A panel of entrepreneurs searches for the best online spots to shop for computers, peripherals, and networking hardware.
CEO's Start-Up Toolkit: Best of the Web
A panel of entrepreneurs searches for the best spots to shop online
Does anybody buy computers in person anymore? If you buy technology today, the odds are pretty good that you make some of the purchases online -- or at least choose some items based on information you've found online. Your most important choice may therefore be not which product to buy but which site to start with. With our crew of entrepreneurs, we reviewed three of the top multivendor retailers, with an eye to their overall effectiveness as tech-buying sites for Inc. Technology readers. We didn't evaluate the quality of the products sold there but rather considered whether the site would help readers make quick, productive work of buying computers, peripherals, and/or networking hardware (all from multiple manufacturers) for a small company. (Note, too, that for this trip we ignored the single-source, direct-market sites such as Dell.com and Gateway.com. But, of course, you may want to give those sites a try.) Another buying site not reviewed here but worth checking out is Zones.com, which features a unique set of business-to-business buying tools.
But what good is an online technology source without unbiased online technology insight? To accompany our source reviews, we first looked at a selection of "product comparison" research sites, places that promise unbiased reviews, comparisons, specifications, and other data to help you make informed decisions when shopping online.
Where to Do Your Research
www.zdnet.com
What it offers: Oodles of product information and articles; links to buying sites
What it's good for: Locating in-depth articles and analysis
Don't waste your time on: Expecting to navigate the site without getting a migraine; the layout is too busy.
What our panel had to say: Our reviewers were un-wowed by ZDNet, although one panelist, the CEO of a consulting and publishing firm, found the site's "Anti-Virus Guide" very valuable. He also appreciated how much content ZDNet offered from a single access point. Still, he wished the presentation had been better. He recommended an "at a glance" organizational model in which lists of products in a category or resulting from a search are shown with review data on a single page.
www.cnet.com
What it offers: Lots of good tech information and links to buying sites
What it's good for: Product reviews, articles, "Editors' Choice" awards
Don't waste your time on: Clicking on the links to "premier sponsor" sellers, which muddy an otherwise unbiased presentation
What our panel had to say: CNet.com is broad in the same way that ZDNet.com is, but it's much better organized and easier on the eyes. The site features not only product information and comparisons but also articles, tech news, tech-job notices, how-to instructions, and even product auctions. In addition to doing broad product searches, visitors can display "Editors' Choice" picks and lists of the most popular products in various categories. The site presents it all within a happy balance of good design and readability.
The combination of product news, reviews, and access to technical products makes CNet an easy stop.
Panelists liked CNet. One dubbed it "simple, concise, and focused," and observed that "there are other comparison-shopping engines, but the combination of news, reviews, and shopping for technical products makes this an easy stop."
www.productopia.com
What it offers: A friendly gateway to product information and links to buying sites
What it's good for: Training-wheels-easy tours of product categories
Don't waste your time on: Getting advanced techie-type info; the content is skewed to newbies.
What our panel had to say: Productopia is exactly what it sounds like: a consumer-oriented, all-purpose repository of information on all types of products, including cars, appliances, clothing, and more.
The pages that deal with computers are adequate though clearly skewed to novices. In the plus column, however, there are "user reviews" and discussion groups that may offer some firsthand insight into products you're considering buying -- although we could find very little information about the items we tried. Both Mac and PC products are available and offered as equivalent choices for the same tasks. For example, computers that were selected as "Style Picks" (apparently for how good they'll look sitting on your desk) included an Apple iMac as well as PCs from Sony and Quantex.
Despite the site's consumerishness, panelists were impressed with Productopia, which got unanimously high marks for its search function, presentation, and navigability.
www.techshopper.com
What it offers: A handy way to research and buy from a single site
What it's good for: Research, but not purchasing
Don't waste your time on: Trying to locate customer service; panelists had trouble tracking down that link.
What our panel had to say: The reviewers approved of TechShopper, although one wished that the site's customer service had been made more apparent. Another panelist was surprised and impressed by the amount of Mac information that was available, though he conceded that the site was skewed to the PC market. "If you're not sure what you want, then this site is great to clarify," commented one reviewer. "But if you just want to click and buy, too much effort is required to get to the final step."
