Cool Tools
Login  |  Register

Wired Test

Since it debuted a few years ago, I've eagerly awaited the arrival of these product-packed issues of Wired. Tested, reviewed and rated are pretty much every gadget imaginable in every category imaginable (much of it very newly-released, too). Again, exclusively for Cool Tools readers, Wired's editor in chief Chris Anderson has graciously provided a pdf of the Fall issue (on newsstands today). What you get: 125 pages of solid content broken into specific sections and spreads, everything from A/V to office to kitchen to automotive to garden to gaming equipment and accessories. This means: flatscreens, laptops, lawnmowers, headphones, pocketcams, DV cams, blenders, cell phones, wine openers, strollers, and more, ranging from cheap to relatively affordable to the 'yeah right.' Items are rated on 10-pt. scale with "Editor's Picks" and specs-comparison "Scorecards" for the quick take away. Of course, the highs and lows for each and every product are detailed, warts and all, from the most minor annoyance to the biggest bonehead oversight. As a consumer, I value and crave the details. I read a ton of reviews prior to any purchase, especially those on Amazon and Epinions. There's still just something about glossy photos and thorough, thoughtful editing that makes a 'professional' guide like this virtually irreplaceable. File under: porn for consumers.

-- Steven Leckart

Wired Test
Available at Wired.com

Available for download (8MB PDF)


[DISCLOSURE: I contributed one short review to Fall Test; otherwise, I had absolutely no hand in its creation --sl]

Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:

review sites.jpg
A Review of Review Sites


Pricenoia


Guides to Gear

 








Leave a comment



Thanks for your comment. The words in the CAPTCHA box come from old book texts that are being scanned and stored by the Internet Archive. By entering the words in the box, you prove you are not a bot and also you help proofread the books. If the sample you see is too hard to read, simply click the recycle button to get another two. Don't forget to put a space between the words.