Notebookcheck: New Rating System Online

[Redaktion]

Since we review an increasing number of ultra-mobile devices, we decided to adapt our rating system. Most important change: The category became an additional criterion for all subratings.

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Notebookcheck-New-Rating-System-Online.113703.0.html

[gc]

Excellent idea to weigh differently in each category.

Audio:

- Does Audio mean
  (a) local music&game speaker/headphone only,
  or does it include
  (b) telephone call clarity/loudness
   (mic and speaker/headphone, when used as handset or as speakerphone or videophone)
  ?

  [If the latter (b), a weight of '2' for smartphone Audio seems low.]

- Would speech input fall under Audio?  Or is it too rare, so only Impression?

Temperature:

- Why is temperature weighed higher in desktop/laptop machines (office, multimedia)
  than handheld/pocket machines (smartphone, tablet, convertible) ?
  [You already have a separate system noise rating and a performance/throttling rating,
   so the temperature seems important only for workers who use intensive programs while it
   runs on their lap, maybe only those who commute on the train with an electrical outlet.]

[Kasper Andreasen]

First of all, I really like the transparency of the weight system. So there's that.

However, I think your current customized search for suitable laptops/devices (the "purchase consultation") is miles from the standards you have set with your reviews in general. One suggestion I would offer is to let the visitor draw up his or her own weight system - or at the very least use the categories (i.e. their subratings) as a baseline and prioritize the different subratings. That would add some transparency missing from the search, and might eliminate the very awkward situation where searching for a laptop generates a tablet or even a smartphone. Also, it is not uncommon that the ideal device is actually in between categories rather than strictly a subnotebook or an office notebook.

Anyhow, keep up the good work!

[gary sharp]

But who decides which category the device is allocated?  ie gaming, business, etc, you should allow users to select the category and then see the results of the rating.. alteratively, let the user choose which criteria are important and then output the weighted listing of machines..then we dont have to rely on you subjective categorising of the machine.

Nevertheless, your analysis and reviews are the best on the net,, thank you

[mclogical]

@Gary: The category is clear enough most of the time. They could process the notebook's score with regard to each category and assign it to the one that scores best; however it's quite obvious that a thinkpad T/X does not belong in gaming and so on...

What i'm wondering is: Are you guys gonna apply this new rating system to the old reviews as well? If the new system is more demanding, new notebooks might not make it in the top 10.

[Hedgm]

THx for your great reviews !
I kind of agree w/ replies #2 & 3, > Let users choose detailed criteria.
>> E.g. I am looking for a Convertible which
    depreciates functions like Camera and Audio.
   ( Nice i suppose, but I prefer other basic laptop functions.)

So, I'd like to reverse-weight your reviews.
Can you at NBC briefly explain how-to derive your original unweighted #s ?
In each review, are the left-hand #'s non-weighted ?
(e.g.  82 / 91 → 90% )   and also all you #'s posted HERE:
        >> http://www.notebookcheck.com/Notebook-Bewertungstabelle.684.0.html

Also, as per comment 4, how-to calc originals from yr pre-2014 reviews?
I'm not super- gifted in maths, but could figure this out with hints.
        Cheers ;-) ~ USA

[lacaprica]

(For gaming category) IMHO I would cut points from "Keyboard" and "Audio" and put it into the "System Noise" and "Temperature" sub-categories. First of all, I use my headphones for gaming, so I do not care about internal speakers, secondly if my laptop runs hot and it can possibly damage the CPU/GPU then I ain't care about keyboard! Temperature is more important than audio or keyboard IMO !!! (You weigh just 4 points for "temperature".... funny)