In a new series on Eggplante, we’re going to take a look at our favourite websites. All the sites we look at here are ones that we go to multiple times a day from our desktop as well as mobile devices. They’re websites that deserve attention because they do something awesome. First up: Engadget.
Engadget is a website that has actually laid claim as our homepage for the past four years.
It is best described as a tech news site, but saying so doesn’t do it nearly enough justice. Engadget has made quite the name for itself since it launched in March 2004. It’s separated itself from other tech blogs and news sites by doing a few things in its own way.
Most notably is the site’s complete refresh every few years. In 2009, a massive site redesign made way for new widgets and sidebar items that made it much easier to see reviews, post comments, and polls hosted by the site’s editors. This past November, another site redesign launched, called the “new and improved, leaner and faster Engadget” which made the site better looking while reducing the heavy data-requirements of the older one by more than half.
So what of these widgets and sidebar items we spoke of? Well, recent reviews aren’t simply listed in text form, they’ve got beautiful pictures with title overlays and rather than rating, they’re listed alongside their price. There are also a few tweets made by editors and staff of the site, alongside site statistics and top stories.
What makes Engadget so readable is the comedic attitude that partly inspired the way we write on Eggplante. The site is reporting on some pretty bland topics if you consider that many of their posts list off specifications for the latest whatever you call it piece of tech. Somehow, though, they manage to make those specs less boring and more about reporting the goods in a fun way.
Engadget also has a habit of being written by some very talented people. The last two Editors-in-Chief have moved on to their own projects, Gdgt and The Verge, two new tech sites that cover electronics and technology in ways uniquely their own. They’ve become very successful, and Joshua Topolsky, creator and Editor at The Verge is also a regular on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon as a technology correspondent.
If you haven’t already taken a look at Engadget, we definitely encourage you to do so. The site is a fantastic read and while it tends to be a bit ad-heavy at times, there’s a reason it’s one of our favourite sites.
Engadget is owned by AOL, along with a host of other great sites like Joystiq and Autoblog, some of which we’ll be taking a look at it the near future on Our Favourite Sites!