Learn more & buy more!

September 12, 2007 2:00 PM

Can you direct me to websites for companies that sell things, but also have a strong educational component to support the things they sell?

I'm looking for the websites of companies that focus on educating their customers about their product or companies that use product education as a selling tool. I'm thinking of products that are raw materials you would make something out of, but I'm interested in any suggestions you might have.

Thanks!

posted by slowfasthazel to computers & internet (10 answers total)

SciToys? Science lessons throughout.
posted by mkb at 2:17 PM on September 12, 2007

Nintendo
posted by blue_beetle at 2:20 PM on September 12, 2007

SparkFun Electronics has a great tutorials section, and lots of links to datasheets and projects that incorporate each of their more complicated products.
posted by Myself at 2:27 PM on September 12, 2007

Sheldon Brown/Harris Cyclery
posted by box at 2:43 PM on September 12, 2007

Aperion Audio
posted by sharkweek at 3:10 PM on September 12, 2007

NiceIce has a lot of relatively unbiased (and entertainingly-presented) information about buying diamonds, although the site design is a little raw. You will probably find that most legitimate diamond websites have fair to excellent educational sections.
posted by brain_drain at 3:14 PM on September 12, 2007

Almost everything referenced by, referencing, or otherwise related to Make magazine. Especially the MAKE MP3 player.

Fab@Home

Evil Mad Scientist--they sell interactive tables as well as a few kits, but their site is primarily diy/instructions.
posted by anaelith at 3:14 PM on September 12, 2007 [1 favorite]

iFloor has this buying guide, which includes giving some of the brands they sell a 1/5 in major categories. It seems quite honest and is certainly detailed. Their learning center is pretty extensive in general.
posted by argybarg at 6:05 PM on September 12, 2007

I wonder if knitting/yarn sites fit the bill? Like Lion Brand. They offer a lot of free patterns and ideas for things to make designed specifically for their yarns. (of course, you can substitute any yarn you want, as long as it fits the pattern, but Lion Brand won't tell you that.)
posted by librarina at 7:56 PM on September 12, 2007

Fungi Perfecti
posted by prostyle at 6:43 AM on September 13, 2007