Interested in writing better reviews.

[NoctisReitop]

I want to able write better and more professional reviews. I've come to to the conclusion that my previous review was crap, and I want to make it better. I'd like whoever cares to critique my review. I welcome any and all criticism as long as it's constructive, and I insist that it be frank. We've got the "it's crap" comment cleared already , so without further adieu, bring it on. Thanks immensely in advance.

[Yellowhello]

Maybe have a white background like a (clean) sheet for the pics. Have all the pics taken in very well lit area and try not to use flash because it reflects off the case. Also try to use your own pics as much as possible. Remove the date watermark when taking pics.

I thought the writing was pretty good, but maybe try to through in some humor?

[screwballl]

I know I am not the best but the only comments I have for a bit more professionalism and something that Rich spoke to me about is the pictures. Put a white sheet on a chair or couch or bed so you have a solid background, Showing others how clean or dirty your house is the first issue. Showing a $300+ case with all sorts of expensive hardware going into it with a dirty house in the background will more likely turn them off of the case regardless of what the review says.
The way it was written is good for a user review but need to be careful on how certain explanations are stated so it doesn't sound like "this one flaw will make this item not worth buying" or the opposite, like an advertisement for the company with zero flaws.

[NoctisReitop]

Thanks a lot. Those ideas being revealed to me, they are certainly important and I overlooked them. Will certainly correct for the next review.

[Capper]

What we strive for in reviews:

Pictures make a huge difference....... Well lit, clear pictures that point out strengths and weaknesses, as well as show readers what they need to know (Will a card fit in the case? Will that cooler work with my motherboard?). The background isn't as important as the lighting.

A good introduction......
Give some background on the company whose products you are reviewing, give some background on other products they offer. Give readers an idea who the product is targeting, and who might be interested in the product.

Covering the product......One thing we try to stay away from if "fluff", which in generic terms is a bunch of garbage content that typically gets browsed over (for the pics).....Put your focus on the strengths, weaknesses, and target audience.

Testing is important.......I'm not a big benchmarking person. Personally, you can run the same benchmark 10 times on the same system, anfd get a different result each time, but always make sure you run the benchmarks right, and that your results are accurate......there is nothing worse than having people write a review who quote unstable results. I use benchmarking for no other real reason than to show stability and to give you an idea of what you can expect. Always run benchmarks on a clean install of Windows, rebooting between tests. Always run tests in the exact same environment.

Wrapping it up.......Be clear, be concise, be fair, and be honest. Always remember your review is going to be questioned by someone who thinks they know more, or know better.....the web is full of "experts" who have no real experience, but who "read someowhere..." something that disagrees with what you are saying. Al;ways look at products objectively, from a potential buyers point of view. Would I buy this? Why or why not? What would make me buy this? Who should consider this? Then put it all together in a summary.

Hope this helps, there is a little more to it than this, but its mostly stuff that comes with time and practice.

[NoctisReitop]

Should I be impartial in my reviews? I know in SS case, I wrote a lot about my feelings towards the case, or should there only be a specific section ("my thoughts") for that?

[screwballl]

for a personal review or blog type then deep down touchy feely type of words are fine but for a more professional, the "feeling" words can be left out and explained more like "In my experience this board had trouble handling anything over a 1200MHz bus rating" rather than "I felt good that I could get my memory to 1100 but would be nice to raise it higher for a better overclock on my system"

Again I know I am not a pro or a journalist (yet), just passing on a few pointers that I have picked up.

[Capper]

Your reviews should always be objective.....Don't go into a review with an impression in place because of who makes it, or who markets its....every review sample should be judged on its own merits.

[garetjax]

One of the most imporant things about review work is to be objective. As Capper mentioned, don't go into a review with pre-conceived notions about what a product can or can't do. As a general rule of thumb, when I reivew cases I treat each case as a separate entity unto itself. I find that using this method allows me to write solid reviews that employ a sense of "honesty" throughout the article; I don't make excuses for the product, I just tell it like it is.

Your article is written well, and it has plenty of good information that a reader will want to know. A couple of tips that I would recommend are:

1) Get close ups. People want to see what the "special features" of the case are. If the case is being marketed as a water cooling enclosure, ensure you take pictures of the features that support it and then talk about it.

2) Educate yourself on the product. Visit the manufacturers website and see what they are saying about it. Are the features of the enclosure properly addressed or are they just "fluff" to make the case appear to be better? There is nothing worse than reviewing a case with "special" or "unique" features when in reality they are nothing but gimmicks. Know what works and what does not.

3) Try to put yourself in someone else's shoes. Would an extreme gamer like the case? How about a budget minded enthusiast? Is the price reflective of the workmanship and materials that went into the chassis? Who would this enclosure most appeal to? How is the manufacturer marketing the case to meet the needs of which crowd? Does it meet its marketing goal?

These are just a few of the things to consider when writing a case reivew, or any review for that matter. The main idea when reviewing products are to be objective, be thorough, and most importantly, be honest.

[NoctisReitop]

Thanks very much guys. I verily appreciate it.