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Gadget shopping? Try these toolsBy Ken Doyle
Doing the Research There are many places to buy tech gadgets, but relatively few that provide quality information on the products so you can make an informed purchasing decision. CNET Reviews (reviews.cnet.com) provides detailed information based on hands-on experience from a panel of editors, as well as reviews posted by consumers who have purchased the product. CNET also publishes a Top 10 list, which is handy if you don't have a particular tech toy in mind but just want to see what's popular this year. If you're interested specifically in personal computers and related items, both PC World (www.pcworld.com/reviews) and its parent PC Magazine (www.pcmag.com) publish product reviews, performance ratings, and gift guides. Macintosh users can find similar coverage at www.macworld.com/reviews. For more detailed information, look no further than Tom's Hardware (www.tomshardware.com), a site that's revered by technophiles for its emphasis on technical specifications and performance comparisons. In case the interface at Tom's is a little daunting, try another tech favorite -- AnandTech (www.anandtech.com) -- with a more user-friendly design. However, if you know exactly what you need and are ready to purchase it, you can probably find it at www.newegg.com or www.geeks.com, two highly rated online stores for tech-savvy shoppers. To keep up with the latest geek toys and gadgets throughout the year, you can read several tech blog sites that will satisfy your thirst for information. Among the best are Gizmodo (www.gizmodo.com), Engadget (www.engadget.com) and The Gadgeteer (www.the-gadgeteer.com). Finding Bargains Once you've done your homework and made your list, the next step is finding the best prices. Most of the review sites listed earlier also have a comparison-shopping feature, but they tend to be somewhat limited compared to dedicated price-checking sites. On the other hand, many comparison-shopping sites don't specialize in technology items, so it may be harder to find the items you want. Froogle (www.froogle.com) is Google's experimental shopping site, and it offers the widest selection of merchants vying for your dollar. However, sorting through all the results can be a daunting task, especially for popular items. Good alternatives to Froogle for technology-related items include PriceGrabber (www.pricegrabber.com), Yahoo Shopping (shopping.yahoo.com), CNET Shopper (shopper.cnet.com), and Bizrate (www.bizrate.com). In addition to product information and price comparisons, all these sites provide both product reviews and merchant reviews — the latter can be especially helpful when dealing with an unknown vendor. You can also localize the search results by entering your ZIP code, which helps when comparing shipping costs. A word of caution: some comparison sites accept paid listings and advertisements from preferred vendors, but these are clearly marked to avoid potential bias. And if you're really stumped for ideas, visit Think Geek (www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys) for an impressive selection of items ranging from the highly useful to the truly bizarre. USB-powered missile launcher, anyone? Happy holiday shopping! Ken Doyle is a principal consultant for Loquent LLC, a Madison-based company that offers technology training and consulting services. madison.com ©2009 Capital Newspapers. All rights reserved. |
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