CNN Interactive is one of the most complete news services I have used thus far. All though I have only used it one time, CNN Interactive has left an extremely good impression with me which will cause me to go back. If you are looking for a multimedia interactive newspaper, this is the site for you. Although the user may want to have a T1 cable or a relatively fast modem because the download time may be a little slow.

There are several reasons why this web page has excited me with its potential. On the front page, the day's top news stories are posted with a brief summary. Also on the front page, is a thorough listing of all the day's news ranging from national news to lifestyle news. If national news is not what the reader is looking for, then they can utilize several links and access particular type of news such as sports, finance, and custom.

Inside each article are several other pleasant surprises. The articles that I have read have been presented in a simple, straightforward, and unbiased format. Also, most articles, and especially front-page articles, all have some sort of multi-media device such as photographs, sounds, or movie clips that further enhance the article. If the reader doesn't have the software, the link for the file will automatically take the reader to the necessary download page. In my first use, I had to get QuickTime, and Client. This allows the reader to view certain files such as a clip of the planned space station. Aside from the visual clips, these links also take the reader to maps and photographs of the topic of the article.

At the bottom of these articles are links to other sites that are related to that topic. The other sites may be previous articles written about the subject or even links to homepages dedicated to that topic. Through those links, the reader can just read the article for an overview of the subject, or the reader can gain a complete understanding of the subject. Another fun, but pointless link, is that several of the pages are linked to the writers themselves. These links allow the reader to view a picture and a small biography on the writer.

As I was playing around some more with the site, I discovered a really cool feature of the page. CNN Interactive allows the user to customize a newspaper. In that manner, the user can isolate the articles they like, and never have to see the other articles that they usually ignore. I spent 10 minutes customizing a paper for me, and so far it seems more than worth it. This page allows you to focus on certain parts on the government, the financial world, the weather, and even particular sports teams.

Unfortunately, there are some negative things about this newspaper. The user must have a decent Internet connection to fully use this site because of the photographs and multimedia clips. For the slower connections, the programmers have a text only page. Oddly though, when an article is selected from the text only page, the normal article comes up with photographs and everything. Also, the user must have some knowledge of surfing the web and some patience. Because of the large amounts of information available through this site, the user may have to surf around until they find the right locations.

All in all, in the short time I spent in the site, I was impressed. There are several options at this site I haven't even begun to explore, and I'm sure there are several options that I am not even aware of. This is a great comprehensive news service for the person who wants to learn everything or even the person who wants just a summary of today's breaking news.