>They're a start, they do have a built-in bias against Mac's,
>it's silly but just realize the bias exists and try to account
>for it. Watch the opinions at cnet & amazon.com as well.
They had strange biases long before there were Macs. Way back when I was
in college we electrical engineering students used to laugh about the
electronics recommendations in CR.
I take all reviews anywhere with a ton of salt.
The day I knew Consumers Reports was totally biased and clueless was
when they reviewed an odd little car we owned, the 1980 Dodge Colt
[Plymouth Champ]. It had twin gear shifts--high/low, 4-speed--giving it
a 10-speed transmission [if you include two in reverse]. The two shifts
worked similar to the high/low gears in a big truck. CR reviewer said
that it was awful because you needed THREE hands to shift gears! MPG was
48-50 highway, ~42 mpg average. It was terrific driving through the
Rockies. Had we believed CR, we wouldn't have had so much fun and spent
so little.
When I look at reviews at amazon, cnet, et al, I always look at the
lowest first to see if there are real reasons to avoid a product, or if
the reviewer simply wanted attention. Then I work my way up the scale.
GPS? Don't need it. I always carry a Suunto compass, and pick up maps as
I travel. [strange bias?]
Betty
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