Star ratings on Amazon aren't the most reliable way to judge a product, but they do provide a clear visual indication of how a product is perceived. At least that was the case until a recent change by Amazon. Rather than showing how many stars an item has by actually showing multiple stars, the retailer now has a single star with a number next to it.
Amazon still provides the same general information as before. The number next to the star is based on a weight average. The layout also shows the percentage of reviews of 4+ stars, which is handy. But at a glance, the new system is not as digestible.
