Consumer advice

Tech Store Product Search and Test Q&A

Here are the products we had on our shopping list and the questions we asked (along with the answers we were hoping to receive) for each of the six categories covered in our "Where the Tech Deals Are" feature package. For the opening article in that package, see "Best Places to Buy Tech."

Laptops

Products Shopped For

We asked each store about the availability of four laptops: the Asus Eee PC 1005HA, the Dell Inspiron Mini 1012, the HP Pavilion dv6 (model 2190us), and the Toshiba Satellite U505-S2005.

Questions Asked

Q: I plan on watching a lot of videos online. What will I need for my laptop to make this happen?

A: You need an nVidia or ATI graphics card or one of the newest Intel processors, and you need to download the latest version of Flash.

Q: How does an LED backlit screen differ from a regular LCD-type laptop screen?

A: The LED screen saves power and may have better color and contrast, but you don't need to insist on one unless you especially like the way it looks.

HDTVs

Products Shopped For

We asked sales reps at each store about the availability of four HDTVs: the LG 55LE5400, the Mitsubishi LT-40151Q, the Samsung LN40C530, and the Sony Bravia KDL-40EX400.

Questions Asked

Q: I keep hearing a lot about 120Hz refresh rates. Is this important?
A: Yes. In general, 120Hz and 240Hz refresh rates improve a set's handling of fast motion and panning shots (for example, in action movies or sports broadcasts).

Q: Does the price of an HDMI cable matter? Will a more expensive cable be a better cable?

A: Not necessarily. Instead, consider the cable's length (shorter cables will reduce signal degradation) and gauge. (For more read "Fact or Fiction? 8 HDTV Myths Demystified.")

Digital Cameras

Products Shopped For/Questions Asked

We asked each store about the availability of four cameras. Here are the camera models and the test questions we asked the retailers' sales associates for each one (along with the correct answers we were looking for).

1. Canon PowerShot SD1300 IS

Q: Is this in Canon's new line of point-and-shoots?

A: Yes.

Q: Can you change the shutter speed and aperture manually on this camera?

A: No.

2. Nikon Coolpix S570

Q: Does this camera have a wide-angle lens?

A: Yes.

3. Nikon D90

Q: Is this the only DSLR that shoots video?

A: No. This was the first model that could, but other DSLRs now shoot video, too.

4. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX1