Consumer Reports Annual Buying Guide articles from January 1 2004

Consumer Reports Annual Buying Guide archives from January 1 2004

Using the Canada extra.(Canada Extra)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... The Ratings you'll find in this 16-page section list some of the same products included in Ratings reports elsewhere in this book, but with a difference: The products listed here are those that, according to the manufacturers, are sold in...

What's new in home & yard equipment.(Home & Yard)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Innovations, often prompted by tougher state and federal environmental regulations, are making home and yard gear easier and safer to use, as well as friendlier to the environment. So buying a new piece of equipment rather than nursing along an...

Air cleaners.(Home & Yard)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Whole-house and single-room air cleaners have limitations, but both can provide significant relief from some indoor pollutants when other measures don't work. Indoor air is more polluted than the air on the other side of the window,...

Air conditioners.(Home & Yard)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Falling prices make individual room air conditioners an inexpensive alternative to central-air systems for cooling one or two rooms. Once a high-priced convenience, relatively precise electronic controls with digital temperature readouts...

Chain saws.(Home & Yard)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... They're still noisy, but many of the latest are safer and cleaner. Gasoline-powered saws still outperform electrics, although plug-ins can be fine for light-duty use. Chain saws are inherently dangerous and noisy, though modern designs...

Circular saws.(Home & Yard)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Circular saws are a mainstay for cutting the two-by-fours and plywood used in many home-improvement projects. A circular saw is an essential tool for any but the most rudimentary workshop. Most have a power cord, but there are some...

Cordless drills.(Home & Yard)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Many of the latest models are powerful enough to handle construction and repair chores formerly reserved for corded models. Better battery packs let today's cordless drills run longer and more powerfully per charge. The best can even...

Gas grills.(Home & Yard)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Many people are choosing models that do more than just grill. Go high-end, and you can pay as much as you would for a pro-style kitchen range. A $15 charcoal hibachi is all it takes to give burgers that outdoorsy barbecue taste. But a gas...

Hedge trimmers.(Home & Yard)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... A good electric trimmer is all most people need to keep greenery shapely. Gasoline-or battery-powered models free you from a cord, but you pay for that convenience. A gas or electric hedge trimmer can be a useful addition to your tool shed...

Lawn mowers and tractors.(Home & Yard)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Practically any mower--even an inexpensive one--will cut your grass. But you can get better results with less effort by choosing a machine based on your lawn size and shape and your mowing preferences. Mowing options range anywhere from...

Paint, exterior.(Home & Yard)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... The best paint can improve your home's appearance and protect it from the weather for up to 10 years. While a fresh coat of paint on the siding and trim will give your house curb appeal, exterior paint isn't just for show. It provides an...

Paint, interior.(Home & Yard)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Plenty of high-quality, durable wall paints are available to brighten your rooms. And you won't need to endure as many fumes as in years past. A fresh coat of paint is an easy, inexpensive way to freshen a room. Today's paints are...

Power blowers.(Home & Yard)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... The best electric handheld blowers outperform their gas counterparts and cost less. But they aren't any quieter, and the power cord can be a hassle. These miniature wind machines take some of the effort out of sweeping and cleaning fallen...

Stain, exterior.(Home & Yard)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... You may like the look that exterior stain gives your house, but it doesn't protect as well as paint. Exterior stains for clapboard and cedar-shake siding come in solid and semitransparent formulations. Opaque (solid-color) finishes look...

String trimmers.(Home & Yard)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... An electric model can do a good job for many trimming tasks. But for strong all-around performance, you'll need a gasoline-powered string trimmer. A string trimmer can pick up where a lawn mower leaves off. It provides the finishing...

Vacuum cleaners.(Home & Yard)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Fancy features and a hefty price don't necessarily mean improved cleaning ability. You'll find lots of competent models at a reasonable price. Which type of vacuum cleaner to buy was once a no-brainer. Uprights were better for carpets,...

10 sneaky shopping traps: with these ploys up their sleeves, sellers can easily relieve you of your money. Here's what to watch out for.
January 1, 2004... You may have earned a Ph.D. or scored over 1500 on your SAT's. But none of that matters when it comes to outsmarting today's sharp marketers. Armed with surveys, studies, an understanding of psychology, and fine print that would make Superman...

What's new in home-office gear.(Home Office)(computers, cell phones)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Computer gear continues to be ever easier to use, with the emphasis on multimedia fun. Much of the new hardware meant for home use emphasizes listening to online music, editing digital photos as well as home movies downloaded from a camcorder,...

Cell phones.(Home Office)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Complex pricing schemes and incompatible technologies can make it hard to find the right calling plan and handset. We give you guidelines. The cell phone is a permanent part of the landscape. There are now more than 145 million subscribers,...

Desktop computers.(Home Office)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Even the least-expensive desktop machines deliver impressive performance. The quality of technical support may be the deciding factor. The desktop computer has become just another appliance you use every day. Replacement sales--not...

Laptop computers.(Home Office)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... A long-time companion at work, school, and on the road, the laptop has finally come into its own as a serious alternative to the desktop computer. In May 2003, laptop sales outstripped those of desktops for the first time. It's not hard to...

Monitors.(Home Office)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Prices are dropping for larger CRT monitors and flat-panel LCD displays, meaning that a roomier screen--or more space on your desktop--is now within reach. Deciding whether to buy a flat-panel LCD or a CRT monitor comes down to this: Do...

PDAs.(Home Office)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Besides serving as an address book, calendar, and to-do list, many personal digital assistants offer multimedia functions and can manage your e-mail. Some even combine a PDA with a cell phone. PDAs can store thousands of phone numbers,...

Printers.(Home Office)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... New, inexpensive inkjets print color superbly. And they do it faster than ever. Laser printers excel at printing black-and-white text. Inkjet printers are now the standard for home-computer output. They do an excellent job with...

Scanners.(Home Office)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... A scanner is a simple, cheap way to digitize images for printing, editing on your computer, or sending via e-mail. You don't need a digital camera to take advantage of the computer's ability to edit photos. Images captured on film can be...

Telephones.(Home Office)(cordless phones)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Cordless phones Newer, higher-frequency cordless phones are available, but they aren't necessarily better than the earlier 900-MHz phones. If you have a cordless phone that's several years old, it's probably a 900-megahertz (MHz)...

What's new in autos for 2004.(Autos)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... More than 50 new or redesigned models are being introduced for 2004, and this doesn't include those that are appearing as early-2005 entries. These models make their debut against the backdrop of several ongoing trends: more vehicles...

Reviews of the 2003-04 models.(Autos)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... This rundown of all the major 2003-04 models can start you on your search for a new car. You'll find a capsule summary of each model, as well as the CONSUMER REPORTS prediction of how reliable the vehicle will be, and how much it's likely to...

Fix it or pitch it? When to repair and when to replace your major household items.
January 1, 2004... If a broken CD player or printer is more than two years old, replace it. But if a lawn tractor, wall oven, or projection TV goes on the fritz, it may be worth fixing even after six or seven years. Those are some of the recommendations from...

Ratings of the 2003-04 models.(Autos)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Which cars are best? This section can give you a head start in answering that question. Included here are overall Ratings on 190 vehicles from CONSUMER REPORTS extensive testing program. Though most tests were conducted on 2003 or slightly...

The best and worst used cars.(Autos)
January 1, 2004... Long-term reliability is a key consideration for the used-car shopper, and yet it's one of the hardest aspects of a vehicle to discern. CONSUMER REPORTS reliability surveys have shown that the combined experience of many other owners in the...

Auto reliability.(Autos)(Illustration)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... For any car shopper, whether you're buying new or used, reliability is one of the key considerations. To gauge reliability, CONSUMER REPORTS asks readers every year to tell us about any serious problems they've experienced in the last year with...

Air cleaners, room.(Ratings)(Illustration)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... If you have a forced-air heating/cooling system, choose a whole-house air cleaner. Otherwise, look for a room-sized cleaner that's designed to cover an area slightly larger than the one you need to treat. That way, you may be able to run it on...

Air cleaners, whole house.(Ratings)(Illustration)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... If you have a forced-air heating/cooling system, you can make a noticeable improvement in air quality by simply installing a filter. The 3M Filtrete Ultra 1250, $15, tops the Ratings for filters that you install yourself. Although the most...

Blenders.(Ratings)(Illustration)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... You don't need to spend a bundle to get a decent blender. Most of the models we tested, even inexpensive ones, were competent at various tasks. Many have specific strengths, so choose one that suits your needs. If you make mostly fruit...

Camcorders.(Ratings)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Digital camcorders offer the widest range of tape formats, the best selection of models, and the best overall performance. A digital camcorder that uses MiniDV or D8 format is the best all-around choice, especially for people who don't want to...

Cameras, digital.(Ratings)(Illustration)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... You can expect to get high-quality prints--even 8x10 glossies--from an inexpensive digital camera. Three-megapixel cameras offer the least flexibility to manipulate images without a loss in quality. But they are typically the lightest, the most...

Circular saws.(Ratings)(Illustration)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... If you're a serious do-it-yourselfer, look for a top-rated circular saw, which can cost $140 to $160. But you can get a fine saw for less. Among lower-priced saws, consider the Black & Decker CS1000, $40. Battery-powered saws such as the DeWalt...

Coffeemakers.(Ratings)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Most automatic drip coffeemakers are capable of brewing good coffee, so focus on convenience features such as clear cup markings and easy-to-read displays and controls. The top-rated Cuisinart Brew Central DCC-1200, $100, has a host of handy...

Finding reliable brands: our brand repair histories can help.
January 1, 2004... Products today are pretty reliable, but some brands have been more reliable than others. Every year we survey readers on repairs and on problems they encounter with household products. From their responses, we derive the percentage of a brand's...

Cooktops.(Ratings)(Illustration)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Electric smoothtops offer quick heating and easy-to-clean glass surfaces.While most electric cooktops heated quickly on their high settings and provided very low heat when turned down, most gas models didn't perform as well as the electrics on...

Cookware.(Ratings)
January 1, 2004... You don't have to pay top dollar to get even heating, comfortable handles, easy cleaning, and durability. Among nonstick sets, the Calphalon Commercial Nonstick, $500 for 10 pieces, is great for a demanding cook who's willing to pay a premium....

Dishwashers.(Ratings)
January 1, 2004... Your dishes will come clean with almost all the dishwashers in our Ratings. In our latest tests, most models removed almost every trace of food. Fine performers and real values include our CR Best Buys, the KitchenAid KUDI01IL[BL], $550, and...

Drills, cordless.(Ratings)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Decide whether you need raw power for decks and other big jobs, easy handling for around-the-house tasks, or--like most buyers--some combination of the two. For mundane tasks and the occasional deck, consider the CR Best Buy 18-volt Ryobi...

Dryers.(Ratings)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... All the full-sized dryers we tested were very good or excellent performers with ample capacity. For spacious capacity and superb drying, consider the quiet GE Profile DPSB620EC. For fine performance at a low price, look to the CR Best Buy...

Gas grills.(Ratings)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Most grills we tested were competent overall. Spend more and you get more features, more style, better materials, and the ability to handle more cooking tasks. Superb performance makes the average-sized Jenn-Air JA460P, $600, our top pick...

Home theater in a box.(Ratings)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... A home theater in a box is the easiest and usually the cheapest path to surround sound, with prices starting below $300. All these systems include a receiver and six speakers, plus wiring and instructions that make setup a relative snap. Be...

Lawn mowers, push type.(Ratings)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Push-type power mowers are fine for smaller, flatter lawns. Choose a rear-bagging model if you bag your clippings. Consider the rear-bag Yard Machines 11A-439-G, $200, a CR Best Buy, which was impressive at mulching and bagging. Also impressive...

Lawn mowers, self-propelled.(Ratings)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Self-propelled power mowers are good choices for larger yards up to half an acre, or smaller, hillier terrain. Rear-bagging models generally have more bagging capacity and maneuverability than side-baggers, though they usually cost more. For...

Monitors.(Ratings)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... First decide if you want an LCD monitor or a CRT. If freeing up space on your desk is the priority, the LCD is the clear choice. Consider the 17-inch KDS Rad-7c, $430, and ViewSonic VA720, $500, or the 18-inch Gateway FPD 1810, $550, all of...

Paint, exterior.(RatingsA)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Every paint we tested will look good for at least three years. Most should last for six years. But the only paints to consider are ones that should last for a good nine years, allowing you to repaint less often. There are several models in each...

Paint, interior.(Ratings)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Some of the paints we tested hold their original color well and can slow the growth of mildew. Others can be scrubbed without damaging the finish. We tested most brands in three finishes: flat, low-luster, and semigloss. Fine choices for most...

PDAs.(Ratings)(Illustration)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... If you're new to PDAs consider the Palm Zire, $100, an inexpensive monochrome unit with excellent battery life. If you want more than a basic organizer, the Palm m515, $300, and Tungsten T, $400, offer ample built-in memory, an expansion slot,...

Power blowers.(Ratings)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Among the handheld blowers most people buy, electrics rule. Besides outperforming the best gas-powered models, electric handhelds cost and weigh less while freeing you from fueling, pull-starting, and periodic tune-ups. Among the best electrics...

Printers.(Ratings)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Inkjets can print color photos and graphics as well as black-and-white text pages, offering an all-around printing solution. The Canon Photo Printer, S530D, $150, a CR Best Buy, is a fine all-around choice combining quality, speed, and low...

Ranges.(Ratings)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... You can buy a competent coil-type electric range for as little as $400. Spend more and you'll get added stylishness and conveniences like a trendy glass smoothtop instead of coils, higher-power elements, a convection feature for the oven, and...

Receivers.(Ratings)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... You can expect very good performance at any price, but connections and features will vary. Spend around $200 and you can get a basic surround-sound (digital) model that can decode Dolby Pro Logic and Pro Logic II, along with Dolby Digital and...

Refrigerators.(Ratings)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Most refrigerators did well or very well in temperature tests; bottom-freezers and built-ins showed superior results. As a group, the bottom-freezers were noisiest. Choose the size and style, then look for the features you want, plus a brand...

Speakers.(Ratings)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Most of the speakers we tested are fine performers overall. What distinguishes the best models is accuracy. Because the typical listener is unlikely to notice a difference of less than 8 points in accuracy, even models that aren't at the top of...

Stains, exterior.(Ratings)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Opaque (solid-color) stains generally offer more years of protection and better value than semitransparent stains. Stains we test begin to differ markedly in appearance after the equivalent of three years of exposure. Latex formulations have a...

Telephones, cordless.(Ratings)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Nearly all the phones and phone-answerers we tested deliver very good or excellent voice quality. For a basic phone with excellent voice quality, consider the four CR Best Buys: the Panasonic KX-TC1484B, Uniden EXI 376 HS, GE 26938GE1, and Bell...

Vacuum cleaners.(Ratings)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... You can get a very good vacuum cleaner for $150 to $300 or so; paying more doesn't buy better performance. Some of the priciest models are middling performers and come with relatively few features. Still, many of the least-expensive models...

Wall ovens.(Ratings)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Based on our tests, it's hard to choose a bad wall oven; nearly all performed a variety of cooking tasks at least adequately. The best models for most, with capable cooking at a relatively low price, are the GE JTP20WF at $850 and the...

Washing machines.(Ratings)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Most of the washing machines we tested did a very good or excellent job. Paying more within a category may get you fancier styling, more settings, and a porcelain top. For very good performance at a modest price, a top-loader should fill the...

Brand locator.(Phone numbers and Web addresses of manufacturers)(Illustration)
January 1, 2004... BRAND LOCATOR Phone numbers and Web addresses of selected manufacturers. A Acura 800 382-2238 www.acura.com Aerus (Electrolux) 800 243-9078 www.aerusonline.com AGFA ...

Product recalls.
January 1, 2004... Products ranging from child-safety seats to chain saws are recalled when there are safety defects. Various federal agencies, such as the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the...

What's new in Home Entertainment.(Home Entertainment)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... In recent years, digital entertainment products such as DVD players, digital video recorders (DVRs), and satellite-TV receivers have transformed the marketplace. Camcorders, cameras, receivers, cable boxes, and many TV sets have moved from...

Setting up a home theater.(Home Entertainment)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Adding surround sound to a TV can transform the viewing and listening experience even more than buying a bigger set. Most TV sound can be improved by adding external speakers; a pair of self-powered speakers is a simple, easy way to do that....

Camcorders.(Home Entertainment)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Fine picture quality and easy editing have improved the functionality of these moviemakers. That's especially true for digital models, which are replacing analog. Those grainy, jumpy home movies of yesteryear are long gone--replaced by...

Cameras, digital.(Home Entertainment)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Digital photography lets you be more involved in the creation of the print than film photography. That's a plus or a minus, depending upon your point of view. Digital cameras, which employ reusable memory cards instead of film, give you...

Cameras, film.(Home Entertainment)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... A point-and-shoot camera doesn't require elaborate setup before the shot. Single-lens reflex models offer maximum versatility and also can be easy to use. A film camera remains a good choice if you want point-and-shoot simplicity and good...

CD players.(Home Entertainment)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... The familiar console compact disc player is rapidly being replaced by more capable devices. Delivering superb performance at an affordable price, the CD is the music medium of the moment. But regular console CD players are losing ground to...

CD player/recorders.(Home Entertainment)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... They make it easy to copy the music you want onto compact discs, with no loss of quality. Audio CD player/recorders let you make your own recordings and play back prerecorded material. They cost more than CD players without recording...

Digital video recorders.(Home Entertainment)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... DVRs outperform VCRs in many ways, but you'll still need a VCR to archive recordings. Digital video recorders combine the easy navigation of a digital video disc (DVD) player with the recording capability of a video cassette recorder and...

DVD players.(Home Entertainment)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... These devices play high-quality videos as well as CDs. You can get a basic model for less than $100. As the fastest-growing consumer-electronics product in history--more than 17 million units were sold in 2002 alone--digital video disc...

Home theater in a box.(Home Entertainment)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... No time to mix and match speakers and receiver? All-in-one systems that you hook up to your TV and VCR or DVD can minimize the hassle. Good speakers and the other components of a home theater cost less than ever. But selecting all those...

MP3 players.(Home Entertainment)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... These devices let you play music you've either downloaded from the Web or "ripped" from your own CD collection. Portable MP3 players store digital music in their internal memories, on removable storage media, or a combination of both. You...

Receivers.(Home Entertainment)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... For a home-theater surround-sound system, look for a receiver that can decode Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks. The receiver is the brain of an audio/video system. It provides AM and FM tuners, amplifiers, surround sound, and switching...

Satellite TV.(Home Entertainment)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Before you opt for satellite TV, make sure a dish can be mounted on your property with a clear view of the satellite. Then choose the service provider and the hardware. Frustration with cable companies has fueled the growth of satellite-TV...

Speakers.(Home Entertainment)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Speakers can make or break your audio or video setup. Try to listen to them in a store before buying. And if you can splurge on only part of your system, splurge here. The best array of audio or video components will let you down if...

TV sets.(Home Entertainment)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Conventional TVs, high-definition TVs, flat screens, projection sets--you have more (and better) viewing choices than before, at ever-lower prices. Conventional direct-view TVs--the picture-tube models you've been watching for years--are...

VCRS.(Home Entertainment)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... Video cassette recorders don't match the picture and sound quality of DVD players, but they're still the most inexpensive way to play, record, and archive videos. Today's VCRs are more of a bargain than ever.Hi-fi models, which cost about...

VCR/DVD Combos.(Home Entertainment)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2004... These save space and reduce the need for connections. For many buyers, the compromise is worth it. At a time when many consumers want both a video cassette recorder and a DVD player, these combo units may appeal. Their main advantage is...

Buying guidance at your fingertips.
January 1, 2004... The Consumer Reports Buying Guide helps you find value and quality in today's marketplace. Start with "Secrets of Shopping Smart" on page 7 to find general tips and strategies for shopping in stores, through catalogs, and online. Next, on page...