Zaplet, Droplets, scooplets, oh my!

Those of you who liked what you've seen of an e-mail add-on application called Zaplet will want to take a peek at the product of another start-up with a similar name and mission: Droplet, Inc.

Here's the scooplet: Droplets are small online applications an end user will drag and drop from an e-commerce or intranet Web page to his PC desktop, where the apps will stand ready as icons available to interact with the Droplet issuer's server for purposes of communication and collaboration. The New York company's early demo Droplets provide customizable e-mail, picture-sharing capabilities, discussion forums and stock-trading tools for brokers.

According to the company's marketing director, Bill Power, Droplets will offer three primary selling points: portability in the form of a My Droplets interface that can be accessed from any browser; easier, less expensive administration in that Droplets are managed on a server; and an end-user experience that is more like a full-fledged desktop app than a pokey Web form.

Because the demos aren't live, it's impossible to assess that critical performance claim (call me skeptical). Unlike Zaplets, Droplets are not a roll-your-own application, as the company will depend on third-party developers to push customized Droplets written in Java or C++ to corporate customers.

However, these little fellas do look like they might scratch an itch for online merchants looking to forge closer ties with their customers by claiming a little chunk of prime desktop real estate. Later this month the company will announce a strategic partnership with PricewaterhouseCoopers, which ought to give Droplets a credibility boostlet.

Anyone who has shopped at the Vermont Country Store on Route 100 in Weston, Vt., will likely appreciate the irony of a visit to www.vermontcountrystore.com. Few merchants offer such a stark convergence of the old and new economies, from a real-world penny-candy counter to a real-time online assistance feature that would do any PC purveyor proud.

Despite a phobic aversion to shopping, Buzz truly likes both versions of the Vermont Country Store. However, there is one beef: When Vrest and Ellen Orton opened their little shop in 1946, they didn't have to worry about abandoned shopping carts. Their son Lyman, who runs the place today, cannot afford to be so cavalier about the problem, particularly online.

My virtual cart contained two items: one a special request from Mrs. Buzz and the other a big, honkin' wedge of the sharpest, tastiest cheddar you'll ever slap on a Triscuit. However, I was well into the checkout process and salivating up a storm when it became apparent that my virtual cart and I would soon be parted.

They don't accept American Express at www.vermontcountrystore.com.

If Vrest and Ellen are still with us, they need to talk to their boy about closing the deal. You can't have a real e-commerce site if you don't take AmEx.

Speaking of mistakes, a recent item here about a start-up that helps people sell stuff on auction sites had the company name - and by extension, its URL - spelled incorrectly.

The name/site is myEZsale.com; the word "sale" being singular, not the plural you may have seen in this space. Apologies to the company and anyone who had trouble finding the site because of the error.

Switching back to my mean old self, though, it should be noted the column also suggested that myEZsale find a better name. My thought was that people might find the current one confusing and hence the site hard to find.

Granted, that wasn't the way I wanted to prove my point.

Go ahead and pile it on. What else have I gotten wrong lately? The address is buzz@nww.com.