OP,
There is a real advantage to being able to read about products from Main stream media before you buy. While you may choose a new upstart with a great new product, the odds are that companies that have been putting money into R&D for decades are going to, produce products that are of top quality and will hold their value versus a one off, or something with a couple good attributes and some short comings. So, in general, I stick with highly reviewed products.