This site now has a section for the M7, but no one has posted a review as of yet. There are many reviews for all the previous Ms. Interesting to see what will be posted.

-- Bob Haight (rhaigh5748@aol.com), April 16, 2002

Answers

That website (I have contributed in the past) is not a valid source of information. Instead it allows consumers to put themselves through the "post purchase evaluation" process and avoid buyer's remorse by convincing themselves they made a good purchase. Why do I think this?, because many members (including myself in the past)write many similar posts on various competing products.

No purchase decision should be made solely off the information on that site. But it does serve a specific purpose to smart buyers. It opens your eyes to "disadvantages or perceived disadvantages" that consumers should consider before making a purchase decision.

-- Kristian (leicashot@hotmail.com), April 16, 2002.

How does one become a "smart buyer", and how can one tell. Is giving patronizing answers to genuine questions a prerequisite?

-- sait (akkirman@clear.net.nz), April 16, 2002.

"A smart buyer is someone that confidently understands what he/she is getting themself into prior to making a purchase. This "intelligence" may come from experience, or detailed research from reliable and trustworthy sources, with current valid information that is useful to the buyers needs and/or wants.

The buyer then makes an educated purchase decsion based on the validity of the facts obtained through the experiences and/or thorough research".

From the "Royal Kristian Institute for marketing based bullshit answers".

Convinced?

-- Kristian (leicashot@hotmail.com), April 16, 2002.

Thanks Kristian for explaining all that, but what happens when you think you know it all when you don't, and other people realize it before you do ?

-- sait (akkirman@clear.net.nz), April 17, 2002.

It may not be the most valid source of information but it sure as hell is the most comprehensive of its type on the net, at least that I know of. There are some examples of "reviews" that are clearly attempts to soothe the writer's buyer's remorse, but for the most part they are level-headed and on the mark.

-- Anon Terry (anonht@yahoo.com), April 17, 2002.

By the way Sait, what exactly was your contribution to this thread? I think I lost your point somewhere...

-- Anon Terry (anonht@yahoo.com), April 17, 2002.

Yes, it zipped past me too...

-- rob (rob@robertappleby.com), April 17, 2002.

I think Sait is trying to understand the concept of a "smart buyer". A "smart buyer" is a buyer that has made a bad purchase and is determined not to make another bad purchase. I think that the photographyreview site is helpful - taken with a grain of salt. Another helpful site that reviews products - principally electronic products including photoprinters and scanners - is cnet.com. (No film cameras though.)

-- Doug Landrum (dflandrum@earthlink.net), April 17, 2002.

Wisdom and knowledge come from experience. Unfortunately experience all too often comes from making mistakes. Like the man said buy good stocks and watch them go up and don't buy them if they don't go up. And take it easy guys. Cheers.

-- Gil Pruitt (wgpinc@yahoo.com), April 17, 2002.

Sorry guys (and girls) it all got too complicated, but contribution to this thread should be viewed in the same vain as contributions to the "FREE EXTRAS IF SOLD (Kristian, 2002-04-17) " thread. I shall now behave and sit in the corner and shut-up !

-- sait (akkirman@clear.net.nz), April 17, 2002.

above should have read "my contribution to this thread".

-- sait (akkirman@clear.net.nz), April 17, 2002.