and thought I'd take a look. I've been ihnnktig of getting a CR subscription so I thought this would be a trial run. I flipped through most of the book in 10 minutes (it was a huge line) not finding anything terribly fascinating then I got to the computer electronics section. It was pathetic. Absolutely laughable! The information was probably 1 to 5 years out of date on average, let alone looking forward into 2010. I'm a computer hobbyist, not even a professional electronics writer, and I know I could write a better, more helpful, and more relevant piece on PCs and laptops for 2009-2010. The PC section read like what I would imagine a book free PC buying for dummies 2006 journal might read. Here's an example: under the operating system section they say something like if you're getting a PC, windows vista is the best option and is offered with most new PCs So if you're not laughing at a statement like that you may need this outdated book but I'll educate you anyhow. Windows 7 is the best option and is offered with most new PCs. It's considered better than Vista in basically every way and It's been on sale since October (and available on a trial basis for FREE for about a year before that! Special priced programs for students & academics, etc). They make no mention of 32bit vs. 64bit windows (there are real advantages to both), no mention of the value of the various tiers of windows that Microsoft is peddling. Don't even get me ongoing on their BRIEF and misinformed section on video cards, a component that is probably the most vital part of a modern PC. No mention about consumers saving money on upgrading just the video card ($50+ upgrade) or the ram ($50+ upgrade) instead of buying a whole PC ($400+ upgrade). Also I've been suspicious about consumer reports since Behr paint has been the #1house paint for like 10 years running or something ludicrous. I know a lot about paint. A LOT. I know for a fact that there are better paints out there many of them not veteran by consumer reports. When I was a kid I thought consumer reports was the holy grail for buyer's information, but now that I know a thing or two about electronics and paint I know that they know nearly nothing despite their unbiased methodical tests. I suspect that there's more to consumer reports than meets the eye. So now I'm wondering: if they could be so incorrect on electronics AND possibly misguided about paint, what else could they be incorrect on? Could they be incorrect on cars too?! That's their claim to fame! Are they just guessing? Are their writers living somewhere without internet access? Needless to say I got a few excellent laughs from this book and threw it into the discount DVD bin at checkout. If this book were larger it might be worth one star because at nominal amount the pages could be used to line an animal cage or something.Help other customers find the most helpful reviewsa0Was this assess helpful to you?a0 | a0 WENDY L. LAMONT "Sheltie Mom"02/10/2012 at 15:22 2 of 2 people found the following assess helpful: Much Needed, April 5, 2010Bya0 (Minneapolis, MN) a0a0 Amazon Verified Buy(