(The following paragraphs are excerpts from the complete article.)

The passport section of the State Department site is so well designed that the online passport agencies may have adopted some features from it. American Passport Express (visit www.americanpassport.com) is a case in point. Like the State Department site, American Passport Express's is arranged so that applicants who fall into certain categories are quickly routed to the appropriate forms.

The site has also anticipated some of the logistical hassles in obtaining a passport most notably, getting photos. Under the Where Can I Get My Photos? link, American Passport Express has a feature that helps you find the location of stores like Sears, Kinko's, and Mail Boxes Etc., which frequently have passport photo services.

I spent an entire day sitting in lines in a hot, cramped passport office in Stamford, Conn., since moved to South Norwalk. The office, an hour's drive from my home, was one of the few in the Northeast that provided last-minute service for those who call at least a few days ahead for an appointment. The lines moved at a pace that made those at the Department of Motor Vehicles look fast. In retrospect, given the amount of work I missed and the aggravation, I would've paid $150 for an online service.