ScubaCinci Posted December 30, 2016 Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 I know we have quite a few IT nerds on here. The site I used to do a lot of hardware reviews for is looking for someone to test/review wi-fi routers and related products. You don't have to be a "guru" per se but the more knowledgeable, the better. Obviously, knowing how to configure them, various protocols and how changing settings can impact performance, competitor comparisons, etc. but not super technically in deep. Looking at things like range and throughputs. You should have decent technical writing skills and it helps to have some personality in your writing as well. You must be able to be objective about the product and be able to criticize faults when applicable (sounds easy but it can be tough to do sometimes). You are also welcome to voice your opinions as well that are relevant. The great part is, you generally get to keep the hardware you review (you'll know up front) but you aren't "paid" for doing the review. Either way, it shouldn't influence your review. It can be fun to get products before they are even known the public to test out. Plus you'll likely get to interact with the various companies supplying the hardware (i.e. Netgear, Linksys, ASUS, etc) and if you do several articles, you can qualify for a press pass for CES in Jan '18 which is a blast. You can also do some other products if you have the time, inclination, and knowledge. Could be a nice way to learn the industry better, make connections for future employment opportunities. That said - it can be a fair amount of work depending on how you test, how well/easily you write. When I did SSD's, I probably spent about 8-10 hours total per review on average but I'm not necessarily a fast writer. I liked to write little bits a time and reflect on it. It requires taking decent product pictures (likely would need a "real " camera other than your phone), maybe making charts/graphs, intelligent analysis, etc. Usually you have a few weeks to review, and do the write up. You may be subject to NDA's and sometimes the review will be published on the product launch date so deadlines are possible. Again, stuff you generally know up front before agreeing to reviewing a particular product. The writing interface is very similar to posting on a forum (formatting, uploading pics, etc) and there are guides for writing. It's not technically difficult to create the article - if you can post on here, you can use the Wordpress web interface. If you have an interest or know someone who does, message me. I can give you more details. Here's an example of a recent router review - http://www.legitreviews.com/netgear-nighthawk-x8-r8500-ac5300-wifi-router-review_178341 He's always looking for writers for other products too like PC cases, odds and ends (accessories like keyboards, mice, etc), etc so anyone interested in that. Because of all of the other things I have going on, I sort of retired from doing reviews but I may start up again next spring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casper Posted December 30, 2016 Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 @Cheech Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casper Posted December 30, 2016 Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 @Hwilli Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimTheAzn Posted December 30, 2016 Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 @marlboro man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casper Posted December 30, 2016 Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 49 minutes ago, TimTheAzn said: @marlboro man I'd totally read any article about anything written by Joel. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimTheAzn Posted December 30, 2016 Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 Just now, Casper said: I'd totally read any article about anything written by Joel. Same! Especially technology! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheech Posted January 17, 2017 Report Share Posted January 17, 2017 On 12/30/2016 at 10:50 AM, Casper said: @Cheech Heh, the notification thingy must be borked for me because I didn't see anything, just saw someone looking for a packet plumber. Thanks for thinking of me though. Scubs, sending you a PM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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