Now that every company - from media conglomerates such as Sony and Disney to publishing empires such as News International - is on the Web, there is some serious money being spent, with the result that Web technology is advancing so quickly it is easy to become jaded.
Despite a surfeit of hi-tech bells-and-whistles sites, one technology stands out for invariably cool results.
Macromedia's Shockwave has been with us for more than three years, and when used to its fullest, the sites that result produce some of the most enthralling content on the Internet.
Macromedia's own site, (Shock wave.macromedia.com), is a must-first-visit for anyone looking for a full-bore multimedia Web experience.
The site was launched last week as a Shockwave showcase, and the company has gone to town, showing Shockwave and Flash technology at their best.
On entering the site, your browser gets an instant free tune-up and, if necessary, a free upgrade.
The site's one drawback is that Shockwave downloads can take a couple of minutes, but the results are worth the wait. Besides, as you download, you generally are provided with a quick arcade game to while away the time.
