Finding The Perfect Tech Gift: A Review of Review Sites

So you’ve gotten everybody on this year’s holiday list taken care of except for your favorite gadget freak.  Buying electronics and gadgets is an adventure for even the most seasoned technology aficionado and with the sheer multitude of device variations, not to mention most stores highly restrictive return policies on electronics, how is the non techie supposed to be able to find that one perfect gift?

You could always fall back on our old friend Google.  As is always the case with most users’ search engine of choice, you can find a review for almost anything.  Unfortunately in the case of technology reviews, sometime even the first page of search results is filled with affiliate and scam sites. 

Even as a noted gadget freak and early adopter, I’m not real fond of spending my cash on a device that is just going to end up as an expensive paper weight.  I have found that the following sites provide honest reviews on electronics and gadgets and they have become my trusted advisors when contemplating a technology purchase.

Consumer Reports
The granddaddy of critical reviews, Consumer Reports still exists today in both print and website form.  The website, in keeping with the long-standing policy of The Consumers Union to avoid any appearance of having conflicted interests while providing honest reviews, does not accept advertising.  The added level of trust provided by not kowtowing to advertisers does come at a cost however as you must be a subscriber to the website to gain access to the full reviews.

CNET Reviews
CBS owned CNET has long been the go to guide for geeks on all matters technology.  In the past few years their review section has truly become second to none for free, unbiased reviews.  With categories spanning the technology gamut, CNET Reviews is a great place to not only get a professional’s opinion, but also to then compare that review with user’s feedback.

Epinions.com
Epinions, owned by eBay, is a social community of reviews that allows anybody to post their personal opinions on everything from thumbtacks to televisions to movies.  Using a rating system called the ‘Web of Trust’,  a user’s reviews are also reviewed by other community members and the opinions from authors who have higher trust ratings are displayed more prominently for a product. 

Amazon.com
“Now wait a minute”, you may be asking yourself, “doesn’t Amazon exist for the sole purpose of selling me stuff?”  Well, yes, but the users on Amazon’s site couldn’t care less if you help further line the pockets of the Seattle based E-tailer.  While I’m an instant gratification type of guy and lack the patience required to shop online.  Amazon is always my first stop for the unedited skinny on any device purchase I’m contemplating.  Amazon doesn’t require a reviewer to have purchased the item from their warehouse in order to leave a review so the opinions presented cover a wide array of people that have purchased the gadget before you.  Reviews are generally unfiltered, almost always accurate and can help stop you from making a regrettable purchase.

By combining the websites above and comparing the opinions presented, you can ensure that the gift you ran all over town trying to snag for your geek performs as advertised and doesn’t end up collecting dust on a shelf!

Did I miss your favorite review site or do you have any questions about technology or other electronic gadgets you may be considering purchasing for your favorite geek this holiday season?  Ask away on our  Facebook page!