4 ms·

Do the same for RAM or monitors or just about any tech product that can be hard to shop for.

marginalia_nu 3y ago
Product discovery in general is a mess. It's not a particularly high bar you have to pass in order to build something that's better than your average online storefront when it comes to product search and comparison.
- amelius 3y ago
  Always wondered why you can't find a pair of jeans of a particular brand and size using Google.
  - steveBK123 3y ago
    Jeans are probably top 3 worst products to shop for. Mens sizes are literal measurements in inches, ostensibly. However when you look at the sizing chart on brand websites you realize they all have varying levels of vanity sizing - across brands, across fits within a brand, and across years within a fit. Then you have all the confusing nomenclature for fits - skinny, slim, straight, classic, standard, relaxed, boot cut, baggy, flare, athletic, etc.. And then hybrid ones like "slim straight" or other nonsense. Finally, some brands offer different inseams/lenghts for a given waist, while others have fixed ones per waist size so you have to get them tailored after, etc. The shopping experience for me in jeans is to trying multiple brands/fits/sizes every 5+ years, and then keep buying that exact model until it is no long available, then reset.
    - mike503 3y ago
      Also if you've ever done a deeper analysis of Lucky jeans, the same exact model is wildly different depending on where it got produced. Different material composition, fit, flexibility/softness (due to the difference in materials), different country it was produced in (and IIRC, it's not even consistent. Mexico is not always 100% cotton for example. There was no discernible pattern) I try to find products I like and then buy a bunch of them (in case they stop making them, etc) and I wound up making a spreadsheet once after becoming frustrated with the inability to trust the same "model number" means the same thing there.
      - steveBK123 3y ago
        Right the apparel industry is so outsourced and rebranded that the factory / subcontractor variation is obvious to the customer !
      - nerdponx 3y ago
        Levi's has the same issue.
veeti 3y ago
Not affiliated with them, but https://www.productchart.com/monitors/ https://www.productchart.com/monitors/ is pretty sweet for finding a monitor.
- amelius 3y ago
  You can't select if the monitor can be placed in portrait mode.
- joshstrange 3y ago
  It is, it was very useful in narrowing down exactly what I wanted (how Amazon fails to provide decent filtering is beyond me) but it doesn't work well on mobile which is a shame.
  - sgc 3y ago
    I don't understand Amazon either. They actively neuter their filtering and sorting. Obviously they think they make more money that way, but it is an absolutely insane choice to make if you have any self-respect. 2024. Everything is slow. Search doesn't work. Ad infestation is even more invasive than the popup spawning days of old. Product quality is rock bottom. We have done ourselves in. But it's no wonder third party sites with basic functions are on the rise.
    - nerdponx 3y ago
      Newegg is still decent. The actual product selection isn't the best nowadays, but the search interface mostly still works, and they aren't shoving ads in your face.
- imagine99 3y ago
  Unfortunately, it doesn't let you filter by aspect ratio, so you cannot get e.g. all 16:10 monitors which is something I'm always actively searching for and it's so difficult. The page also doesn't list the unique Dell U3023E and its predecessors which are 2560x1600, i.e. 16:10 monitors, and perfect for design & development both in portrait and landscape mode. If the developer of that website is on HN, I hope they can add a filter for aspect ratio and more 16:10 monitors as well.

Product discovery in general is a mess. It's not a particularly high bar you have to pass in order to build something that's better than your average online storefront when it comes to product search and comparison.

amelius 3y ago
Always wondered why you can't find a pair of jeans of a particular brand and size using Google.
- steveBK123 3y ago
  Jeans are probably top 3 worst products to shop for. Mens sizes are literal measurements in inches, ostensibly. However when you look at the sizing chart on brand websites you realize they all have varying levels of vanity sizing - across brands, across fits within a brand, and across years within a fit. Then you have all the confusing nomenclature for fits - skinny, slim, straight, classic, standard, relaxed, boot cut, baggy, flare, athletic, etc.. And then hybrid ones like "slim straight" or other nonsense. Finally, some brands offer different inseams/lenghts for a given waist, while others have fixed ones per waist size so you have to get them tailored after, etc. The shopping experience for me in jeans is to trying multiple brands/fits/sizes every 5+ years, and then keep buying that exact model until it is no long available, then reset.
  - mike503 3y ago
    Also if you've ever done a deeper analysis of Lucky jeans, the same exact model is wildly different depending on where it got produced. Different material composition, fit, flexibility/softness (due to the difference in materials), different country it was produced in (and IIRC, it's not even consistent. Mexico is not always 100% cotton for example. There was no discernible pattern) I try to find products I like and then buy a bunch of them (in case they stop making them, etc) and I wound up making a spreadsheet once after becoming frustrated with the inability to trust the same "model number" means the same thing there.
    - steveBK123 3y ago
      Right the apparel industry is so outsourced and rebranded that the factory / subcontractor variation is obvious to the customer !
    - nerdponx 3y ago
      Levi's has the same issue.

veeti 3y ago

Not affiliated with them, but https://www.productchart.com/monitors/ https://www.productchart.com/monitors/ is pretty sweet for finding a monitor.

amelius 3y ago
You can't select if the monitor can be placed in portrait mode.
joshstrange 3y ago
It is, it was very useful in narrowing down exactly what I wanted (how Amazon fails to provide decent filtering is beyond me) but it doesn't work well on mobile which is a shame.
- sgc 3y ago
  I don't understand Amazon either. They actively neuter their filtering and sorting. Obviously they think they make more money that way, but it is an absolutely insane choice to make if you have any self-respect. 2024. Everything is slow. Search doesn't work. Ad infestation is even more invasive than the popup spawning days of old. Product quality is rock bottom. We have done ourselves in. But it's no wonder third party sites with basic functions are on the rise.
  - nerdponx 3y ago
    Newegg is still decent. The actual product selection isn't the best nowadays, but the search interface mostly still works, and they aren't shoving ads in your face.
imagine99 3y ago
Unfortunately, it doesn't let you filter by aspect ratio, so you cannot get e.g. all 16:10 monitors which is something I'm always actively searching for and it's so difficult. The page also doesn't list the unique Dell U3023E and its predecessors which are 2560x1600, i.e. 16:10 monitors, and perfect for design & development both in portrait and landscape mode. If the developer of that website is on HN, I hope they can add a filter for aspect ratio and more 16:10 monitors as well.