Tech Review

So, I'm minding my own business, browsing the web, and all of a sudden this big, ugly tool bar, Dealio, comes up and asks me if I want to compare prices on digital cameras. "How did that get there?" I thought. I'll tell you later, but I decided to focus my anger in a positive direction and write about my Dealio experience.

Follow up:

The concept, or "Idelio" if you will, is that Dealio will help you find the lowest prices for things (very considerate of them). How they accomplish this is with a sometimes confusing witch's brew of "community helpers" and "people we love (with a heart)," those that have time to log into Dealio and tell people about "smokin' deals." It also compares stores on the internet, auctions on eBay and, in a nice twist, vendors in your local area, for those who can't wait three days for their iPod.

I also suspect that many of those deals will come from sponsors, companies that pay Dealio to place their store or product on a search list just like Google has "sponsored links" to the right of the legitimate search results.

You can also read product reviews and ratings like on Bizrate and Epinions.

Some thoughts:

1. We may not need another shopping service. Besides the above two, bizrate and epinions, which I've always found spotty and difficult to use, there's the excellent cnet, with good expert reviews, a knowledgable user base willing to spend a couple of minutes to let you know how they feel (great for shareware too), and a listing of internet vendors who will gladly take your order for that particular item.

Most valuable of all, however, is Amazon, that has almost every electronic product itself at competitive prices and reviewed by people who take pride in expressing their opinion.

2. Dealio is obnoxious. In addition to its gag-inducing name, (trying to piggyback on the good feeling induced by the funny movie, Napoleon Dynamite), Dealio gives "props" to people who alert Dealio aficionados to "steals," offers charts called "Dealistrations" for showing that one product is cheaper than another- as if people can't add shipping and taxes themselves, and people have Avatars, or pictures that represent themselves (who cares?). This comes on top of the people we **heart** banality.

Camera Shopping with Dealio

3. I typed in SD1000 (reviewed here) and got a bunch of results. I liked the fact that it automatically included eBay and local store options. So, it has its value.

You're out of here!

3. But, the whole concept of installing something on your browser for shopping is in itself kind of decadent. Do people shop so much that they need to have something staring at them, urging them to buy like a modern version of the devil on your shoulder: "Come on, you know you want a USB fan" When I need something, I go to eBay and see if it's cheaper than Amazon. If it's close I go Amazon.

My CSI (computer sin investigator) skills found out that Dealio is a product of the otherwise useful Vendio auction facilitator service.