I'm building a new site that will sell a few items. I'd like to get experience with a product that is used by other large corporations.
I believe there are several sites based on CS2009/7 but before I start learning this one I think it may be better to ask what other options should I consider?
I havent checked out the 2009 version but in the 2007 version of Commerce Server, there were just too many painful things not least of all the whole "Pipeline" framework, which for me, was just too cumbersome to work with.
I am afraid i didnt like commerce server 2007 much..and honestly, even from a MS perspective, it feels like its treated too much like a step son to want to even invest the time and effort to learn a product like that.
This impression of mine is based on my attending the Commerce Server Airlift in 2007 in Redmond which frankly was way less than impressive
There may be Commerce Server sites out there but honestly, i personally think that if you have a choice, you should probably look at something like Magento. I have worked on it a bit for a friends store and i must say that i felt it was probably WAY easier to get it set up out of the box than something like commerce server, in my experience. However, it does involve knowledge of PHP / Zend etc which may mean a steeper learning curve.
I've been working with Commerce Server for 6 years since 2002 version.
In fact I have to admit that isn't so easy to work with CS if you compare it with other products available. The installation is not that simple and the configuration usually takes some time.
If you wish you could start your solution based on Starter Site which can be installed and then customized. The Starter Site have almost all features that you need in a simple e-commerce site.
Regards, Alex