A Farewell from [H] Consumer

Night Black said:

I believe some of us, including myself, have done reviews in the fashion, but the quality varies and is lacking a lot of the time. (My review was about less than a thousand words, the average [H] review is eight thousand.

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I know, but I was thinking that the number of reviews for that "product" would make up for the length or quality of the single review. For example Dell's XPS line, if we get lets say 5 reviews that were positive. That would indicate the XPS line might be a good product to invest in. Plus you get the opinion from 5 different people with different backgrounds and thoughts on the SLA between the customer and the seller.
By having [H] give out a template to work off of you can get the data somewhat consent even if the reviewer does not finish the entire benchmark. With enough data points you might at least get a picture on the product and seller.

heh please no flames on me picking Dell it was the first brand name I thought of that everyone would know.

I would also like to say thanks. I would always look forward to the thorough reviews. There was and probably will not be another site like this. This is indeed a great loss. I cannot count the times I have told people to visit the site and made recommendations based on your reviews. Good Luck to you all. Hopefully someone will realize how valuable something like this is and bring the reviews back in some shape or another.

I'm sorry if this has been brought up before, as I have not read all the pages yet, but felt the need to jump in the middle of the conversation.

As far as the consulting business have you thought about having it both ways? Do the consulting work for a fee but then reserve the right to post the findings 3 to 4 months later on the site? I don't know how much resistance the integrators would have for this type of system, but it might be food for thought.

schnitz76 said:

I'm sorry if this has been brought up before, as I have not read all the pages yet, but felt the need to jump in the middle of the conversation.

As far as the consulting business have you thought about having it both ways? Do the consulting work for a fee but then reserve the right to post the findings 3 to 4 months later on the site? I don't know how much resistance the integrators would have for this type of system, but it might be food for thought.

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The exact business model you mention would not work as it would be out of date. However, if they were allowed two times to do this and publish after the second one is finished to find any improvements or deficiencies between the two, it might work. However, this isn't a business model that would stand up. It's basically the same thing as the evaluations but the companies would have to pay even more than they would for ad views. They aren't willing to spend the money on advertising as it is. Basically, they have no faith in their products, service or business. If they had faith in those, then they would welcome with open arms the evaluations [H]Consumer did.

As an [H] professional lurker, this finally forced me to register. Man, I have been reading [H] stuff for years now.... I think the first time I found it was from a link on the MonsterBox site after I bought a machine from them in 2003. I used to always enter Steve's KGR every month (btw, what happened to Steve?).

Wow, I understand, but what a shock. It probably won't help, but I have had some work published in scientific/technical format, and I would gladly help write stuff for free until [if] a plan to return could be done. I am not going to know how to act with [H] being off the air!


Your reviews of equipment has been second to none, and I read a lot of these things. Hopefully, something comes up and puts this idea back into motion, but realistically, I'd imagine you have waited long enough for that to happen.

I am dead serious in my offer to write for you for nothing! If things ever get on track again ask and I'll send you samples. Good luck with future endeavors. This was not the Edsell of the computer world, it sounds like too many got used to a free lunch. Gentlemen.....farewell.

Brian Boyko said:

That's just one application of why informing consumers - even well informed consumers - is important.I don't think you would have gotten detailed gaming quality results on a wide variety of games, nor do I think you would have gotten quite so much information about the technical support of these companies. Average article I wrote for HardOCP was around 8,000 words. "Guess-timated" average forum post: 500.

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Honestly, all I do is skip right to the "Conclusions" page of most articles. I'm of the opinion that multi-page reviews were created simply to show me more banner ads - not add to my experience. It's not as if a web page is limited in the vertical length. I'm also not overly concerned by the thickness or dimensions of the cardboard box the item came in, how much styrofoam was used for packaging, what color the rear left corner of the box is, etc. That reminds me of a little kid trying to fill in a requirement for a five page report with junk that isn't worth my time. Some sites have attempted to become more clever by hiding links to the end of the review but those are also the sites I don't bother visiting a second time. Sometimes less is more.

So sad.

I understand, though.

Thankyou, [H] Consumer. You will be missed.

I'm still sad...

iZero said:

Honestly, all I do is skip right to the "Conclusions" page of most articles. I'm of the opinion that multi-page reviews were created simply to show me more banner ads - not add to my experience. It's not as if a web page is limited in the vertical length. I'm also not overly concerned by the thickness or dimensions of the cardboard box the item came in, how much styrofoam was used for packaging, what color the rear left corner of the box is, etc. That reminds me of a little kid trying to fill in a requirement for a five page report with junk that isn't worth my time. Some sites have attempted to become more clever by hiding links to the end of the review but those are also the sites I don't bother visiting a second time. Sometimes less is more.

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Same here, I do go right to the conclusions as well and skip the packaging, colors of the box or foam it came in. The only notes I would have taken were any real damage to cardboard box that could have hurt the computer inside. I also don’t care if the drivers were in a binder or not. In six months they will be out date anyway. But again I am not thinking like a Joe consumer would.

Before I forget for a third time the [H] does rock despite the comments above from me

Hey, I'll admit I skipped to the conclusion page a lot myself. But I also went and backtracked afterwards to at least see some specific details on certain things, including the packaging. No, I don't care about the color of the box myself, but what I do care about is the condition it's received in. The last thing I want to see is what looks like a boot print where the screen to my monitor should be, or you know, a big gaping hole?

Seriously, that may not matter to some of you, but to someone like me, it does matter. Hell when I got my 2407 I told my parents to make sure the box was nothing short of perfectly intact and to refuse it if there was even so much as a hole in one of the corners. Yeah, I managed to drop some serious cash, and I also wanted to see that it was well spent, not dented to shit. Proper packing can make a helluva difference. Hell at the store I work at I wish half the vendors would learn that lesson instead of using the cheapest packing tape they could find. I've had one too many boxes fall apart on me due to the cardboard not being strong enough to hold it together, or the packing tape being too weak to hold it together. It's pretty sad when a retailer uses better quality packing tape than the vendors they work with.

The thoroughness may be annoying on the aspects you as a reader aren't interested in, but that's why they're divided down into sections across pages. Yeah, more space for ads is another side bonus, but you appreciate the information in full when it covers a section that DOES interest you, now doesn't it? Besides, it's not like Kyle is charging anyone monthly to read the site to do otherwise. I'm sure he'd make a killing even if it only cost a dollar a month for access.

No, the reviews weren't perfect. But that is also why the reviewers were always up for suggestions on how to make future ones better. And the reviews speak for themselves in regards to said input. But they were without a doubt very informative, very thorough, and spared no detail. All the information for every type of reader was there practically. And the conclusions for the most part seemed to be perfect for those cliff-notes type of readers who just wanted to know if it's good, bad, or makes a better shelf than it does a computer. So no, a certain type of reader in my mind was not left behind. And, if I'm not mistaken, the challenge has been put out there before - if you think you can do better, do the community a favor and do it.

Certain readers are obviously mad because they think they can do better, but can't, and won't, for pathetic and lame reasons that do not involve lack of funds or time. And even then, I still call bullshit on them. If they truly cared so deeply about the community, they'd put their money where their mouth was. IMO, I think they're angry because it's not THEIR name as the author of the evaluations, or that they don't have even a sliver of the skill or the ability to be so informative. Hell, one flat out admits he contributes nothing to this community. So fuck 'em.

Hats off to the [H] as a whole, and to hell with the haters. Edit this as you'd like, but I want it known that anyone who feels that they can do better than what [H] Consumer has done, can step up to the plate anytime they think they've got the sheer brass balls that it takes to spend tens of thousands of dollars a month, to do us as consumers a favor and get us the information we need to know, and to make the push for manufacturers to raise their own standards. If RISKING that kind of cash to INFORM people the good, bad, and the ugly about products both consumer and enthusiast alike isn't [H]ard, then I'd like to know what the hell is then. Especially when you consider that these companies frowned on a no-bullshit no holds-barred evaluation and just turned around and went off somewhere else with their ad dollars instead of deciding to raise the bar for their product and services internally.

Honestly, I do second the idea of having the community take its part in doing reviews and getting them up on the front page. I mean, we're all talented people here. We at least figured out how to navigate our way into the forums and register and depending on who you're comparing it to, that's a talent in itself. Some of us around here are probably itching at the chance to make a contribution. So, why not? I mean, we already critique the reviews made here already by the official reviewers.

I just don't want to have a slew of information go up in smoke just because some marketing execs got pissy on you guys.

Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey hey, goodbye

I'm gonna miss Consumer...I loved having days where I had a free hour between classes and sitting down to read the latest review. Before Consumer I made suggestions to friends about what computers to buy and always wondered if that particular computer would be a good one. I only recommended on the company i.e. HP Dell Velocity Micro etc. I never knew if the model I recommended would be a dud or not. But with Consumer I knew for sure that the machine I was recommending would be up to snuff.

Arrivederci [H]Consumer

too bad things didn't equate to full time jobs. sorry fella's. all the best!

Thanks for the reviews and all you did.

It was great to see how things compared in the computing world and the articles from [H] Consumer helped out with that.

You will be missed

I take it a subscription based site or section (in the same ilk as maybe ExpertsExchange) wouldn't make much more financial sense? I'm sure I speak for most of [H] when I say that the content provided was worth paying for; [H] in itself was an excellent antidote for the (in general) rubbish PC/enthusiast magazines around at the moment.

Either way, great fun while it lasted.

I too will chime in and say that I will miss [H] consumer, GOOD TIMES reading all the reviews...

Ever since consumer came along I haven't bought a PC hardware mag from the local bookstore due to the fact that by the time I read anything in a hardware mag it was already outdated to what you guys were doing here !!

The statement above still holds true for other types of hardware but overall I think mag publishers tend to have a little better luck with ads helping to keep them afloat.

I can only hope other PC review sites pick up where you guys left off in regards to the honesty of their reviews, great work and the best of luck to all of you, you will be missed... but I understand your reasons for closing up shop

Hmm.. looks like I'm gonna have to go back to telling people... "Just buy a DELL, everyone else does !!" hehehe

iZero said:

Honestly, all I do is skip right to the "Conclusions" page of most articles. I'm of the opinion that multi-page reviews were created simply to show me more banner ads - not add to my experience. It's not as if a web page is limited in the vertical length. I'm also not overly concerned by the thickness or dimensions of the cardboard box the item came in, how much styrofoam was used for packaging, what color the rear left corner of the box is, etc. That reminds me of a little kid trying to fill in a requirement for a five page report with junk that isn't worth my time. Some sites have attempted to become more clever by hiding links to the end of the review but those are also the sites I don't bother visiting a second time. Sometimes less is more.

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Sometimes, but not usually. I personally *am* concerned with how well-packed the items are, quality, in-depth descriptions, etc., if I am looking to buy. I don't buy pre-built computers for myself, but as an enthusiast and family/friends advisor, the [H] Consumer articles were pretty much the best I had read in the computer industry, period. Even the "boot" magazine back in the day wasn't as good as this site had become. Truth is, though, money makes the world go 'round in anything commercial, so while [H] Consumer was an incredible thing for consumers, it simply wasn't viable. It was a good thing, but in the near future, perhaps more than that, it just won't work .

Thanks again for the ride. I may not be the biggest fan of the normal [H] Enthusiast "real-world" reviews, but the Consumer side of things had my attention riveted .

Thanks for the well wishes and the criticisms guys, they are all appreciated.