First use
Sparkbuy was nice enough to send me a VIP invitation code to use what they have set up so far. I was actually very impressed with the layout’s simplicity. A majority of the site is similar to the results section of a google search, with a list of what laptops are under the selected parameters. Scanning over the page, I found that the site had close to 1400 laptops on file (and planned on expanding to TVs eventually). Sparkbuy plans to have 2000 laptops on file in the near future, but I think with over 1300 they’re doing just fine. On the right side of the screen, the user can select certain areas of features (price, screen size, weight, gaming) which are then moved up to the priority list. Clicking on that feature brings up either a slider bar for quantities such as RAM that can different amounts, or a preferred/required feature selector for options such as bluetooth or touchscreen.
My first test of this was naturally to put in what I am looking for in a laptop. My selections:
Less than $2,200
Hard drive no less than 256 GB
blue tooth required
built in camera required
screen resolution no less than 1366 x 768
weight cannot exceed 6 lbs
battery needs to last 7 hours
no less than 4 GB RAM
“Best” compatibility with office
“Best” compatibility with adobe photoshop
between 13 and 16 inch screen
fast scale: 7.1 (get to that later)
The results turned out Lenovo ThinkPad T410, and three different variants of the Macbook Pro. Not surprisingly, my Macbook Pro from two years ago is my workhouse computer. I use it for hours every day and can’t really see myself using anything else. Does that prove that this site works perfectly? No. I used 12 of the parameters and gave specific responses to each one, I know exactly what I want in a computer, so I was able to communicate exactly what I was looking for, giving me a short list of likable options. I have reviewed both the T410 and the current Macbook Pro. If I was buying a computer today to replace my current one, it would most certainly be a Macbook Pro. While the T410 is a great machine in actual use and the ideal machine for thousands of people, I would not even think of buying one. Certain aspects such as its size to screen size ratio, larger external battery, and a display port instead of a DVI or HDMI are deal breakers for me. On the other hand the Macbook Pro has flaws such as also being without an HDMI port, and gets scolding hot after just medium use.
There are also a few inconsistencies that bug me. The short little reviews of each computer displayed is mediocre at best. The stats appear to me be taken directly off Amazon with no evidence that any of the machines were given a legitimate review from real use. All of the Macbook Pro models are described as having the color white, where there is not a spec of white on the entire machine; they are made from an aluminum alloy. The Macbook is the model that comes in just white; so I’m assuming the two models (which is like comparing ThinkPad to IdeaPad) were put together in the same category. The category labeled “Fast” asks you to rate the slowest speed , between 1 out of 10, that you would want your computer to run. There is no explanation of what this scale is based off of, or any other scale to compare it to. So I set the speed to 8 which showed the usual suspects: high end Macbook Pros, high End HPs, and High End ThinkPads. What it also showed was an older Macbook Pro running an intel core duo CPU that obviously did not belong in the category, and was no longer being produced. So another flaw is that the speed is relative to something else, possibly the date it was released? I’m going to have to look more deeply into what is causing this, but chances are this is just an issue that SparkBuy will have to be on top of; keeping laptops subjective ratings (scales such as 1-10) up to date when updated components are released.
From what I encountered I am just picking on some flaws in the system. I’m still trying to figure out if there are people out there that this could help. For those looking for exact components such as an i5 and 4 GB of RAM, you can easily sort through other sites, yet this gets it done more efficiently. If you need to sort through brands, and make sure the screen size is what you want, this could be very useful. What people need to know is that this (to my knowledge) does not look it is from real life use. Some laptop company could build a laptop that is super fast, looks good, and everything else that you can show on the web in stats or in pictures, but if you can’t use it well it might as well be a doorstop. Without a keyboard and trackpad that works for you, it does not matter how nice the actual computer is for you will not want to use it.
Initial Pre-use Observations
I’m Gunna Go with No
Sparkbuy is a new company that claims they have the perfect solution for finding the laptop for you. Sparkbuy is a website, through amazon, that will ask the user to rate certain features they feel are important in a laptop. This will then figure out the “perfect” laptop for that person. This is a very idealistic view of what finding your perfect laptop is about.
For one thing, Lenovo has a similar application for just their own laptops. Its features seem identical to what Sparkbuy has to offer, and it is not very effective. At first the questions are simple and straightforward such as what will you be using it for (home, business, gaming), but soon after that, things get complicated. Suddenly there is a page in front of you of features that need to ranked, and it gets very complicated. The paradox is that you need to know exactly what you want in a laptop to use it, but if you think about, if you know exactly what you want, you don’t need some software telling which computer you want.
Second of all, there are so many differences in laptops that may seem minor except in actual use. The numerous types of keyboards are not going to sorted into different kinds that people will be able to distinguish on a chart. Lenovo’s ThinkPad line has page back/forward buttons(going back and forth between web pages) next to the directional keys which makes websurver much more efficient. Then there is another keyboard out there that has an extra function key touching the directional pad. So which one is a better designed keypad? You can’t really rate keyboard designs because they are very subjective.
Finally, there are certain features out there that are hidden by statistics that would be made even worse by a standardized application like this. Specifications such as battery life depend on so many things. Discrete graphics hog battery life, and new features such as NVIDEA’s optimus skew battery numbers. While some specs flaunt the battery life saved(NVIDIA optimus feature has two graphics cards, one integrated and one discrete, and switches between the two depending if the extra performance at expense of battery life is needed), others can get away with having a smaller battery, but because it only displays battery life using the integrated card, real performance battery stats are gone. A higher-end computer may look like it gets less battery life, but that may just be because it uses a high-end graphics card the entire time.
Buying a laptop is like buying a car. You can’t just write down a list of features and expect to be presented with your ideal car. What if your “ideal” car according to an online survey turns out to be a Saab, yet you think it isn’t as spacious as you thought it would be even though it has tons of cargo room, and the ignition next to the seat drives you up a wall. Just because it has cruise control, a nice stereo system and a V8 does not necessarily make it the car for you. Find a brand that has consistent features that you like better than other brands (such as Apple’s Trackpad or Lenovo’s ThinkPad exterior materials) and go from there, test some machines out and figure out what you like. This application would be perfect for a desktop computer, for the external things like a keyboard, mouse, monitor, and speakers you can buy on an individual basis.
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