Adam Kalsey

This is the blog of Adam Kalsey. Unusual depth and complexity. Rich, full body with a hint of nutty earthiness.

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Prices anyone?

17 Jan 2003

It bugs me when I’m reading a product review and there are no prices mentioned in the article. Most purchasers weigh price as a large factor in the decision of whether to buy a product.

Why then, do reviewers make sure to describe features and benefits, pros and cons to the system, and often mention competitor’s products, but neglect to include the price of a product?

The Onkyo MP3 server described in Extreme Tech’s Onkyo Embeds Linux in Your Living Room certainly sounds like an interesting product, but how much does it cost?

How much trouble is it to add in a price? Change the article to say "At first blush, the NAS-2.3 (MSRP $xxx) seems like a CD player." Perhaps it’s a new product and pricing isn’t yet known. So say "Pricing not yet announced" and save me the trouble of trying to hunt down a price online.

At several hundred dollars, I’d be very interested in this product. At several thousand, I would not. So tell me how much the dang thing costs so I can decide if I want to learn more about it.

And while I’m ranting about Extreme Tech’s incomplete review, why do they provde a link to Onkyo’s site, Onkyo’s sub-brand mini-site, a review (in a different magazone) of a similar Onkyo product, but not the product they are reviewing?

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