05-31-2009, 04:24 PM | #1 | |
Outside of a dog
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My letter to Consumer Reports
Dear forum,
Some of you may be subscribers to the US magazine "Consumer Reports," which claims to be an unbiased consumer resource. Unfortunately, they have failed in living up to their own standards this month. I obviously can't duplicate their article due to copyright (and it hasn't been posted to their web site), but I think you'll get the gist from the following letter to the Editors that I have just submitted: Quote:
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05-31-2009, 04:31 PM | #2 |
zeldinha zippy zeldissima
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that is quite a letter, curtw. i can guess what the article was like... thanks for setting the record straight. i hope they'll take your letter into consideration and post some sort of correction. please let us know if / when you get a reply.
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05-31-2009, 04:36 PM | #3 |
Wearer of Pants
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I get what you're saying, I do..... And I've not read the article. But my initial reaction is this, and I don't say this to be a jerk because I'm one myself...
This is mostly tech nerd crap, and the average consumer and the average consumer reporter isn't interested in this level of detail. They weren't comparing "Crap you can manage if you do other things" they were talking about the devices and the systems themselves. Someone else will no doubt and do some sort of point by point thing, I don't care enough to get into it myself (again, not trying to be a jerk I'm just tired of these things). But I sure as heck wouldn't talk about the touchscreen.... the distortion is terrible (at least in the ones I have seen!) |
05-31-2009, 04:46 PM | #4 |
Wearer of Pants
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Oh, and yes... it is certainly possible they were being short sighted, but I doubt they were being maliciously short sighted.
But I use the "mother test" when it comes to these things. Can I explain the difference to my mom in a useful way? Does she care? Does the article sound like it probably covers the basics for the sort of consumer my mother is? (Can work with Macs, PCs, but not tech savy aside from basic usage) This really has to be applied to any tech reporting before I get angry about it. And there's a place for discussion of these limitations in a real way - but it's not going to be in your standard consumer reporting or news. The same also applies to religion, economics and politics. If I got in a tizzy every time some idiot reporter said something outright wrong about these issues I'd be having fits. But that's just more than the average consumer is interested in/needs to know. Most those things you mention really require quite a bit of "but...." if you want to clarify them. Those distinctions are important. That's what mobileread is for, and ideally, some of the better tech magazines. But generally speaking, they pass the 'mother test' and that's the best you can hope for. It's like trying to get into why people should use ogg-vorbis music players or something. No one cares except its proponents because most people don't understand the underlying issues nor care to - they just want to play their music. |
05-31-2009, 04:48 PM | #5 | |
Outside of a dog
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Quote:
C. |
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05-31-2009, 06:03 PM | #6 | |
Connoisseur
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Quote:
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05-31-2009, 09:27 PM | #7 |
Wearer of Pants
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Yes, mostly.... the size issue is pretty obviously a screw up.
And I don't mean to undercut your criticisms in general, either... Just that you may be expecting more than consumer reports is going to provide (or even care about.) For instance ... Mac compatible. I had a Sony Reader with my mac and it sucked. Not only did I have to run their god-awful software (I believe it is somewhat better now, this was over a year ago) in virtualization but if I updated my firmware I'd brick it! So if you're not going to go into details about disk mode, etc... it's better to say it isn't Mac compatible because it isn't, not really. Someone who buys a Sony Reader and thinks they can just use that bookstore, update their hardware, etc... are in for some nasty surprises. |
06-01-2009, 02:45 PM | #8 | |
Mommy of Many Interests
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Quote:
I really hope they respond in some manner. Thanks for sharing. |
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06-02-2009, 12:41 PM | #9 |
Guru
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[EDIT: post deleted, incorrect info, which follows from relying on my feeble memory.]
Last edited by jj2me; 06-02-2009 at 07:53 PM. |
06-02-2009, 07:58 PM | #10 | |
Outside of a dog
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Quote:
(P.S. *My* Mom would want to know about library books.) |
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06-03-2009, 10:29 PM | #11 |
Outside of a dog
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Got a response...
...form letter. Still no idea if a human being has read the letter yet.
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06-05-2009, 03:39 PM | #12 | |
Bookie
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Quote:
I read the Consumers Reports Kindle 2 vs Sony PRS 700 comparison, and while I might quibble about a thing or two myself, I think CR got it mainly right. Really the Kindle's built in cell makes the host computer, Mac or not, moot. The Kindle screen is more readable, and if you want to compare it with the Sony 505 model, then the support chipset is more advanced. It's easier to deal with the Amazon store than the Sony one (although both could use some improvement). And basically, CR arrived at the same conclusion that NY Times and other reviewers have also, that while close, and each has its pros and cons, the Kindle has certain advantages overall. I think they may read your letter, certainly some of the points are valid enough, but don't expect miracles, or some sort of retraction, "we've seen the light" type of thing as a result. Probably they get similarly long, passionate, highly technical letters on anything they rate, from Cars (and Sony vs. Kindle reminds me of the Chevy vs. Ford pickup arguments I used to hear all the time back home, man did that get boring, but people sure got passionate about their trucks), to Towels, to Detergent, and so on. If CR agrees with us, it's a good operation, if not, run by idiots. Comes with the territory, I suppose. |
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06-05-2009, 04:12 PM | #13 |
Crazy like a
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06-05-2009, 04:36 PM | #14 | |
Now you lishen here...
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Don't want to be a jerk here, Gideon, but
Quote:
I understand that is your opinion, but as a Kindle, PRS 505 and PRS 700 owner, I think your opinion is a terrible distortion. Last edited by Donnageddon; 06-05-2009 at 04:39 PM. Reason: Changed wording. |
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06-12-2009, 02:13 AM | #15 |
Landed Gentry
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Wow, I thought that letter was a tour de force. Great job!
Almost makes me want to get a Sony reader, except I'm looking for something smaller and more portable. Maybe that new 5-inch Aztec. Or my dream Readius if they ever manufacture it.... |
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