Before I get to the list, let me explain what went into creating it.
First, the basic definition of a web portal would include most of the web, so I used the criteria of being a portal to either specific or general information. I also included any portals to services or products that were not specifically sold by the website. (In other words, Amazon would not be counted because they sell the products they list. A best deal website, on the other hand, would fit the criteria.)
Second, I used Alexa as an index to the website's popularity. Alexa ranks websites through data retrieved by those who use the Alexa toolbar. In many ways, Alexa is the Nielson ratings of the web.
And, with that said, here is the list:
10. The Internet Movie Database
The Internet Movie Database gives quick access to who directed what movie, who starred in it, who wrote the screenplay, and other useful information. Great for those times when an actor's name is on the tip of your tongue, or you want to verify an obscure link during a game of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.
9. Ebay
Ebay is everything from an auction without the fast talking to a global flea market to the world's largest garage sale. Whether you are out to buy, or have something to sell, Ebay is the place for bargains.
8. Baidu.com
Baidu is the most popular search portal in China. It has a simple interface similar to Google.
7. Microsoft.com
The world's largest software company clocks in among the most popular websites in the world.
6. Wikipedia
The quickest source of basic information on anything from Roman history to cellular mitosis to Harrison Ford, Wikipedia has redefined how people share information.
5. MSN
Originally developed to compete with American Online, MSN is slowly being phased out to make way for Microsoft's Live service. But, as you can see from it being so highly ranked, it is still one of the most popular search portals.
4. Google
Designed around the concept of just giving people a search box and a button to click, Google's immense popularity is best shown by how the name has become a synonym for search. By the end of the decade, people will be talking about how they googled their car keys but couldn't find them.
3. Windows Live
Microsoft's answer to Google, Microsoft Live combines the web search features of MSN with a host of web-based applications like mail and instant messaging.
2. YouTube
YouTube has taken viral videos to a new level by making it so easy to share video footage. While certainly entertaining, YouTube can also be instructional for those wishing to find free tutorial videos.
1. Yahoo
Do you Yahoo? If so, then you are hitting the single most popular destination on the web. Combining search features with a host of services ranging from Internet mail to your own personalized radio station, Yahoo is the busiest web portal.
