March 20, 2009
Can you trust user reviews? Tips to find honest evaluations
PC World recently published an article about user reviews in the iPhone app store and how some of them are planted. Wired actually had a screen shot of a job post offering $4 to anyone who would post a 5 star review of the SantaLive app. As more and more people rely on user reviews when deciding to make a gadget purchase, especially these days when every dollar counts. So how do you know what reviews to trust? gadgetell offers some suggestions:
-- Diversify. Don’t rely on a single site for your reviews.
-- Be wary of the source. Don’t put much value on user reviews found on the manufacturer’s site.
-- Look for balance and details. The best reviews include the pros and cons of the device along with lots of details.
-- Along with these tips, follow your instincts.
On my end, I review iPhone apps that appeal to me personally. Several times a day I go through lists of "newest apps" on different websites such as iGoApps and Apptism to find new and relevant apps. I get some (not many) press releases and follow some of my favorite app developers directly on their own websites like Visuamobile.
I mostly download and try out the apps I write about, except when they are not available from the Swiss app store.
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