[metra]

When I first entered the hardware world (not too long ago), Toms seemed like a great place. It was updated almost everday, had good guides, nice benchies, etc. The forums werent so great, but the news in general seemed good.

After a couple of months, i found (more like i entered, i heard of it before) oc-forums.com. Before long, it seemed as if everyone hated Tom's. I didnt know why, but it had a big influence on me. I stopped glancing at Tom's (which i used to do everyday) and, eventually, i refused to take any links there.

Today, because i was bored, i decided to take a glance at Toms Hardware. I found a good article on Logitech mice. I've always wanted a review - and here it was. But its.. Tom's. To read, or not to read. I decided to read it. After a few paragraphs, I decided to ask why this seemingly fine website is always attacked.

So, why? People say his benchmarks might be incorrect, or he posts incorrect info, etc. Is he wrong and doesnt know it? Or are people bribing him? Whats so bad about Tom's? Im sure that not
every article has incorrect info. Yes, there are some examples of bad reviews: the heatsink reviews where some good companies were left out. But what could be wrong in an article about mice? I'll read it and see if I could find anything, although i dont have any logitech mice, =[. (Im planning on getting the MX300 - thats another reason why I want to read it). Ok so can anyone enlighten me as to why Tom's is SO horrible - granted that a few reviews dont include all the info?

Also, why does everyone refer to articles there as if theyre all written by Tom. They have a lot of authors.

[Deathknight]

One of the problems alot of people have about Tom's is that the reviews and comparisons are biased. Important information may be left out or things may be innacuratly described to show one product is superior when in fact it is not. When they go beyond just reporting the basic facts is where the train gets derailed for them.

Personally I don't mind getting the basic rundown on something from a site like that but coming to a forum where real people are pounding the heck out of their hardware like the readers here do is much more informative. A guy that has "reviewed" 20 video cards, having each in his machine a few hours, I don't find really all that helpful.

[metra]

Originally posted by Deathknight
Personally I don't mind getting the basic rundown on something from a site like that but coming to a forum where real people are pounding the heck out of their hardware like the readers here do is much more informative. A guy that has "reviewed" 20 video cards, having each in his machine a few hours, I don't find really all that helpful.

Exactly. Just to see the specs and the general pros and cons, I wouldnt mind reading from a review site, including Tom's. After I see which products are good and which arent even worth looking at, I post here about the specific product I want. IMO, Toms is a good starting point. The reviewers catch the "initial" pros and cons (since they only have them for a few hours), etc. Then, to get more info, you can just post here - where someone is destined to have used the product for at least a month and knows its nooks and crannies.

[Luie]

Yes, alot of ppl say it's bias just like [h].
I like their videos though.

[ardent]

Seems like those kind of sites are a good starting point.... I was the same as you Metra....having been a mac owner for the last two years, I was completely blind on PC technology. For me Toms was a good place to catch up....alot has happened in 2 years it seems.

I still read it occacionally but not nearly as frequently as I did.....besides, how would I find the time to read the oc forums :P ???

[Pinky]

Larger hardware sites have become tools for the hardware manufacturers to sell their goods, the worthy and worthless ones alike.

[BaldHeadedDork]

Originally posted by Pinky
Larger hardware sites have become tools for the hardware manufacturers to sell their goods, the worthy and worthless ones alike.

Have become??? I've only been online since '94. Did I miss when they-or the magazines-weren't shills for the manufacturers?



BHD

[metra]

Originally posted by Pinky
Larger hardware sites have become tools for the hardware manufacturers to sell their goods, the worthy and worthless ones alike.

Thats true. However, all i'm saying is that I dont think people should immediately jump back once they hear the word Tom's. The site provides information that we can all use. If the particular article doesnt provide anything then I hope everyone here has learned how to analyze what they read. I think everyone here knows how to differentiate between fact and opinion. Dont take Tom's as the word of God - no one particular source should be used when formatting your opinions. Just take what you need, and reject all the garbage.

[Pinky]

Originally posted by BaldHeadedDork


Have become??? I've only been online since '94. Did I miss when they-or the magazines-weren't shills for the manufacturers?

A lot of today's "big boys" started off with the best intentions (to give unbiased, objective and accurate reviews (and hardware information)). Now they're too big to survive without the scraps the hardware manufacturer's throw them (financial and otherwise).

Manufacturers have always ADVERTISED in these magazines/sites, and magazines/sites have taken "sides" with certain brands, but never had they twisted, bent, or omitted information to make one brand seem to rise above the rest. These, my friend, are all new forms of trickery and outright deception, and this is "new" (last couple years).