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Originally Posted by OtterBooks
CR is really stands alone as a publication. No advertising, no hidden interests or loyalties, and integrity unmatched by just about any consumer interest organization, public or private.
They do a lot more than product reviews; they have good articles on consumer rights and safety (great article recently on how U.S. banks use outdated credit card security methods), and health issues. A few months ago CS tested popular protein supplements and found high levels of toxic metals in some brands. The study prompted change from manufacturers. It's far from the first time CS has affected an industry for the better.
Reviews of leisure electronics that involve a high degree of subjectivity should be taken with a grain of salt, and a critical eye.
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I would have to agree, while I may disagree at times with some of the Consumer Reports ratings (ironically, not so much the eBook ones, as I do think the latest Nook is a tad better than the Kindles (and I own a Kindle)), they are at least reasonably unbiased, and do tend to correct things over time. And certainly their lack of advertising means they can knock a popular product, and not go broke. There are other magazines and news sources that rate products, Wired, NYTimes, PC World, etc., varying degrees of advertiser influence at each. And at times Consumers struggles with the complexity of the marketplace (try and find a matress that's the same at two stores) and of the new products with all the computerization and updates, but even then the articles are informative. The weights Consumers applies may be at times different than mine (I tend to weight reliability higher at times), but they give you the info to figure things out. So I wouldn't take Consumers ratings as gospel, but I think they're well worth the money to read, and a factor in many of my buying decisions. Your best defense against what's essentially massive spending on advertising and lobbying and so forth by the manufacturers is to be an educated consumer.