Over the years, I’ve complained about Consumer Reports and its reviews of personal computers, particularly Macs. It’s not because they necessarily print false information, but incomplete reports, simplified to make it acceptable to what they regard as a non-technical audience. But that also makes it extremely deficient and of little use if you really want to make a decision as to whether to buy a Mac or a PC.
So where do you find the product reviews on tech gear you need to make an informed decision on what to buy?
Well, there are all those print magazines you’re accustomed to, such as Macworld, MacLife (the magazine formerly known as MacAddict) and their online equivalents. They have been around for years, and gained reputations for careful research and attention to detail. They also promise to separate the advertising from the editorial departments, so content isn’t dictated by how many pages a company buys.
For the most part, I’ve been pleased with the quality of their work. I’ve found exceptions, of course, such as InfoWorld, which has published some printer reviews [1] that I found totally unacceptable in terms of basic accuracy and objectivity. Attempts to contact the writers and get an explanation as to why they made such egregious errors resulted in one of the silliest attempts at stonewalling I’ve seen in quite some time.
Story continued in this week’s Tech Night Owl Newsletter. [2]