> do you prefer longer, in-depth reviews - or are focused, waffle-free appraisals what you're after?
It depends on the product but I'm usually in favour of longer, in depth reviews. I agree with the others though. The "10 best Androids under a fiver" style comparisons are excellent. I've used those reviews many times since they started a couple of years ago - and I pass them on to to others when getting the all to common "you work in IT. Which X should I buy" requests.
> Are you looking for science paper-style evaluations - or do you favour short, consumer-oriented 'should I buy this?'
Somewhere in between. There are plenty of sites that do full in-depth technical analysis and plenty that repeat the press release. I think 3-5 pages, depending on how complex the product, is plenty - with an extra page or two for camera reviews to allow for sample shots.
> Are benchmarks important to you
I think a few simple benchmarks can tell you a lot. A fairly standardised battery test for mobiles and laptops (we ran such and such for 2 hours with these settings and it reported x% left). I actually think the benchmarks and spec tables are excellent. The only negative is that sometimes they are omitted. Obviously this will be down to how long you got the device for etc etc but it is annoying if only 9 out of 10 laptop reviews have benchmarks - particularly if the missing one is the one I was interested in!
> Is a percentage rating a useful quick-look measure of a product's worth?
Yes. "Most" of us are adult enough to realise they are subjective and coloured by the reviewers opinions but, if I'm in a hurry and not sure if I have time to read a 5-page review, it is useful to know beforehand if it gets 50% or 90%.
> Do spec sheets or tables help?
Yes. It saves covering every single spec within the text of the review leaving the reviewer to cover only the important USPs.
> Do you like to see lots of product picture
Not lots, but photos of ports etc are helpful - particularly if something has a port cover or plug. Those things can be a real PITA if done badly so a decent close-up is always welcome. Also, something to show a product to scale. It is all very well stating how small, slim, huge, fat a product is but we need to see it in relation to a common, every day object.
> Games reviews - good or bad, more or fewer?
Not fussed personally but I'm sure you guys know how many clicks they get.
Overall though, I love the reg reviews, use them a lot and would just appreciate a little more consistency.