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On the other hand, if you search "what is the best web browser" (without the quotes!) like the person you're replying to did, you get slightly different results. I see, in order a comparison from some site I've never heard of with Google Chrome as #1, a LifeHacker page (Chrome again), a random Yahoo! Answers link ("Google Chrome is, for Windows users, the fastest web browser."), a review with 4 equal "best browsers" including Chrome, a PC Mag review (spoiler: Chrome wins!), a really annoying YouTube video where Firefox comes first, "Review: Best Web browser? Google's Chrome outshines pack", a review where Firefox wins, and finally one that doesn't answer the question at all.

And for the real win, "best web browser" on DuckDuckGo gives http://www.consumersearch.com/web-browser-reviews as the top link.

Do a search on Google for "What is the best web browser" and guess what, you'll get a nice list of reviews, every single one of which lists Google Chrome as the best web browser. Oddly enough, if you do the same search in Bing, you get a few results that don't seem to show up near the top of the Google search.

Basically, never look for objective information from someone who has their own horse in the race. I would no more trust Apple with advice on computer or smartphone purchasing advice than I would trust Norton with advice on the best anti-virus software.

A survey by J.D.Powers showed T-Mobil and Verizon pretty much tied in customer satisfaction. TM is cheap, friendly, and competent, VZ has best signal quality. Another survey checked top plans and top signal and had similar results. I fear before you can find the best, you will have to define best for you.

To muddy the waters, it seems that Sprint and Verizon struck a deal to let Sprint customers use the Verizon data network. I'm not sure how that plays for you, clearly people who value call quality now have another way to get it.

The problem is that in the case of healthcare, money shouldn't be the goal of the enterprise. And rational self-interest through care denial is my only good explanation for US life expectancy.

I wish my healthcare was more like my car insurance -- which is also a government mandate. I choose (not my employer). My company is a fortune 500 entirely owned by the people it insures. If there's a profit for a quarter, I get a letter apologizing for charging too much and they give me a refund. It's also got stellar reviews. It's also gotten pretty consistently stellar ratings for the people it employs.

So no, in practice, there's more effective means of providing insurance (from a cost/customer happiness/financial solvency perspective.) But hey, maybe you like phone trees in India (mine's in San Antonio) and customer service whose job it is to be efficient while denying you coverage (since they're employed by shareholders).

Unfortunately, since it's your company's job to provide health care rather than your choice, this model doesn't work for health care at the moment.

If you were willing to buy an unsubsidized phone, which is roughly 50% profit for Apple, then sign a two-year contract with the worst ranked cell provider in the country that includes an overly-congested and ultra-slow data network, why should it shock you that they think they can squeeze a few more dollars out of you for a battery replacement?

Hybrids sound good, but really their efficiency is almost entirely based on their weight

Completely untrue. Compare, for example, the Toyota Yaris to the Toyota Prius:

Yaris: 2288 pounds, MPG: 34/40, with "real world" mpg being about 36.

Prius: 2932 pounds, MPG: 51/60, with "real world" mpg being about 45.

36 mpg is great gas mileage for a ICE car, but it's far short of 45. That's not saying that you shouldn't buy a smaller car if you can. My 1996 Maxima got, at most, 29 mpg (24 mpg mixed driving) when I first bought it, and it weighs only 80 pounds more than Prius. Sure, it's zippier, but did I really need that power? No; my next car will be small & efficient, possibly a hybrid.

Given that the Prius is almost 700 pounds, and 33% heavier than the Yaris, and gets 25% greater gas mileage, I'd say that weight is not really the most important aspect in its efficiency.

-BbT

Hybrids sound good, but really their efficiency is almost entirely based on their weight

Completely untrue. Compare, for example, the Toyota Yaris to the Toyota Prius:

Yaris: 2288 pounds, MPG: 34/40, with "real world" mpg being about 36.

Prius: 2932 pounds, MPG: 51/60, with "real world" mpg being about 45.

36 mpg is great gas mileage for a ICE car, but it's far short of 45. That's not saying that you shouldn't buy a smaller car if you can. My 1996 Maxima got, at most, 29 mpg (24 mpg mixed driving) when I first bought it, and it weighs only 80 pounds more than Prius. Sure, it's zippier, but did I really need that power? No; my next car will be small & efficient, possibly a hybrid.

Given that the Prius is almost 700 pounds, and 33% heavier than the Yaris, and gets 25% greater gas mileage, I'd say that weight is not really the most important aspect in its efficiency.

-BbT

Hybrid cars rarely get what they are advertized to get in city and hwy milage. http://www.consumersearch.com/www/automotive/hybri d-cars/fullstory.html. Every motorcycle I have gets between 45 and 60 mpg in city and hwy. One is a 650 thumper (single piston) and the other is a 1100 v-twin. My buddies bike can get as good as 45 mpg if he is not pushing it hard and he rides a Yamaha YZF-R1. They may beat out the segway for oil usage, segways are battery hogs... they gotta be:) Bicycle gets it 100 percent due to long lasting lithium grease on the chains and only fabrication using oil (have to heat the metal somehow, have to power the welding machines some how, but motorcycles are more metal, and more welds).

http://www.consumersearch.com/www/photo_and_video/ digital-slr-reviews/fullstory.html

Not specific companies, but comparisons. Here's a good comparison page...though the page is slow loading already :)
http://www.consumersearch.com/www/computers/online _file_storage/reviews.html

Very easy, just get yourself a self propelled lawnmower, and one of those invisible fence systems, for keeping the dog in the yard. Tie the deadman switch wide open and let the mower be the dog and it's all set to use. Put those invisible fence dog collars on all the kids and dogs so they won't come in the yard and the mower won't leave and that's it. You could do the whole thing in less than an hour.

at best a warning to shut of indoor air ionizers whose output of ozone can lead to concentrations in excess those present of ambient pollution levels

Heh. Talk about a rock and a hard place.

Either your product doesn't do anything at all or it causes cancer, or maybe just other health risks (hint - read "The Buzz").

Note that the product in question hasn't bothered with getting any independant certification of claims (by, oh say, AHAM) and is currently suing Consumer Reports over alleged improper testing practices. It might be worth noting that Consumer Reports has never lost or settled a lawsuit regarding its testing procedures.

at best a warning to shut of indoor air ionizers whose output of ozone can lead to concentrations in excess those present of ambient pollution levels

Heh. Talk about a rock and a hard place.

Either your product doesn't do anything at all or it causes cancer, or maybe just other health risks (hint - read "The Buzz").

Note that the product in question hasn't bothered with getting any independant certification of claims (by, oh say, AHAM) and is currently suing Consumer Reports over alleged improper testing practices. It might be worth noting that Consumer Reports has never lost or settled a lawsuit regarding its testing procedures.

> Consumer Reports vs. C-Net/Amazon/Epinions/etc aren't really comparable in any meaningful sense.

The best review site I can recommend is Consumer search. The check individual review sites and publications then aggregate the results, while also providing links to the original reviews ranked by "credibility ratings".

They do tend to rank CR at the top almost all the time but often the other publications provide additional insight.

Amazon and Epinions reviews are consistenly ranked at the bottom of the pack.
My own experience is that those sites are pretty good at weeding out the lemons but close to useless when deciding among decent to good alternatives.

For example, their TV review, they ranked the CR (3/2003) and CNet (24/3/2003) reviews as the best followed by a Home Theater (1/2003) review, then a bunch of lower-ranked ones. Amazon and Epinions close the list.

> Consumer Reports vs. C-Net/Amazon/Epinions/etc aren't really comparable in any meaningful sense.

The best review site I can recommend is Consumer search. The check individual review sites and publications then aggregate the results, while also providing links to the original reviews ranked by "credibility ratings".

They do tend to rank CR at the top almost all the time but often the other publications provide additional insight.

Amazon and Epinions reviews are consistenly ranked at the bottom of the pack.
My own experience is that those sites are pretty good at weeding out the lemons but close to useless when deciding among decent to good alternatives.

For example, their TV review, they ranked the CR (3/2003) and CNet (24/3/2003) reviews as the best followed by a Home Theater (1/2003) review, then a bunch of lower-ranked ones. Amazon and Epinions close the list.

Funny, then, that Kirby always ranks well below the major national brands (such as Hoover, Panasonic, Eureka, and even Dirt Devil) when reviewed by Consumer Reports or any other reviewers.

Kirby is no better than Electrolux. They're deeply overpriced and have no better cleaning capabilities than vacuums a tenth their cost. In fact, they usually have fewer features, are louder, and do a worse job cleaning than the other brands.