To 2 or not to 2?

[andrewh]

Having just taken out a subscription to your excellent lose leaf journal (Spelling intentional :-(, and having read three issues now, I have a simple question:

Do you Two?

It seems that you never give a score below three for any review. This gives a score range of 60% to 95% (OK, perhaps 100% is possible but I have not yet seen it).

This is a pity. You do not shy away from criticism of devices and systems you review. But when you say that you could not get something to work properly (like write back to tape) and then give a performance figure of 3, I am stunned, verily stunned! I would give a zero, null, naught, not a jot. The thing has proven itself useless!

Another small issue with some of your reviews is that you do not always do what we all should preach before starting: RTFM, read the fascinating manual.

As I have started waffling on I may as well ask another question: Have you considered lobbying readers to give their experiences in installing, using or crashing various products. It might be a nice follow up to review articles and would make better use of the space than to reprint stuff from the bulletin boards.

Ok, done. Thank you for your time in replying and a particular thank you for a really fascinating magazine. I am looking forward to my first subscription issue.

Andrew Hughes
Leefdaal, Belgium

[pcwells]

Andrew,

Valid point. We generally won't review a product unless we think it's worth reviewing, so it tends to have a head start. However, I think the January issue that we're working on just now might surprise you a little (unless the tech support chaps at 3DFX can radically change my mind on a number of issues).

We're not always nice people, you know!

http://www.safety-online-internet.com/host/computervideo/ubb/smile.gif

Peter Wells


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Deputy editor, Computer Video Magazine

[bcrabtree]

It's a valid observation, but not totally true.

July 99 - SOny Vaio 190. Value - 2

May 99 - p 54 - Danmere learning IR control for use with its Backer products - didn't work at all, so had to leave it out of the review. Er, that's less than 2 by my reckoning.

I have to say, though, that I think were could be nastier more often, and you've made me so angry that I definitely will be from now on!!

;)

Bob C

[andrewh]

Bob, Peter,

I am afraid I have not been reading long enough to see your 2('s). However, I look forward to many more in the future :-(

Keep up the good work
Andrew

[Phil Smith]

Does this mean the next issue could be titled, One to One !!

[drsolly]

I just gave a product a 1 for performance.
I very nearly gave it a zero. That's the
Onstream backup tape drive, I think you'll
be seeing the review soon.

I disagree about only reviewing a product
that you think is worth reviewing. If we
can warn the readers off of buying junk
then that's a valuable service.

I, for one, am really fed up with buying
products that don't do important stuff that
the marketing said they did.



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[DVdoctor]

Bob and I were talking about a Hall of Fame and a Hall of Shame. Bob tells me he has been reducing Alans scores for products as being too generous.
Actually I want to see the review that says ZERO only buy this if you are out of your mind.
John