4 ms·

So what review site would you go to if you're shopping for a hand mixer, or is there no such animal?

brookst 1y ago
Hell if I know. These days I drop the query into deep research ChatGPT with explicit instructions about what I want and to only present price as data, not a deciding factor.
- aprilthird2021 1y ago
  You are going to be the first pig suckled dry when they start inserting ads into these chatbots
leakycap 1y ago
I follow advice I learned from a friend who moved to the US from Germany. She said the German philosophy when researching is "Preis-Leistungs-Verhältnis" (PLV) PLV isn't just the sticker price - it's the total cost of ownership when considered against the utility and convenience it provides. I no longer set a goal to find the very best #1 thing in every category by reading reviews when I'm buying something. Reviews can be hit or miss, anyway. Instead, I focus my energy on getting good value and buying the best when it comes to things that make me happy or I use a lot. A computer monitor is a great example of something where PLV for a developer is totally different than a casual user, but the equation serves them both well in pre-purchase considerations.
- BoiledCabbage 1y ago
  Playing devils advocate for a min, your comment just a long way of saying "Don't get the very best thing - get the very best thing for you." What tangible thing do you do differently from the advice this friend gave you? Or rather how did you shop before is your didn't look to see what utility it gave you in comparison to the cost?" Let's say I'm in a situation where I need a bicycle for two months. I'm not going to buy the must expensive bike or there, I'm going to look around and buy a cheap bike that will be fair enough for two months. Are you saying before this advice you would research and buy the best bike out there?
  - leakycap 1y ago
    I think it's tempting to overvalue our own needs. As if the Huffy $99 bike wouldn't work fine for two months. It absolutely would. Life is too short to spent 5 hours agonizing over reports about what object to buy for 2 months. Agonize about the things you'll care about in 10 years, like a house, your career path, your health... that's where the value and utility/convenience comes in. If photography was my passion, I'd spend that time willingly finding the best camera for me that would bring me joy and the function I wanted. I went to NYC years ago and wanted a camera with a selfie screen for the trip... went to target, bought one that worked in store. It was great on the trip and I had no issue just giving it away when I got back. Not worth researching --- but some otherwise very thoughtful people will spend 2 hours researching which printer paper to buy when they really don't care and it really doesn't matter. Buy the car you want, not the one CR says to get. Buy an appliance from a brand you can get serviced in your area, and try to make purchases locally when you can. All of this matters much more than finding what 10 reviewers agree is the best bike or whatever is so temporary in life.

Hell if I know. These days I drop the query into deep research ChatGPT with explicit instructions about what I want and to only present price as data, not a deciding factor.

aprilthird2021 1y ago
You are going to be the first pig suckled dry when they start inserting ads into these chatbots

leakycap 1y ago

I follow advice I learned from a friend who moved to the US from Germany. She said the German philosophy when researching is "Preis-Leistungs-Verhältnis" (PLV) PLV isn't just the sticker price - it's the total cost of ownership when considered against the utility and convenience it provides. I no longer set a goal to find the very best #1 thing in every category by reading reviews when I'm buying something. Reviews can be hit or miss, anyway. Instead, I focus my energy on getting good value and buying the best when it comes to things that make me happy or I use a lot. A computer monitor is a great example of something where PLV for a developer is totally different than a casual user, but the equation serves them both well in pre-purchase considerations.

BoiledCabbage 1y ago
Playing devils advocate for a min, your comment just a long way of saying "Don't get the very best thing - get the very best thing for you." What tangible thing do you do differently from the advice this friend gave you? Or rather how did you shop before is your didn't look to see what utility it gave you in comparison to the cost?" Let's say I'm in a situation where I need a bicycle for two months. I'm not going to buy the must expensive bike or there, I'm going to look around and buy a cheap bike that will be fair enough for two months. Are you saying before this advice you would research and buy the best bike out there?
- leakycap 1y ago
  I think it's tempting to overvalue our own needs. As if the Huffy $99 bike wouldn't work fine for two months. It absolutely would. Life is too short to spent 5 hours agonizing over reports about what object to buy for 2 months. Agonize about the things you'll care about in 10 years, like a house, your career path, your health... that's where the value and utility/convenience comes in. If photography was my passion, I'd spend that time willingly finding the best camera for me that would bring me joy and the function I wanted. I went to NYC years ago and wanted a camera with a selfie screen for the trip... went to target, bought one that worked in store. It was great on the trip and I had no issue just giving it away when I got back. Not worth researching --- but some otherwise very thoughtful people will spend 2 hours researching which printer paper to buy when they really don't care and it really doesn't matter. Buy the car you want, not the one CR says to get. Buy an appliance from a brand you can get serviced in your area, and try to make purchases locally when you can. All of this matters much more than finding what 10 reviewers agree is the best bike or whatever is so temporary in life.