Choosing an advisor is not an easy task. I have met several colleagues and friends in the academics community who have regretted having taken one advisor or the other. One of the usual complaints are:
- My thesis advisor never is there for me
- He or she doesn't provide me with technical support
- Etc...
IMHO you must consider 5 easy points to choose a good advisor and a good thesis topic:
- Talk to their past students
- Ignore the comments from other professors or other persons, usually they have certain personal preferences that not necessarily meet your professional interests
- Verify that their past students have published papers, NOT ONLY THE ADVISOR, their students.
- Think about your future. Is there a real demand out there for the subject I'm choosing? Think that you are going to dedicate 2 years of your life (even 4 for PhD's) in a subject that maybe people in the real world (I mean in the labor market) wont be interested in.
- Choose a thesis topic that you love it