When choosing computer products, stick with “defacto industry standard” ones.
In other words, unless you have a good reason to do otherwise, go with the “Big Names” – the products which have won the biggest market share. Usually there are excellent reasons why those are the most popular products.
But there are exceptions. For instance, some companies spend most of their money convincing people (through advertising) that they’re best – instead of spending their money on being best. Because of this some “Big Name” companies are actually the worst in their market niche.
Also, when a hot new product comes along, it makes no sense to shun it for an inferior familiar product – as long as you have trustworthy evidence that the new product really is better, fits your needs and is ready for prime time.
Online reviews can help, but beware of reviewers that take bribes from manufacturers, or sales pages disguised as reviews. For hardware reviews, I really like Tom’s Hardware. Check any review web site’s policies to see how independent they are.
Buyer services can also be a big help. For that, I prefer Price Grabber, a web service that compares products, prices and sellers reputations for you. They can even notify you if a product’s prices drops down into a range you’d like to pay.
Until next time – happy computer product purchasing…
_jim coe
Tags: purchasing
