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From: root@zswamp.uucp (Geoffrey Welsh)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems
Subject: PCMagazine recriminations
Message-ID: <1.281BA894@zswamp.uucp>
Date: 28 Apr 91 20:10:22 GMT
Organization: Izot's Swamp BBS (FidoNet), Kitchener, Ontario
Lines: 30


   Despite suggestions that PCMagazine and others cater to their advertisers, 
I've always felt that the lack of quality in their reviews is due more to a 
lack of familirity with the subject at hand.  I don't expect PCMag reviewers 
- whose main job is to run a set benchmark program on a system and present 
the numbers it spits out - to know as much about configuring Pro-YAM as caf 
does... nor do I expect them to know all of the things that most readers here 
know about configuring high speed datacomm devices.

   This, however, it typical of the industry.  No one - not even big-budget 
rags like PCMag - can afford to be come very familiar with *all* of the 
products on the market.  Even if technology were not changing at a rapid 
pace, it would take a lifetime to learn enough to be prepared to deal with a 
year's feature reviews in PCMag.

   Let's try not to get too carried away by the accusations, and in stead 
recognize that published tests are usually done by relative neophytes in the 
field; their results, while a very poor indicator of the *capabilities* of 
the items being tested, is probably a good indicator of how easy it will be 
for first-time buyers to put it to optimal use.
 

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