If you're constantly visiting the eBay site, depending on why, a new offering from the company may be just for you. In late February, eBay announced its eBay Desktop product was moving out of beta and would be available for free download.
eBay Desktop 1.0 allows users to search, bid, watch and more—and all without the use of a browser. The stand-alone application is built on Adobe Systems Inc.'s AIR platform, which makes it compatible with Windows XP and Vista, and MacOS 10.4 and 10.5.
Chief among the notable shortcomings of eBay Desktop is the lack of tools for sellers. Within the application, a user can access a pared down version of My eBay, but missing is a way to link to items the user is selling—not to mention the ability to list new items.
Nevertheless, the buyer-centric tool does provide access to messages, bidding notifications and auction reminders. It's attractive and functional, again, depending on your needs. When minimized, it resides in the system tray (in Windows), and when connected, it updates in real-time. Your username and password are stored, so you're effectively connected and signed into eBay with a single click.
At this point, eBay Desktop may add convenience for frequent eBay buyers. But even for buyers, functionality (e.g., advanced search) is at least slightly compromised. If and when selling tools are included, eBay will really have something compelling in this new way to get users to its online market.
Auctiva staff writers constantly monitor trends and best practices of those selling on eBay and elsewhere online. They attend relevant training seminars and trade shows and regularly discuss the market with PowerSellers and other market experts.
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