Product Selection
In our research, cdw.com had easily the widest selection of models and manufacturers, though Best Buy, Circuit City, and CompUSA had large inventories, too. The Apple Store, dell.com, and gateway.com each offered an array of digital cameras from different manufacturers, as well as the PCs they make. You wouldn't expect hpshopping.com or sonystyle.com to sell products from its competitors, but the limited selection does make it easier for those stores to offer sound buying advice.
To get a cross section of each store's product offerings, we tallied up the total number of manufacturers and models of digital cameras, computers (desktops, laptops, and tablet PCs), and HDTVs that were available at each retailer's Web store. As we did in the case of prices, we compiled this information during the week of August 22 to 28, 2004.
In most instances, the number of models listed below is approximate, since products constantly get updated or discontinued. And because PC manufacturers like Dell, Gateway, and HP offer custom-built machines, we treated each product line as one product (for example, we counted the Dell Dimension 2400 as one product, and the Dimension 4600 as another). Retailers such as Best Buy and cdw.com tend to offer preconfigured systems, which boosts the number of models they have available.
Finally, it's important to remember that product selection varies widely in retail stores around the nation, and that not all products offered at a particular company's Web store are always available at its retail store (and vice versa). If you're researching products online and plan to save shipping costs by purchasing the item at your local superstore, be sure to contact your local retailer to confirm that the product is available at that location.
Best Selection: Big Boxes and Web Stores
Want lots of choices? Head to cdw.com. On the other hand, if convenient pickup and returns or a wide selection of high-definition television sets is important to you, try one of the superstores.
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