[likeabite]

The issue here is that Pogue is an iPhone fanatic as evidenced by him being rated by Apple in their Ten Most Influential list. Thus if he writes a scathing review of a RIM product the harsh reactions are warrranted because his review is biased.

[rgreen4]

Boy is that a jump. He is on the Ten Most Influential list because he is a respected author, reviewer and journalist. Not because he is a fan boy. I have no idea what equipment he has at home and neither do you. He is probably using what ever new gadget he has been assigned to reveiw.

One would have to read all of his NYT reviews to determine his lack of objectivity. I have not, and doubt very seriously if anyone knocking him in this discussion has either. Reading quotes pulled from one of his reviews and posted in another news article does not constitute reading even one of his reviews. It only constitutes the reading of what THAT AUTHOR quoted him as saying. We don't even know if it's in context or not, nor do we know if the quote is accurate or complete.

[mathion]

To paraphrase the Beatles, look at all the angry people...
I use a smartphone of my own. It's not an iPhone. It's not a Blackberry. I'm sure there are better ones out there than mine. But it works for me. It does everything I need or want in a PHONE. It gets decent reception, the calls are clear, it's relatively simple to use (for me - maybe not for everyone else who may start their technological aptitude curve from a lower point) and I'm satisfied with it.
The point here is that not everyone NEEDS OR WANTS the latest and 'greatest'. It depends on where you live, and what your needs are. If they're best served by a Blackberry, fine. If by an iPhone, fine. If by something else, fine. But trying to angrily defend you PHONE is both silly and neurotic - at BEST.
C'mon, people, get a grip. It's JUST A PHONE. If you're happy with yours, just be happy with yours and let others find happiness with theirs, or switch to a phone that does what you need. There will always be a 'quicker, faster, stronger, better' item out there - if someone has the right set of needs. Defending your choice in gadget with name calling and anger is nuts.
If you feel threatened by negative criticism of your choice in gadget, just copy and paste the line below and reply with that:
My phone fits my needs and I'm satisfied with it.
That's all anyone needs to really say.

[sfoalex]

To be fair, one does not have to read someone's entire body of work to decide if a single article is objective or not. Sorry, but that's just a silly conclusion based on absolutely nothing. It doesn't even make sense to think such things, let alone articulate them in a forum.

I'm not knocking David Pogue. And I know your post is not a reply to my own. However, I will say that writing such things as:

"The first sign of trouble was the concept: a touch-screen BlackBerry. That's right - in its zeal to cash in on some of that iPhone touch-screen mania, R.I.M. has created a BlackBerry without a physical keyboard.

Hello? Isn't the thumb keyboard the defining feature of a BlackBerry? A BlackBerry without a keyboard is like an iPod without a scroll wheel. A Prius with terrible mileage. Cracker Jack without a prize inside."

While agree CrackerJack is incredibly famous for the toy surprise in the box, and their caramel covered popcorn with peanuts in the slim box, the fact of the matter is that Cracker Jack a Frito Lay product, and now that you know that, you know they are equally, and perhaps even more famous for other products.

Imagine if Sean Connery decided that playing Bond was all he should do because that's what he was best known for in those earlier days of his career. I myself loved the Hunt for Red October, and The Untouchables.

It's not a sign of trouble that RIM, or anyone else is in trouble if and when they decide to create touch screen devices. Microsoft was creating Surface without any knowledge of Apple working on or releasing a touch screen. Bill Gates said many times that he felt a tablet was the wave of the future. And many other touch screen devices existed well before the iPhone. In addition, someone else rightly pointed out that there is an iPod without a wheel. It's called the iPod Touch.

My interpretation, right or wrong, is that Pogue is attempting to say that RIM is barking up the wrong tree. In effect saying that this is Apple's turf, and RIM isn't going to be able to offer anything compelling here. This is not true. RIM can. Anyone can. The fact that they have not does not foretell the future. And to suggest it does is clearly a biased point of view. It supposes that Apple's always better, and that's pure non-sense. Better for whom? I have owned two iPhone's and concluded I would rather use WinMo. I have owned Macs, and again, concluded I like Vista of all things better than Apple's latest and greatest. So much for once you switch, you never go back. I switched, and guess what... I switched back.

Another quote:

"It's too much work, like using a manual typewriter. ("I couldn't send two e-mails on this thing," said one disappointed veteran.)"

Might I remind you it took Walt Mossberg 3 days to just to get used to Apple's touch screen.

The reality is we like what we want to like, and we dismiss what we have no reason to like.

The article does express speculation for the problems. Perhaps it was a rushed product, etc.

Pogue's iPhone article states he walked around with the phone for a full two weeks. I wonder how long he walked around with the Storm? The iPhone article is almost a tutorial. Not just hey, it's sleek and makes blackberry devices look bloated, which I beg to differ. The Curve is not very thick, and actually weighs slightly less. Not to mention it has a user exchangeable battery where the iPhone does not. Call me crazy, but the iPhone article reads like someone who is excited. And the Storm article reads like someone who had to review the storm. I mean, email is fantastic on the iPhone? Um, what planet are you on? It might look great, but it sure isn't fast. Look at any BlackBerry, WinMo, or Treo. You can zip through a huge list of emails, select one at the bottom of that list, and it will instantly popup and be readable. Try that on an iPhone. It will want to reload the darn thing all over again. And this why I call the iPhone a superficial device. It looks beautiful. There is no question about that. But Pogue spends almost no time on the bad, and much time on the good. In the storm article, he tries to be very balanced and it shows. I just think that had Apple did much the same thing, we would have got an apologist's point of view. Of course I don't know that, but it feels that way to me. I mean, he actually says things like good thing you can return the Storm. I suppose because he assumes it will remain in its current state. The iPhone had many flaws in the beginning. I remember LePorte saying he couldn't even type his name on it. It kept changing it and driving him crazy. LePorte in the beginning actually went the way of BlackBerry and said so. I guess stupid apps that assume you hear a song in public and need to know what it is win today by novelty. Or people need an iPhone app to tell them how much tip to leave. Guys, move the decimal over one to left, and take that number and add have of it to itself. I can do this in my sleep. I guess being able to search email, send MMS messages, connect to Notes, GroupWise, and Exchange, as well as extend the apps beyond what they were. Such as installing a wallet that adds options to the email so you can send wallet cards through email, mean nothing compared to a flash-light app or monkey ball.

What happened to form that follows function? I guess today it's just all about form. In my day we call that, selling the sizzle without the steak.

[poguenyt]

"The issue here is that Pogue is an iPhone fanatic as evidenced by him being rated by Apple in their Ten Most Influential list. Thus if he writes a scathing review of a RIM product the harsh reactions are warrranted because his review is biased"

Sorry, but that's nuts. First, (surprise!) Apple does not HAVE a Ten Most Influential list. The list you're referring to was compiled by an independent magazine. You know what? I'd also probably appear on a Ten Most Influential list created by a BlackBerry magazine, a TiVo magazine, a laptop magazine... Not because I'm a genius--but because anyone who writes the tech column for a national newspaper is AUTOMATICALLY influential.

Second, I am not an "iPhone fanatic." You haven't done a lick of research on this topic, or you would have found out how frustrated I am by much of the iPhone. Check out, for example, my Times review of the iPhone:

"Making a call can take as many as six steps: wake the phone, unlock its buttons, summon the Home screen, open the Phone program, view the Recent Calls or speed-dial list, and select a name. Call quality is only average.

"There?s no memory-card slot, no chat program, no voice dialing. You can?t install new programs from anyone but Apple; other companies can create only iPhone-tailored mini-programs on the Web. The browser can?t handle Java or Flash, which deprives you of millions of Web videos.

"The two-megapixel camera takes great photos, provided the subject is motionless and well lighted . But it can?t capture video. And you can?t send picture messages (called MMS) to other cellphones.

"Apple says that the battery starts to lose capacity after 300 or 400 charges. Eventually, you?ll have to send the phone to Apple for battery replacement, much as you do now with an iPod, for a fee.

"Then there?s the small matter of typing. Tapping the skinny little virtual keys on the screen is frustrating..."

And so on.

Do those sound like the words of a fanatic to you?

I realize you guys all think I'm being defensive, but for cryin' out loud... how would you feel if all of this incredibly ill-informed bashing was about YOU?

--Pogue

[poguenyt]

"When Pogue writes a review about the BlackBerry Storm, you have to understand that this person is a Mac loyalist. He loves being part of the Mac user community. He writes books on the Mac. Uses the Mac and promotes the Mac."

I have written Mac books, yes---but I have also written WINDOWS books and PALM books and ADOBE books.

I use the Mac, yes--but I use and own precisely the same number of Windows XP and Windows Vista machines.

Where you go off the tracks is "promotes the Mac."

I don't promote anything: I review stuff. Good reviews, bad reviews, depending on the quality of the product. That's like saying that the Times drama critic "promotes" Sondheim musicals or the food critic "promotes" Boulud's restaurants. What would they get out of it? Their job is to review, same as mine.

And yes, Apple does, more often than not, deliver products that are elegant and satisfying. But really, you should be calling me a "BlackBerry fanboy," because I've given RIM nothing but rave reviews until now. Look it up yourself: my stuff is all at nytimes.com. Pearl, Flip, Bold, Curve, and many others--I just love them. The reliability, the clever interface.

But you'd be crazy to call me an Apple fanboy, because I ding Apple for its missteps routinely. Here are 40 examples: http://www.davidpogu...tos/fanboy.html

The facts just don't support your accusation.

--Pogue

[sfoalex]

Hi Mr. David Pogue,
I feel privileged to converse with you. And I do sincerely mean that. I very much enjoy a lot of what you write. I especially liked the video you did where you were stating that Vista didn't copy OSX, and then showed the Gadgets and Widgets. It was meant to be funny and it truly was.

I did read the article in which you state it takes 6 steps, and you quote it here so I would point out that no where does it state you are frustrated with that reality. It merely states it takes 6 steps. However, your frustration with the Storm is spoken in that you make the comment that it's a good thing you can return the device within 30 days. You say you have frustrations with the iPhone, but not equally so as evident in the lack of a closing comment as sever as the storms.

I have written more in the past than I do now. Once I wrote about how to can spam. I put a lot of time into it, and careful to explain myself. I was suggesting deep internet architectural changes. Many comments followed, and I was very frustrated with most of them. I can't speak for others, but I can for myself. As I said, I just think it came off as someone not nearly as enthusiastic as you seemed to be with the iPhone article. Specifically I think you could have called RIM and asked if the full 2 to 3 seconds it took to change from portrait to landscape was a feature or a bug.

Let me state this an entirely different way. Had the obvious bugs not been present, would you have suggested it simply doesn't measure up to the iPhone and not mentioned the crack about the return policy? Is the phone a failure in your estimation if it is not a close tie to the iPhone.

The point I am making is that wouldn't it have been best to simply state what your opinion would also be if the bugs we not present? For example, because of these obvious bugs I would suggest caution. You can return if fixes are not as forthcoming as you expect. Again, I just see this as a little on the harsh side. I can only go by the words you commit to. I'm not a user of either phone so I am not offended in any way. My comment is more based on my perception.

Best,

Alex Alexzander
Message was edited by: sfoalex

[poguenyt]

"Let me state this an entirely different way. Had the obvious bugs not been present, would you have suggested it simply doesn't measure up to the iPhone and not mentioned the crack about the return policy?"

Alex... thank you for presenting your objections to my review WITHOUT the uninformed attacks on my objectivity. As it turns out, you pose a very interesting and salient question, which nobody else has asked: What influenced the harshness of my review?

And yes, there were unusual factors at work here.

1. Expectations. RIM has a track record of supremely solid, reliable, carefully crafted communicators. They HAVE to work... the corporate workforce relies on them.

So for them to release something so buggy, so half-baked, is an insult. It's far worse than a startup doing the same; it's RIM trying to COAST on its reputation instead of earning it. It's "Here, consumers--we don't give a crap, you'll never know the difference. We know that if we stick a touch screen on it and make it the same color scheme as the iPhone, you'll buy it."

That cynicism drove me crazy.

2. Response. Throughout the review, I was in touch with RIM and steadily described to them my problems. Incredibly, they had NO RESPONSE. They would not EVER acknowledge any bugs or problems. I even sent them movies of the problems --and they literally had no response. I mean, silence on the phone!

I said, "May I print that you're working on a bug-fix version?" They said no! They were completely unresponsive and smug throughout. At one point, in private, the PR lady told me that sure, she had occasional glitches, but "you get used to it."

That, in my book, is completely unacceptable.

By the way, have a look at the movies yourself. See if you'd enjoy spending $80 a month on a device like this:

http://www.davidpogu...uchProblems.mov
http://www.davidpogu...eraKeyboard.mov


--Pogue

[sfoalex]

Thank you Mr. Pogue. I do understand now. I don't think RIM is riding on their own coattails, but you did give them the opportunity. Which is something I would have suggest. RIM clearly dropped the ball. I do hope they fix it. And I do hope you review it again, though painful that might prove to be.

I have owned a RIM IM only device in the days when AOL sold them as IM devices. They were about the size of a double think pager then. Later I got a RIM that was a PDA only. It was black and white and came "fortified with Yahoo". Which basically meant that the device cam with Yahoo messenger, yahoo mail, and of course, contacts and calendar. I just happened to run into it. I never saw a single ad for it or anything. Back then they were $599 or $699. I honestly don't remember. I paid for it, and paid a monthly fee. It was such a fantastic device. And then I get an email from RIM or Yahoo. I don't remember who. Basically they were informing me that the whole "fortified with yahoo" concept was being dropped, and all the services I had been using would be dropped. I was completely horrified. I found the perfect PDA and they were going to kill it. I got into a conversation with someone at RIM and I asked, why are you killing this? They said, it doesn't sell very well. I responded, how could it? I have never seen a single ad for it. I just happened to have run into it. And I spend more than most online. If I'm not seeing it, you're not marketing it. Or perhaps not marketing it well.

Many years past and I bought an 8800 after the Treo 650. Loved the stability, but I was and still remain a little unsure as to RIMs success. I still believe that if Palm simply made more resalable device, they ought to do better on merit. But who knows if that's true or false. Marketing plays a role. Now I use Windows Mobile, and I honestly don't see why so many state how bad the device is. I don't know if you've reviewed the Moto Q, which is what I use. But I very much appreciate this device. It's not beautiful by any stretch of the imagination. I won't claim that. But it does the same things the RIM did and more.

Anyway, I write all that to basically reinforce that I am not fan of RIM. I could write about why I don't care for the iPhone. But you get the idea I am sure. We each have needs and we choose what best serves those needs. I hope we do anyway. Sometimes it can appear that we are driven by other factors. But those last two comments convinced me otherwise in your situation.

I have written reviews for Creative Cow which is the largest creative software portal in the world. I used to review books. None of yours, as I mostly focus on higher end software such as Photoshop, DVD Studio Pro, Avid Xpress Pro and Media Composer, etc. I know what it is like to set an expectation and then have it not met. Sonic Solution failed me that way. And I know the product manager for their software. He wanted a review and I had nothing nice to say. I wrote big long descriptions of features needed. I explained in gross detail the abstraction layer problems and even how to solve them. I too was shocked that their Q/A didn't catch all the problems I found just by attempting to make a DVD with their app. And that called into question everything. I felt they must have just threw it out there, as you say, and for no good reason. So shame on RIM. And I mean that. I agree with you for at least the reason that so many BlackBerry fans are fascinated by the touch interface and pinned their hopes on this new device. RIM should consider their responsibility to their loyal customers by not releasing until the product is fantastic. I don't assume to know why it was released prematurely, or why RIM was not willing to throw a New York Times review a bone when asked. Some companies don't seem to act in their own best interest. And that always gives me pause.

Anyway, I do thank you for your obvious patients.

Kind regards,

Alex Alexzander

[SurMac]

cameljockey - you spend so much time posting the same negative comment about the Storm on every website you can find. Everybody is on to your tactics. Why don't you take a break and go to a movie - or back to the desert - or wherever?

[pjhenrygd1216]

I thought I mentioned it a few times that I'm an iPhone 3G owner. Thats why I was talking about the iPhone more than the Blackberry as I have limited use other than from using my friend's Storm, which I didn't find to be nearly as bad as some reviewers would have you think. In any case, you need to work on your reading comprehension. You have shown a lack of the skill multiple times throughout. I'm not going to say that the Storm is better than the iPhone or vice versa. Its just that the iPhone is given so many passes for unknown reasons. Its somewhat ridiculous to be honest. The iPhone is not a terrible phone. I do enjoy it. But I don't see why people seem to think its some untouchable standard.

[likeabite]

Thank you for your response Mr. Pogue. I highly appreciate you taking the time out to try and clear your name, for lack of a better phrase. While I understand that people mistaken you for a fanboy is a bit frustrating when you are, in essence, just trying to do your job, I just find it kind of frustrating as well to write such a scathing review about a product in it's first release. Yes you had lofty expectations of Blackberry given their impeccable track record and while they might not have delivered to your expectations, don't you think those expectations made your review a little biased? And yes RIM was not receptive to your requests and whatnot but I have to ask if you made the same requests of Apple when they released the iPhone and if you received notification of impeding fixes or updates. As a tech enthusiasts I am sure even you have to agree that companies do not like to acknowledge issues with a product before launch until after the item is available to the market. That would only create bad press and that is never good.



Yes they could've addressed the issues pre-launch but no product is ever devoid of issues when it is released as your reviews have always indicated. You seemed to have forgotten this when reviewing the Storm because calling it a 'dud' and saying, "I haven't found a soul who tried this machine who wasn't appalled, baffled or both," only serves to illustrate this. This is important because you not only call the phone useless but you make it a point to say anyone else who has used the device that you know also thought the same thing. That, I believe is where the problem lies. There isn't a single review on the internet that labels the Storm as useless or unusable or anything in that manner. Yes some list the issues and others voice their frustrations but to call it a 'dud' is what I have a problem with, and to say everyone who used it also thought the same is what makes your article biased. You could not find a soul who liked the device? Wow, I really want to know where you were looking when other reviewers such as the Street.com's Gary Krakow called the Storm 'the best blackberry ever made.' That is a far stretch from you calling it a 'dud'. There are other reviewers out there who also loved the device but no one condemned it as much as you did. Even when you listed it's features you just turned them into cynical negatives at the end.

Another issue was that you stated, 'Furthermore, despite having had more than a year to study the iPhone, R.I.M. has failed to exploit the virtues of an on-screen keyboard.' This indicates that you already had a comparison point, which was the iPhone and when the phone did not measure up you condemned it. The bias here is clearly evident because you approached the phone with the clear idea that they were trying to copy Apple and thus anything less was unacceptable. Rather than looking at the novelty, you looked at the click screen as a negative simply because it was not similar to the iPhone's and thus it was 'work'. If that is how you want to approach products then why did you not utilize the same mindset when reviewing the iPhone? You state:

"The iPhone is revolutionary; it's flawed. It's substance; it's style. It does things no phone has ever done before; it lacks features found even on the most basic phones."
"Making a call can take as many as six steps: wake the phone, unlock its buttons, summon the Home screen, open the Phone program, view the Recent Calls or speed-dial list, and select a name. Call quality is only average. There's no memory-card slot, no chat program, no voice dialing. The browser can't handle Java or Flash. You can't capture video. And you can't send picture messages (called MMS) to other cellphones."

If the phone lacks even the basic functions of other phones, it takes six steps to make a call, the call quality is not great and the 3G on AT&T is nowhere near that of Verizon's, not to mention the dropped call rates, then why was the iPhone not a 'dud'? If it aimed to port over the iPod experience to the phone department and it failed at accomplishing the basic function of a phone well, which is making calls then it should've been a failure, correct? iPod touch should be a success, not the iPhone because it accomplishes what it needs to do, while the iPhone fails to accomplish the basic function of a phone. After years of studying companies like Nokia, Microsoft and RIM why didn't Apple address the most basic function of a phone? Why weren't the dropped calls issues addressed? Why didn't they address the copy and paste, mms and removable battery issues, features that even the basic flip phones are capable of? Why wasn't Apple labelled as trying to copy other devices when it created the iPhone because Windows Mobile devices had on screen qwerty keyboards and full touch screens before the iPhone, Palm centros had touch screens and the LG Prada was the first with the novel idea of an all touch screen phone. However, the iPhone receives the clone pass because it came from Apple? Yes I admit that the UI and user experience is unrivaled. However, that is besides the point because they entered a territory piggy backing off other companies and did not even include simple features that have existed for years.

Yes, calling you a fanboy is a little harsh but you have to understand that your review seems biased no matter how one looks at it, and not only that, it is critically harsh to a level where no other reviewer even reaches. Personal attacks are unwarranted but your harsh criticism was not as well since it was the first touch screen device from a company known for making physical devices and being really good at that. You gave them no leeway and that is why your review appears biased to anyone who reads it.

[sfoalex]

Wow, Likeabite,
I'm the first to call someone a little harsh when they are a little harsh, and a lot harsh when they are truly a lot harsh. You're certainly entitled to your opinion. However, I have to strongly disagree that the review was "critically harsh to a level where no other reviewer even reaches".

I have to agree with a point Mr. Pogue made in response to my own question. And that is as a reviewer, when you see something wrong I have always felt obligated to contact the company and ask questions such as, "Is my experience the intended experience?"

Mr. Pogue asked questions and offered to write about bugs, fixes on the way, and intended user experience. That squarely puts the ball in RIM's court. RIM could have said something like, "We are aware of these issues and are hard at work at resolving them." Or perhaps, "We will have a general firmware update in the next week or two that should address and enhance many of the features and functions you described, Mr. Pogue."

RIM chose not to do those things and it leaves a reviewer with a clear path to base his or her words on that situation as RIM themselves left it. Had I purchased a BlackBerry Storm, found myself in the same situation as Pogue, and had been able to contact someone at RIM and been met with the same incredulity, skepticism, and hubris, from RIM I too would have felt RIM would be telling me that what I see, hold, and review is what you get. It's as if RIM is saying, just enjoy it and shut up.

Any reviewer... Well, any good reviewer has to step into the shoes of the reader who seeks information from his or her words. You have to anticipate the reader. They are looking to a New York Times reviewer to be not just fair, but willing to state something is bad when it is bad. As a former reviewer myself, I was in shock at how often I saw good or average reviews for bad products. Games come to mind. They all seem to get a 7 just for being published. And the good ones are 9.8. But no one is willing to give anyone a 0. We all know a lot of work goes into these things. And I hate to suggest that all that work counts for nothing. But I have to say, it does count for nothing unless it delivers. If I get into an airplane, and I buy a ticket for New York and they get me as far as Chicago, I'd not want to pay anything. Coming from San Francisco, you might argue I got some value. I have further along than I was. But I paid to go to New York. It's a contract. You either fulfill the contact or it's broken.

This is RIM's problem. You see a rather nice television ad. The guy flips the phone landscape and it redraws instantly. He types effortlessly. RIM is saying, isn't this great? You too can be enjoying this phone. Sign up with Verizon and get this phone tonight. It comes with all the great things associated with Verizon. Wow. I think I'll buy one. But wait, let me see what the New York Times has to say about this phone. So now I ask you. What should the times say? Should Mr. Pogue say nice things despite the Storm's problems just because he didn't outright call the iPhone a dud?

You can argue that perhaps he wasn't completely fair with the iPhone review. But the BlackBerry Storm review I am convinced is accurate under the circumstances. If anything, you perhaps have an issue with the lack of harshness given to the iPhone. That's a separate issue. I'd be the first to agree that Apple does indeed get a free ride. I'm not saying this necessarily of David Pogue. I'd have to read what he writes about Apple, and I have no real interest in reading reviews about products I have almost a year of experience with. There is no need for that. But as I have said before, I do hear it so often that problems are overlooked when they are Apple problems. I don't appreciate it any more than you do. It creates an uneven playing field and that's a problem.

Basically, I don't think the Storm review was too harsh after reading Mr. Pogue's response. Perhaps his review of the iPhone wasn't harsh enough. I myself don't use an iPhone any more. Nothing can more clearly state my feelings towards the device that my selling it to someone else. We don't have the same needs as our neighbors. Many just wanted an iPod with a phone in it. That's what they got. For myself, I need a something better than Treo with all the same functionality or more. And I got that in my choice of smart phone. So I'm a winner, but not the only winner. iPhone owners, Treo owners, BlackBerry owners, and even Windows Mobile owner (like me), can all be winners if our needs are met and/or exceeded. Mine certainly are.

Alex Alexzander

[likeabite]

@ sfoalex I have to agree that yes Pogue was right in his critism of the Storm, given RIM's reactions to his inquiries. You illustrated my point though, that even the iPhone, with all of his shortcomings, was not reviewed as critical as the Storm was, which is why I think there was bias and also why I asked Mr. Pogue if he had contacted Apple regarding the issues he had with the iPhone. To call the thing completely appaling in a sense is too critical for me, that is all I am saying, and this is coming from a Windows Mobile user myself.

[SurMac]

Likeabite - thank you for submitting a rational and balanced disection of Pogue's Review. He sounds like a person whose mommy taught him that life provides everything on a platter, which would lead him to think that anything which does not provide instant gratification, but requires some effort and patience on his part is not worth having and is no good (a dud). There were many who reported that the Storm took a little getting used to , then found it just fine.

Pogues review, in my opinion, was scathing and I have trouble believing that it wasn't written in anger, with the power of the NY Times logo in the background. I have no sympathy for RIM which has an arrogance of its own and whose culture of refusing to comment while being scorched on the internet shows an absolute contempt for investors. I wonder if it even crossed Pogue's mind that in these jittery times his destructive article might send numerous RIM investors rushing for the exits, driving down the stock price and thus affecting the portforios of many investors, including retirees.

My advice to Pogue - You could have made your point without being so mean about it.

[sfoalex]

You could leave the man's mother out of it, couldn't you? It's a low blow don't you agree?

Alex

[likeabite]

@ Surmac Thanks and that is exactly what has been happening. In such a fickle economy, a scathing review from such a well known publisher such as the NYTimes can mean the death of a product and I can bet that Mr. Pogue knew this. Even if he did not, he should know that he his read my hundreds, if not thousands of individuals and thus his voice matters. To condemn a product because he felt it was too much work or too unlike the iPhone is unfair and unprofessional, given the outcome. Now RIM has lowered it's forecasts and it's stock has declined due to the Storm not meeting expectations. Reviews like Mr. Pogue's does not help this matter any, and this is coming from someone who is a Windows Mobile user.

[poguenyt]

"In such a fickle economy, a scathing review from such a well known publisher such as the NYTimes can mean the death of a product"

You seem to be suggesting that, in reviewing a product/show/book/restaurant, a critic should consider factors like the economy, how the company's doing, whether he thinks it should be making more profits, etc.

Never. Never, never, never. The ONLY thing a review should do is assess the pros and the cons of the product.

If anything, in this economy, my readers can LESS afford to spend hundreds of dollars on a dog! It's even MORE important to guide them away from the money-wasters. My loyalty is always to the readers--never, ever to the companies.

--Pogue

[poguenyt]

"even the iPhone, with all of his shortcomings, was not reviewed as critical as the Storm was, which is why I think there was bias"

Nope. The iPhone was not reviewed as critically because it wasn't anywhere NEAR as troubled a product as the Storm!

The iPhone's chief problem, the dropped-calls problem, never occurred even once on my test unit. (It later turned out that it was called by AT&T tower congestion, primarily in LA, San Francisco, and NYC.)

The Storm's problems, on the other hand, were present on every single unit shipped. And things like those 3-second delays, crashes, lockups, and freezes are definitely productivity killers. The iPhone's problems were nowhere near that severe.

--Pogue

[tarpanet]

What makes you think the Storm is a second rate iPhone? Have you tried using one? Is the sum total of your experience, reading questionable (in terms of honesty) reviews from the likes of David Pogue, & other journalists? Yes, the Storm had some issues with the shipping firmware, but the latest updates resolved all the issues I had.

What causes you to judge others as losers? If you prefer the iPhone, then you certainly have the freedom to choose it. In my area, I couldn't use an iPhone if I wanted one. AT&T has terrible coverage here. But, aside from that, I think the Storm is a great phone. Anybody who knocks it, simply doesn't know what they're talking about.