The tech press aren't there to make predictions on a devices success or failure IMO. Concentrating on calling it's rise or fall is half the problem. By trying to be right it's easier to say it sucks and almost force failure on a product than to give an honest impression and let consumers decide for themselves.
I probably shouldn't have quoted /. as a source for negative tech press as they've always been negative about everything to almost comic effect as shown by the iPod link posted above
hehe.
taking the Reader as an example Engadget have been reporting for the last few weeks that the reader has been delayed. Clearly not the case and obviously someone somewhere has their wires crossed, but that kind of press doesn't help anyone.
Being burned should never be an issue for a review/news/blog site. How can you be burned if you're honest ?. If a product then goes on to fail then it's at the feet of the manufacturer not the review site. You don't get bad rep for honesty.
It just seems the recipe for writing a successful blog these days is
if it's from a major corp - MS, Sony etc. Then it's bad or a copy of <product X> from <small corp>
if it's from a small upstart - then it'll fail in <intended market>
From anyone not covered by these 2 rules then snide comments and misinformation will suffice.
Rampant fanaticism and ignorance has owned the net.
I was very impressed with the reviews that MR did for the Reader after the visit you guys made to Sony. It was impartial, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the device without the side commentary that's become so popular about root-kits and exploding batteries. I got the information I was after by reading those reviews. That kind of reporting is what I would like to see Engadget and Gizmodo and all those other sites, go back to.