How to Read a Software or Hardware Review

When it comes time to buy new software or upgrade your computer, you know the drill. Before you lay your money down, you perform your due diligence: gather options, read reviews, look at prices, and read some more reviews.

In many cases, the reviews are the deciding factor. The nuggets of information from people who have laid their hands on a product can help cut through the dry specs and puffed-up marketing materials offered by product manufacturers.

But are you evaluating the reviews you read with the same scrutiny you would have for the product itself? Not all opinions should be considered equal, nor given the same weight in helping you make a decision. Can you trust what you're being told? To be sure of the advice you're getting, take into account the following tips and considerations.

Advertiser Influence

Just as it's helpful to know if a politician is under the influence of lobbyists, you want to find out who is paying the bills behind a review. A few publications, such as Consumer Reports, accept no advertising and are funded solely by subscriptions from readers. This model is meant to assure that no undue influence comes from the products' manufacturers.

Many magazines and Web sites are funded by advertising, however. That doesn't mean you can't trust what they say, but you have to keep it in mind. Since advertising rates are based on the number of people who see the publication, catering reviews to meet advertisers' needs would be a short-term business proposition — after all, if the readers don't trust what's written, they aren't going to be readers very long.

On the Web, you may see sites with advertising that the publication itself doesn't control. Because services such as Google's AdSense will handle the ad placement for the site, the publisher can't control what ads show up.

Most publications have a page that states who is responsible for the production and editing. You'll find that page near the front or back of magazines. On Web sites, this page is often located on a page called “About Us.” If you can't find this information, you should question the publication's integrity.

Check multiple sources for common themes

There's one way to overcome doubts you may have about a review — don't rely on just one. You should try to find at least three reviews of the product, and more if you have the time. If enough publications bring up the same negative points, you'd be wise to pay attention. Likewise if you read enough raves, the product likely has merits. This was true with initial reviews of the iPhone — almost every review liked it overall but panned the AT&T network and some missing features.

Several reviews, one publication

If you've found a review from a publication you are not familiar with, try to read other reviews from that same source. That may help you gauge the competency and trustworthiness of the publication. If you find the quality of reviews varies dramatically, that should raise red flags.

Timeliness

A review is only as pertinent as it is timely. If a review is several years old and has never been revised, the product may have been updated or bugs could have been fixed. Additionally, if a product was hot stuff when it first came out, newer competing products may now be available that make the older product feel like day-old bread. But some sites such as CNET will post updates to a review as new information or improvements happen — which makes the review even more useful.

Run the numbers

Some technology magazines such as PC Magazine and Macworld Magazine will run products through standardized tests called benchmarks. Benchmarks are a fairly objective way to measure a product's performance. The test scores are compared to a baseline product's performance, offering you a numeric way to compare one product against others. When reading benchmarks, look for a key that indicates what the baseline score is, whether larger or smaller numbers are better, and other notes that will help you interpret the scores.

People's choice: user reviews and blogs

If one person's opinion is valuable, then hundreds must be worth a mint, right? Not always. You'll find so-called user reviews on dedicated user review sites like Epinions.com, on shopping sites like Amazon.com, and on publications sites like CNET. The idea is that the voice of the masses can help you decide the value of a product. If you're willing to sift through many reviews, you can find a lot of good information — especially about what works great and what doesn't work at all. People don't tend to spend the time to write a review if they have no strong feelings. Professional reviewers have the advantage of experience and editors; user reviews are more emotional, and you really don't know who you can trust.

What to make of blogs, then? Anyone can create a blog and post his or her opinion on a product, and you may come across it through a search engine. Treat new blogs with the same suspicion you should have with user reviews; but once a blog has proven that it is trustworthy, it can be as valuable as any traditional publication.

Appropriate audience

What kind of user are you — novice, expert, somewhere in between? The reviews you read should take your level of expertise into mind. If a magazine targets IT professionals and you are a communications manager, then the review of a product in that magazine may not hit points relevant to you. A majority of publications target the middle ground, which is great if you fall into that group, but probably won't offer enough details for the advanced guru.

Reputable Sources

Now that you're a discerning review reader, where should you turn for the best reviews? This list will get you started.

Consumer Reports

For $26 a year or $5.95 a month, you can access Consumer Reports' reviews of everything — including kitchen sinks, as well as hardware, gadgets, and some software products. Consumer Reports is generally held as the model of objectivity since they don't accept ads. The site offers frequently updated reviews, comparisons, detailed test reports, and more.

CNET

CNET covers everything you can think of: computers, software, PC products, Mac, Linux, TVs, even cars. They review products quickly and in-depth, and they update the reviews as needed when new information becomes available. Plus, the active community of users add insights, offering the best of both worlds — reputable expert opinions and the many opinions of real users.

PC World and PC Magazine

Targeted mainly at business users, these magazines and their Web sites offer in-depth reviews of software and hardware in easy-to-understand language. They also offer benchmarking on many reviews and will often feature large roundups of products within a category to make it quick to compare.

Macworld

Focused solely on products for the Mac OS, Macworld is a one of the best resources for Mac users, and especially for graphic designers and other creative professionals. Like PC World and PC Magazine, they offer benchmarks and comparison reviews.

Tom's Hardware

Tom's Hardware is for the serious tech types. The detail and focus of their reviews make them ideal for those who need to know the ins and outs of every feature , but may be over the head of the average user.

Gizmodo and The Unofficial Apple Weblog

In addition to showcasing the latest tech toy announcements, these blogs also provides valuable first-hand assessments of products. Over time, I've found merit in the opinions expressed by the authors.