I have been looking ratings for small laptops, 2-in-1s, and tablets. I need something between 10″ and 12″ with Bluetooth, a keyboard (attached or separate), and good Wi-Fi connection. There are literally hundreds of options. The ratings (the stars) and reviews (the comments) for these products are all over the place. When I read consistently bad reviews I do not want to take my chances with a product. It often makes me feel like I am playing the lottery. Will I get one that doesn’t work or will I be one of the lucky ones to get one that works great? Reviews on computers, laptops, and tablets just make me want to go back to pen and paper.

Back in the Day

Reviews can be very confusing. I grew up in an age were product reviews were virtually non-existent. We had Consumer Reports magazine but the likelihood that you would actually have the issue for the product you wanted was very slim. Instead, you went to the store, saw the product and in a lot of cases touched it, read on the boxes to find the one that had the features you wanted, and purchased it. You saved your receipt and the box for months before tossing them, just in case.

Reviews or Ratings

The 5-star rating system is as good a system as any. I find that I do not trust it much when there are few reviews. There are a few things I take into consideration when looking at what other consumers say about products

-How many ratings are there? Are there any comments to justify the rating?

-For products that have hundreds or thousands of ratings, what percentage are 1 and 2-star ratings? Are there comments to justify the rating? I look at these first. If there are 1,000 reviews and 7% of them are 1-star and 3% are 2-star that means there were 100 consumers unhappy with their purchase

– Next, still looking at the 1 and 2-star ratings, what are the consumers saying happened to make them rate so low? Are the majority of the low ratings due to the same issue? Or are the complaints more random and not consistent?

– Again, still looking at the 1 and 2-stars, were there mentions of how the issues were dealt with by the companies and/or the reseller? Did the consumers complain of how they were treated by the company or reseller? What about the return or refund policies? This is when you should be researching return, repair, and replace policies for the particular company or reseller.

– Now looking at the 5-star ratings, what percentage of the ratings are 5-star? Is it more than 50% of the consumers or less? So for the same 1,000 ratings if the 5-stars were 61% does that mean that 610 consumers were thrilled with their purchase? What are they saying about product? Are their comments consistent in their praise?

– I also wonder how many of the 610 may have had an issue after they wrote they rated and did not amend it.

– If we combine the 1, 2, and 5-star ratings we now have 710 consumers reviewing leaving 290 3 and 4-star ratings. Do you look at those also? Again, same as with the others, have a look and see what the consumers are saying. Are the praise and complaints consistent?

The conclusion I have come to is to find the product that has the features that meet my needs and purchase from a reputable retailer known for good customer service. I consider an extended warranty plan as well. That way if I end up with a lemon that does not show its colors until three days after the warranty expires, I can still get it fixed or replaced at a minimal cost.