REI's new website

Quick question. Ever since REI changed up their website it has seemed especially slow. I am not really a fan of the new format, but is anyone else experiencing sluggish loading times? Just wondering, thanks.

Yes, it does seem a bit slow, on my Mac and my PC laptop too. Too many pics?

Well at least it's not my PC! I'm not sure if there are too many pics or if it's the actual software they used to create it. Either way, it feels like it loads about the same speed as my old 128K did years ago. Well thanks for answering, hopefully REI fixes it.

I just looked at the site and it doesn't seem to be slow for me. Maybe it was faster before, but I really don't recall. I'm no expert, but I think the loading speed of a website depends on how graphic intensiveit is-movies, animations and so on and how much bandwidth the host servers are using.

Some company sites are incredibly slow because they are trying to impress you. Ski makers' sites tend to be this way for some reason and it is really annoying. I don't really care how clever their web designer is, I just want to see what they are selling.

Thanks a lot MTB416. I hadn't been to the REI site in quite some time. Your question made me go there to check it out. It cost me money. I bought a pair of pants.

Sorry f_klock, I have the same habit myself. Tom - You're right. Web designers have reached the point that they feel they need to build the most "interactive" site, thus resulting in the slow loading speeds. But I guess whoever hosts REI's website doesn't have the bandwidth to support all the new so called upgrades.

I don't find it any slower than it ever has been, or any slower than, for example, Trailspace. I have found time of day is usually a big factor in interaction times, though - everyone jumps on the web during their "noon" hour, so between 10 and 2 Pacific time on weekdays, things slow down a lot, and the hour after the NYSE closes is usually slow (everyone is checking their IRAs and 401k's, I guess, especially these days). Or maybe it's lots of people watching ME-tube (? whatever it's called??).

Yes, I agree that too many people are making their sites extremely "interactive" (what's interactive about having to sit passively through the "Introduction" that has lots of animation and movies? At least there are some sites that have a "skip intro" button to click - which I always click even on first-time visits, and often make me decide quickly not to deal with that merchant).

Yes Bill, time of day could be a factor, or maybe just a lot of people have been checking out the new format which has resulted in a lot of traffic. I just checked REI's site and it does seem a little faster at the moment, so traffic seems to be one of the factors slowing it down. However, it still seems slow to me. You're in CA right? Their servers could very well be California so that might be a reason you see faster loading times.

You're dead on about the "intros" that many companies now have on their website. I view websites as strictly utilitarian devices. All these long intros are just advertising in disguise. I'm a communications major, funny how I simultaneously hate and enjoy the field I will be going into. We have become exceedingly proficient at dodging ads, so to get your attention they employ these long intro video clips or something similar. It's the new age "pop up".

I think what happens is some designer wows the company with a fancy show and tell on a superfast computer and whoever buys the package doesn't understand how annoying it is to a customer to have to troll through intros, sit through little movies about sponsored athletes (a favorite on ski sites)and all the other nonsense when all the customer wants is to see the products, get the info, be able to compare them and then maybe buy something.

One site I know of has an intro that looks like something out of a futuristic army recruiting video. However, once you get past it, the rest of the site is actually pretty easy to use. They sell a lot of military type gear so that explains the opening. http://tadgear.com/

Pretty cool website, thanks. The intro isn't bad actually, but you can easily skip it if you like, so it's not too intrusive. Those type don't really bother me too much. I definitely found some new stuff to buy, unfortunately.

But...The TAD Gear site loads and runs just fine. Still faster than the REI site, on my PC

Flash intros, video clips, and such should be offered with a highlighted tab (or something optional) as you enter the site and not shoved down your throat. I realize you can skip most intros by clicking them off, but they are annoying when I am in a hurry. When I am not in a hurry I enjoy watching what they have for the most part.
I didn't have any problems with the REI site loading, and it seemed to be about the same speed as before.

Thanks for the link Tom D.
My wife says if I spend 250.00 on a knife, she will require a commercial grade stainless steel Hobart six burner gas stove with center downdraft grill & matching updraft stainless hood. She has recently adopted my "cheap gear is a waste of money" attitude. HELP!

Good luck, she's got ya! Cheap gear is a waste of money. But how could a $250 knife match a kitchen overhaul?!?! Just doesn't sound fair, of course :)

I had problems with speed at first, but it seems OK now. The biggest problem was and remains - the search function there returns some bizarre results and sometimes fails to return what I am looking to buy.