by the kind support of our sponsors. Please take a moment to visit today's sponsors and thank them for keeping the Bus rolling. And before we get to our topic of the day, I want to encourage you to visit the freshly-updated TOURBUS website. Photos of Bob and Patrick, more Very Strange Things On The Web, and the ARCHIVES ARE BACK! Check out several years of back issues or search by keyword.

TOURBUS Home Page - http://www.TOURBUS.com

Are You in the Market?

Kevin Savetz, freelance computer technology journalist, sends word of a new site that looks very useful:

> I've just launched a Web site that's a guide to buying a PC for
> less than $300. My "Guide To Buying a Ridiculously Cheap PC"
> offers specs, reviews, and news about ultra-cheap, new computers.
> Get tips on the pros and cons of choosing a budget computer at

Ridiculously Cheap PC's - http://www.savetz.com/cheappc

You Got Questions...

Richard from Newton, Mass offers up this little gem for seekers:

> One more for your collection, Martindale's "The Reference Desk".
> Hard to categorize except to say it's eclectic and oddly complete.
> I always think I should spend more time looking through the stuff
> here. Check it out!

The Reference Desk - http://www.MartindaleCenter.com

Ed: Wow, "oddly complete" really seems to sum it up well. This is one of those sites that will answer questions you haven't even thought of yet.

They Got Answers!

Dave Taylor, occasional contributor to TOURBUS and author of many excellent computer books, wrote to tell me about his new site:

> Is it possible that you can mention our neato new service?
> AnswerSquad is a collective of computer and tech book authors
> who offer subscribers a lively, informative discussion forum
> where a wide range of tech questions are answered by the team.

AnswerSquad - http://www.AnswerSquad.com

The Man In The Polyester Suit - Part Deux

After my recent issue on buying and selling a car, Peter Jorgensen, Webmaster of the Lincoln Nebraska City Libraries wrote in with two great followup ideas:

> May I recommend two government sites that are also worth visiting?
> The US Department of Energy and the EPA maintain the Fuel Economy
> site that provides gas mileage, pollution, and safety information
> for cars and trucks. Also, the National Highway Traffic Safety
> Administration website allows you to search for vehicle recalls
> by year, make, model, etc.

Fuel Economy - http://www.fueleconomy.gov

Recalls - http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/defect

The Next Best Thing?

Linda from Marlinton, West Virginia recently wrote and said "The next best thing to Tourbus is the Smart Computing magazine that you guys recommend. I've been getting it since last summer and it has solved numerous problems for me and my friends."

Thanks, Linda! We hope other Tourbus riders will discover the Plain English answers to their computing questions that Smart Computing delivers every month. Do you want to speed up your PC? Eliminate the threat of computer viruses? Get rid of spyware and keep hackers out? Try Smart Computing today -- get your FREE TRIAL issue NOW!

http://tourbus.com/smart.htm

See you next time! --Bob Rankin