Friday, December 19, 2003
Dear Walter...
Posted by Jason Dunn in "ARTICLE" @ 01:50 PM
http://ptech.wsj.com/archive/ptech-20031211.html
Walter S. Mossberg is a technology journalist who's word is practically holy to some people. He published an article last week that was so flippantly biased I'm amazed his editor let him publish it. Being a truly unbiased journalist is nearly impossible, and I certainly don't pretend to be unbiased, but somehow Mossberg and his audience thinks he is. I didn't even know where to begin with writing a rebuttal to Mossberg's column after reading it, but Smartphone Thoughts reader Randall Lewis saved me the trouble. Here's what Randall had to say:"No prizes in this event, but I am curious just how long veteran technology reviewer Walt Mossberg actually used the MPx200 before he wrote the review of this phone and the Samsung 1600 in last Thursday's Wall Street Journal. Walt reviews lots of products and can't spend too much time with each. Besides the WSJ column, he also appears on various television technology programs. I generally like his work and respect his opinions.
But something happened with this review of the two new Microsoft Smartphones. There were two glaring errors concerning the MPx200; items that anyone who has used the phone and read the manual would have known. First, the MPx200 DOES have a speakerphone despite Mossberg's claim to the contrary. The manual clearly describes how to enable it and it should be readily apparent that all those little holes on the front cover must serve some purpose. Cooling?
Mossberg is also critical of AT&T for disabling the task bar at the top of the screen by locking the icons in place. I was annoyed at this at first too, yet it took me less than an hour to discover how to unlock the icons with a simple menu selection.
The Smartphones aren't perfect and Mossberg has many valid points in his review. He clearly favors teeny keyboard style devices which is his right. I wouldn't compare the MPx200 to a Treo 600 like he does, but that's just me.
I wouldn't normally write a review of a review, but this time a respected journalist reviewed one of my favorite gadgets and made two obvious mistakes that he shouldn't have made if he is really spending anytime at all with the products he reviews."
Thanks for your rebuttal Mike! :D
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