TPU Product Reviews.

[andrewsmc]

Hey everyone, I know I haven't been to active on the forums lately but I do still creep the top threads every other day. One thing I have always done almost religiously is check the newest product reviews and it wasn't until recently that I really see a flaw with the way products are scored.

Ive always trusted the reviewers and even bought several items considering the TPU.com review. The problem I see is that TPU gives a score of what I'm assuming is a 1-10. One being a poor product, 5 being a mediocre product, and 10 being a GREAT product. No problem there right? Well, Kinda. The problem is that the lowest score ever(that I can find) was a 6.0. Now I'm not denying that TPU reviews some great products but on the scale of 1-10 I think there should be some adjustments.

I want to point out the the 6.0 was this item - http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/OCZ/Equalizer/

Value & Conclusion

• This mouse sells for around $40 at OCZ Peripherals

• Easy adjustable DPI setting
• The look of the mouse
• Rubber grip pad is a nice idea
• Thin and lightweight cord
• Just above average ergonomics, but only just

• Performance
• Tracking
• Triple-Threat button performance
• Features
• Drivers

--Look at the thumbs down section! Is that not almost every function of a mouse?

Now, I understand that everyone is entitled to an opinion and I also understand that there is the possibility that TPU may get some perks from certain retailers. I'm not judging, but I want accurate scores.

Conclusion - The grading system is off or I'm completely missing something. I want to continue to trust you TPU! I think the reviewers should get together and evaluate how they score items.

 

[Athlon2K15]

You have a point.

 

[Jetster]

I don't think they will waste there time on 1-5

 

[R-T-B]

I don't thing they will waste there time on 1-5

This. I think they just start by not reviewing much "cheap junk" in the first place. That would fill the void you are looking for.

 

[andrewsmc]

While I understand what you're saying. You don't really know if something is junk before reviewing it. Even the best manufactures have made piss poor products. Referencing the review i posted above I think its the way they rate these items.

My .02

 

[W1zzard]

If you buy a beat up, rusty, dirty, ugly car, it drives fine, does it get a 1 score? or 5 ? or 8 because the price was fair?

I've mentioned it countless times. The score is just a number that we put on a review for people who skip to the conclusion page, dont even bother reading that and look at the score only (for various reasons). After that they decide whether to read the rest of the review, or only the conclusion.

 

[andrewsmc]

If you buy a beat up, rusty, dirty, ugly car, it drives fine, does it get a 1 score? or 5 ? or 8 because the price was fair?

I've mentioned it countless times. The score is just a number that we put on a review for people who skip to the conclusion page, dont even bother reading that and look at the score only (for various reasons). After that they decide whether to read the rest of the review, or only the conclusion.

The difference is that you're reviewing brand new products(unless I'm missing something) that are advertised to perform very specific tasks. I'm not trying to be negative or counter-constructive. I see that the score "is just a number" but I think that the way that number is determined could be adjusted to accurately reflect the performance/honesty of the product.

 

[Frick]

I've said this a bunch of times, but all scoring on the internet is arbitrary. I've thought about this too, but there's not really any point to it.

Some things can be properly measured though. I imagine PSU's are the easiest things to score. Have x performance for y scores, it's pretty straightforward. GPU's could be similar I guess, but what would you compare them to? What would it take for a GPU to get a 10 in performance? Performance/dollars are probably the safest thing to look at, but from what perspective are you reviewing? High end or budget?

If I ever start to review things I would probably just have a random number generator at the end of each article.

 

[W1zzard]

brand new products(unless I'm missing something) that are advertised to perform very specific tasks.

True. So if the product does the advertised very specific tasks, which means work in the computer, and everything else is broken, what should the score be?

 

[R-T-B]

True. So if the product does the advertised very specific tasks, which means work in the computer, and everything else is broken, what should the score be?

Exactly. Think of it like gradeschool scoring. 60% would be below average. 50% would be a complete fail score, meaning it basically fails to function for it's purpose.

It's a s arbitrary as anything, honestly.

 

[EarthDog]

The problem with scores, particularly as granular as it is here (tenths), is that there isn't a (known/public) deduction system. No reader, or even reviewer, can look at the points in the conclusion and say, yep, that is an 8.5. Its subjective, which erodes greatly at its usefulness. If W1zz gave the same product to different reviewers, they would all have different scores. Its hard enough to justify a 1-10, and even more difficult to differentiate between a 8.7 and 8.6 product.

We went about it a different way and just use FAIL, MEH, and APPROVED. While that is also far from perfect, I think it gives the reader the same idea, but leaves a lot less ambiguity. We are likely going to modify our system here soon enough and add some other things (Editor's choice... Bang for the buck... things along those lines. Again no system is perfect

Ironically, when I read TPU reviews, I don't even look at the number as its so useless (to me). I read the conclusion and the Pro's and Con's (along with the rest of it), and ignore the number.

 

[andrewsmc]

True. So if the product does the advertised very specific tasks, which means work in the computer, and everything else is broken, what should the score be?

I can see this is going nowhere with you. So I will respectfully leave the conversation.

 

[AsRock]

I don't think they will waste there time on 1-5

Yeah but for a mouse to have said problem should not be scoring 6 out of ten even more so with said issue's.

And with the bad going things about this mouse it's more like a 2 at very best haha.


With any reviews you better read though them and ignore the scoring.

 

[alucasa]

I am not sure why OP is so bothered by the grading. It is a subjective opinion to make things look pretty.

When I look at reviews, I don't bother with the final scores or whatnot. I read the review and determine it on my own.

 

[andrewsmc]

I am not sure why OP is so bothered by the grading. It is a subjective opinion to make things look pretty.

When I look at reviews, I don't bother with the final scores or whatnot. I read the review and determine it on my own.

I'm not "bothered" by the scoring. I simply saw what I thought was a minor flaw in their system so I decided to say something about it. Some people have agreed with me, and some haven't. I normally don't look at the number and its not that big of a deal. Some have said that its arbitrary and it is but just slapping a number on a product that has absolutely no value is a little silly IMO. I think that if that's all it is, slapping a number on there, why use it?

Again, I was just trying to gain some insight on the manner. I never was "so bothered" but I think I bothered a few people by asking the question. Anyway, I could care less now and wish I wouldn't even have posted it.

 

[alucasa]

I'm not "bothered" by the scoring. I simply saw what I thought was a minor flaw in their system so I decided to say something about it. Some people have agreed with me, and some haven't. I normally don't look at the number and its not that big of a deal. Some have said that its arbitrary and it is but just slapping a number on a product that has absolutely no value is a little silly IMO. I think that if that's all it is, slapping a number on there, why use it?

Again, I was just trying to gain some insight on the manner. I never was "so bothered" but I think I bothered a few people by asking the question. Anyway, I could care less now and wish I wouldn't even have posted it.

I feel the bold part is the key. Review, no matter how fair it is, is going to be subjective. Readers have to determine whether it's worth or not.

Score, why use it? Because we all are used to seeing some sort of score in our entire lives. It makes things prettier and looks more complete with a score at the end. Do I like it? No. But it's really a minor inconvenience and completely optional.

You say you find a minor flaw in the scoring system. I don't see a flaw. So, it goes back to being a subjective matter. The bold part: Some will agree with you. Some won't.

 

[SaltyFish]

The problem I see is that TPU gives a score of what I'm assuming is a 1-10. One being a poor product, 5 being a mediocre product, and 10 being a GREAT product. No problem there right? Well, Kinda. The problem is that the lowest score ever(that I can find) was a 6.0. Now I'm not denying that TPU reviews some great products but on the scale of 1-10 I think there should be some adjustments.

I want to point out the the 6.0 was this item - http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/OCZ/Equalizer/

This is true of most reviews anywhere, be it computer products, video games, or some other such thing. I don't know if it has anything with maintaining relations for review copies or just simply something so ingrained in review culture that reviewers only give something below 8.8 (or its equivalent) when the reviewed item is a blatant disaster. As such, it's just narrows the scale and moves up the baseline.

[RANT]

I'd think it be interesting if review scores start with a score of 5.0 (what an average or mediocre product in the reviewer's opinion should be rated) and the score could then move up or down from there. But not too much so that the extreme ends can be reserved for epic wins/fails when they appear... maybe something not too far from Standard Deviation? If stuff was graded more harshly, then those high and low scores would mean so much more. An 9.0 from a reviewer who gives that to almost everything is different from a 9.0 from a reviewer who scores most stuff in the 3.5 to 6.5 range, no? Instead of a score, TPU could also try to sum up a review with a single phrase or a sentence. Something like "Comfortable option for palm-grip users; everyone else, move along" or "Economical for its offered features but manufacturer's software remains sluggish". Reviews are subjective, so why use an objective scale, especially one where most of the scale is unused anyway?

[/RANT]