Hello everyone! I would like to enlist your help in determining the usefulness of the Product Overviews in ARP. For some time now, we have been implementing a Product Overview in the first page of every review. Essentially, it contains the review's conclusion and the product's specifications. Take for example, this page - http://www.rojakpot.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=271&pgno=0 Now, with that example in mind, I would like to ask you just ONE question. And that question is this : Would a Product Overview (without a review or pictorial review) be useful to you? An example would be this page - http://www.rojakpot.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=200&pgno=0 As you can see, the Product Overview contains nothing but a summary of its features and its specifications. Would THAT be of any use to you? Bear in mind that if we do get a review sample, we would update it with a Pictorial Review and then a Comprehensive Review. But there will be many occasions where review samples or loans are not forthcoming. Should we post these Product Overviews? Would they still be of any use to you? Thank you for taking the time to participate in this survey!!!
We are actually trying them out as a better way to showcase a new product's features and its specifications, rather than just posting the press release which is always full of marketing BS. But do let us know if it's working for you, or not.
nope, cause overviews are only good for products introduction. Before i purchase pc stuffs, i always read reviews first. So i think its good enough to some extend but not good enough to make a purchasing decision on.
A product overview without a review or pictorial review wouldn't really do anything for me. I'd see it, and then I'd go, "And where's the Next button" or "Where's the rest"??
Hmmm, How do you think we can improve that product overview page better? Maybe a comparison of similar products? Cheapest price listing? Do let us know too if you have any ideas.
Yeah, generally speaking the pictorial reviews are kinda pointless, it's just like saying yeah it has this and this, and could do this. What I want to know from any review is what it really does when the user uses it IRL. Pictorial review is kind of like judging a book by its cover.
LOL! That's not what we are refering to. We are talking about Product Overviews here. Pictorial Reviews is another thing we should talk about as well...
Oh.. Hmm shit. Although upon reviewing my post it fits into approximatley the same category. It would be more useful if the overview page has a more direct way of comparing the product to its competitors, i.e by a benchmark index or similar. Otherwise its just another way to flick to the last page of the review and looking at the conclusion
Nah, benchmarks are only ONE aspect of any reviews. You may judge a product just by its performance but others might not. For example, it would not be fair or correct to just post benchmark results without commenting on the other aspects of the products. For example - packaging, bundled accessories, build quality, noise level, heat production, etc, etc. OT but just FYI, Pictorial Reviews are a way for us to quickly show you guys what's available in the package of a product, its build quality, components used in its construction, etc, etc. Remember - unlike some websites, we take our tests seriously and those tests take time. The reason why we are doing Pictorial Reviews is to deliver some data or information about the product BEFORE we even test it. This gives the reader some idea about the product while we test it. That's the idea behind Product Overviews too. By posting Product Overviews, we hoped to create a database of specifications and features for easy referral by our visitors. Sometimes, they may have already made up their mind on buying certain things. Maybe they want to check up on some specs before they make the purchase. The key idea behind Product Overviews is to create a database of useful specifications and features about unreviewed products for easy referral. In other words, instead of posting meaningless press releases like other websites, we actually research and create Product Overviews. For those who have voted, we thank you for your feedback. But we still need more feedback for the data to be statistically useful. Please vote if you have not done so. Thanks!!!!
Damn I missed so many threads when I'm not around Well, the product overview is really pointless, seriously. As a reader myself, I don't see any good reason to include this overview thing. Okay its just my POV anyway BUT, the poll results says it
Just FYI, everytime I looking for something through Google, I always make sure I type "product name + review", just so that I only filter the reviews. Actually I don't need an article that tells me about the specs and what I get in the box. I actually want the specs and the review. Coz what specs can do if you don't have the review? Eg. dpreview. When I was thinking of purchasing a camera. I went to dpreview and looked at the specs. If there's no review, I'll go Google for one. The specs at dpreview meant something because, it only focus on camera. And grouped by the brand. So, there's a point even if there's no review available. It's like a database. Err... you get where I'm going with this? The thing is more focus... but if we do it here, I don't see any point because we are not focus, we don't group stuffs into groups, like we don't group motherboard according to their manufacturer, etc where we can browse through easily. Dang...
Huh? Why so difficult? Can't you just check the manufacturer's website? Well, I can tell you something, you used the wrong method to buy the camera. Specs mean nothing when comes to camera. Are you saying that Canon IXUS 700 is better than Nikon D2H because Canon has got more pixels than Nikon? Far from the truth, which is why you need to read the full reviews to understand. Yes, I agree with you, specs are better than nothing, but why bother when I know I can get the specs from the manufacturer's website? I almost never google product specs, but instead, I search for the manufacturer's website and get info from there. UNLESS, it's an old product, even the manufacturer doesn't have them, then ONLY I will search google.
LOL! You are wrong... I used specs and compared them with other cameras side by side. At least I know what's lacking in other camera, etc. Some don't even have audio in video recording. I need all in one, that's why specs are important. I know I can go to the manufacturer's website. But can the manufacturer website display a comparison of their camera with others (any) of my choice? No! After I filter out the camera that don't fit into my needs, then only I started looking for reviews and asking people. But this only applies to camera because we have site like dpreview. For other computer gadgets, etc. I'll go look at the manufacturer's website. I never google product specs at all, I google for reviews from sites and also from users.
Duh, of course compare specs side by side la. If not, find specs for what? Yes, dpreview has side by side comparison, but do we? Our products vary so much it's virtually impossible to maintain a usable database like our current graphics card guide.
Yeah, it would not be possible to do side-by-side comparisons. Even if we just compare a single product with another product in the same category, some may question our choice of product used in the comparison.. or why we only keep it to a single side-by-side comparison. What a headache.
If I really want to look for specifications, I usually go to the manufacturer website. If not, I would look for it in reviews. Okay, why do I think it is pointless? because you listed the specifications in the overview page and then inside the review you listed it again. Er.... I don't see any point here. If you think that I might not find the specs that easily in the review, nope. I can easily navigate and find the specifications through the quick link menu. Plus, telling me what is contained inside the box is pretty much pointless also, because I want to actually see the components, the picss .........and it feels like you are advertising the product also
Although I don't really like the idea of pictorial review, but it serves a lot more purpose than product overview because we have the actual product in hand, and pictures can tell a lot of stories.
