Back when I was still at Mandarin, we had a chronic problem with people tearing out pages from "Consumer Reports". This proved two things: (a) "Consumer Reports" is a very popular publication and (b) some people are just too cheap to shell out a couple of dimes for the copier. But this kind of information is always in demand (particularly in this busy shopping season), and there are lots of resources online to consult ranging from the professional (tech reviews at CNET) to consumer submitted (epinions). Which are the best of the best? What are some that many people might not be aware of? Please give us your thoughts!
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I would suggest (and I use it personally) going to a commercial site (Amazon, Best Buy, etc.) and reading both the manufacturer's comments and user reviews. It gives a good balance between "we'll say anything to sell this" and real-world experiences. Also, you can evaluate your own expectations based on your perception of whether or not the consumers know what they're talking about.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorites is www.consumersearch.com. It compiles product reviews from many different sources and recommends consensus reviewer preferences. Includes links to original reviews. Covers a vast array of products.
ReplyDeleteRichard Mott
We used to have another library fax over replacement copies of the pages. Consumer reports is available in InfoTrac. I like the reviews online, but they are well supplemented by the testing and comparisons done by CR.
ReplyDeleteI like searching for the product type in Gale Power Search-Consumer Reports is not the only publication that reviews products. If you type in the type of product (for example, umbrellas) and then limit your results by document type (on the left side of the screen) you can select "buyers guide" as a type of document. I got 22 hits from publications like Good Housekeeping, Essence, New York, Golf Digest, etc.
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