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Decide.com is designed to help consumers make good choices about purchasing laptops, televisions, cameras, phones and other electronic devices. The website compiles information and applies it to an algorithm. This is used to advise the buyer on whether they should make the purchase or wait for the price to drop. Decide utilizes 40 price factors to predict how the price will change. The application also determines if the user should purchase the current model or wait for the newest model to be released. For added convenience, Decide is also available on mobile devices so users can access its recommendations and information while shopping. Users can also set up notifications that issue an alert when the price changes on a product or when updates are announced. Decide.com boasts its science-backed system that focuses on facts and information rather than marketing and advertising.

Decide.com was founded by Oren Etzioni and Mike Fridgen in 2010. They are the former execs of Farecast that was acquired by Microsoft in 2008. The application was intended to give consumers a way to gather honest, unbiased information before purchasing a new camera, computer, phone or other electronic device. The current version offers projections based on real product data and information. Decide was mentioned by Geek Wire and Tech Crunch and has received a relatively positive, though somewhat limited response, so far.

There are a number of ways to research products online and receive recommendations. Decide stands out because the website actually gathers information and applies it to a scientific process to determine if the user should make the purchase now or not. The application tells the user what it feels the price for the product will be in the near future. The user is also advised to either wait or buy now when a new model is on the horizon.

Decide is all about technology and electronic devices, and the website design seems to speak volumes to that focus. The black and white color scheme creates a clean, distraction-free environment that boasts images of electronic devices. The website is very easy to navigate, with the search bar and categories displayed prominently at the top. A new user can easily jump right into Decide without any obstacles getting in their way.

Visitors are not required to sign up to search for products on Decide.com. Those who wish to take full advantage of the available features will have to click the white “Sign Up” link in the upper, right hand corner of the homepage. A pop up box appears and invites the user to sign in with their Facebook profile. Others can click the blue “Sign up with your email” link below the button to use the traditional form. A text field will appear and ask the user for their email address. After entering their email address, the user is advised that they must check their inbox for an activation message that must be retrieved before accessing their account.

Decide welcomes all users to create an account and set up product notifications for free. There are no subscription fees or other charges for doing so. The user is not required to make any purchases to maintain their Decide account, either. All users are given access to the same functions and can search as often as they like. Of course users will have to pay when they decide to purchase a product they research using Decide. This is done through the retailer and does not require any fees paid to Decide.

Decide.com is a great tool for anyone who plans to purchase a laptop, television or mobile phone in the near future. The application helps the user gather vital details and learn more about how the market may change for the product they are considering. The user can determine whether the price will go down and receive recommendations regarding whether they should buy now or wait for the next model to release.

• Users can register and sign in with a Facebook account
• Alerts allow users to receive notifications when product prices and features change
• Categories and a built in site search help users find specific brands
• Decide welcomes new category suggestions from users
• Recommendations help users decide if now is a good time to buy a product

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