Using the Site

It All Comes Down to Comparisons

Lots of websites list information about computers and other tech gadgets. Side-by-Side Geek goes one step further, allowing you to compare specifications on items so you can really see how they stack up against each other. This lets you move from endlessly searching the internet for information to actually making informed decisions on what to purchase. The Library and Comparison System is what makes comparisons possible.

First, a Few Rules

When making comparisons, a few rules need to be remembered. First, you can only compare items that are of the same type. That means you cannot, at this time, compare a laptop to a desktop. We are working to remove this limitation, but at the moment this rule is being enforced in our software. The second rule is that you are only able to compare two items at a time. Again, we are working to expand our software to allow more simultaneous comparisons, but at this time, two is the limit.

Going to the Library

On Side-by-Side Geek, comparisons start in the Library. The Library is accessed by way of the link in the top-right region of the screen. When you click on “Library”, you’ll be taken to a page listing the types of items currently available in the Library. Then you can click on the type of item you’re interested in comparing, and you’ll be taken to a list of all of the items of that type in the Side-by-Side Geek Library.

Let’s say we’d like to compare two laptops we’re interested in buying. One is the ASUS F80Q-A1, the other the HP DV7-1270US. In order to make a comparison, we need to first find each of the laptops in the library, then select them for comparison, and finally tell the system to make the comparison.

We’ll start with the ASUS F80Q-A1. We first click on the “Library” link at the top-right corner of the screen, as pictured above, and then click on “Laptops” to enter the laptop area of the Library. The Library is listed in alphabetical order, first by computer manufacturer, then by computer model number. The F80Q-A1 should be listed very close to the beginning of the laptop catalog. We find it, and click on it.

We should be taken to a page listing all the specifications for the ASUS F80Q-A1 laptop. Since we know we want to compare this laptop to another, we have to select it. We do this by clicking one of the “Select” links under the Compare boxes. The Compare boxes are located at the top of the page, just above the image of the laptop. When we click “Select”, the make and model of the laptop should appear in the box. We’ve just selected our first laptop.

Now we need to navigate to our second laptop, the HP DV7-1270US. We could go back to the Library, then to Laptops, and browse through the pages of the laptop catalog until we find the DV7-1270US, but there is an easier way. Side-by-Side Geek provides a search function which allows us to easily find any item listed on the site. To use the search function, simply type the model number “DV7-1270US” into the “Search this site:” box at the top of any page and click the “Search” button.

The search function actually searches the entire site, so make sure you select the item listed as an “SbSG Laptop”. We click on “HP – Pavilion dv7-1270us” and are taken to a page that lists the specifications for the HP DV7-1270US. Just like above, we click on the “Select” link that corresponds to the still-empty Compare box. The make and model of the HP laptop should appear in the box. We’ve just selected our second laptop. Now we’re ready to compare.

Making the Comparison

Now that we’ve chosen the laptops we want to compare, all we need to do is click the “Compare” link above the Compare boxes, and the system makes and displays the comparison for us. We’re taken to a page that displays all the specifications for us, side-by-side, in an easy-to-read chart. No searching up and down different web pages looking for stats and specs. It’s all right there, right next to each other.

Changing Your Mind is Easy

Ok, so we’ve see the specs on our two computers, the ASUS F80Q-A1 and the HP DV7-1270US, displayed right next to each other. We’re looking for a computer with some real muscle, and in this case, the HP is the clear winner. But we’re not done yet. We heard about this other ASUS, the G51VX-X2A, and we want to see how it stacks up to the HP. So how do we make a change? It’s really very easy.

We know the model number of the machine we’re interested in, so we use the search function and type the model number into the “Search this site:” box and click “Search”. When the laptop we’re looking for comes up in the search results, we click on it and are taken to the specifications page for that laptop.

We decided we’re not interested in the ASUS F80Q-A1, since it just doesn’t stack up to the HP DV7-1270US. So how do we replace the F80Q-A1 with our new-found G51VX-X2A? We simply click on the “Select” link under the Compare box with the F80Q-A1 in it, and it’s replaced with the G51VX-X2A. Then all we have to do to make the comparison is click “Compare”.

Any Questions?

As you can see, the system is pretty simple. Just find what you want, select it, and click “Compare”, and let Side-by-Side Geek take care of the rest. But if you have any questions, or have any suggestions on how to make the system better, please don’t hesitate to contact the site administrators using the Contact Us form!