Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!dali.cs.montana.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!sdd.hp.com!hplabs!pyramid!octopus!pete
From: pete@Octopus.COM (Pete Holzmann)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems
Subject: Re: PCMagazine recriminations
Summary: Insider view on: What *are* mag reviews good for? Not much.
Message-ID: <1991Apr30.161359.18741@Octopus.COM>
Date: 30 Apr 91 16:13:59 GMT
References: <1.281BA894@zswamp.uucp>
Reply-To: pete@octopus.COM (Pete Holzmann)
Organization: Octopus Enterprises, Cupertino CA
Lines: 37

In article <1.281BA894@zswamp.uucp> root@zswamp.uucp (Geoffrey Welsh) writes:
>   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...
>
>   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.

As one who has been involved in a few 'glowing' magazine reviews (as 
reviewee, not reviewer), I'd suggest that you even discount the ease-of-
whatever ratings.

Why? Because guess who the reviewers depend on to learn about the products:
the *vendors*. They don't obtain products through normal channels: they get
review copies direct from the vendor. And get their hand held all along the
way. It is true that the 'tech support' ratings are based on anonymous
calls, but that doesn't mean that the reviewer relied on anonymous calls
in order to understand the product. 

Thus, the vendors that develop a good relationship with the reviewer (i.e.
are most helpful in explaining what this amazing new technology is good for,
which esoteric features are most important, how the testing should be done,
which ones nobody cares about, etc etc) are going to impart their view of 
reality to the reviewer. And this will come out in the review.

The above most likely doesn't apply in any areas where the magazine review
staff has significant expertise.

Pete
-- 
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