CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM device!
 

CNET has refused to give the Sprint Touch Pro and many other HTC devices the credit they deserve. Some of its members have bad mouthed the TP without justification too. "This phone doesn't have 3g" & "Just another asian joke!!!!!!!!"" - quotes like these make me sick. If they don't even know what EVDO rev A is, then why are they reviewing a SPRINT phone in the first place?

I'm starting this thread, so we can continue spreading the good word about the Sprint Touch Pro without having to worry about being silenced for speaking our minds. Maybe it's just me, but I think it's obvious a thread and its posters that specifically support a certain device should be able to peacefully remain in that phone's forum. People that have the Touch Pro and feel that it's an improvement over their previous devices may find this thread refreshing and are welcome to stay and show support. If you don't have the Pro and you hate it, then why are you in the Touch Pro forum to begin with, especially this TP support thread?

Although my previous thread was successful in adding 50 positive reviews for the Sprint Touch Pro to CNET in just one day, it had to be moved to a less viewed forum due to a couple complaints by bitter non-TP users that felt the need to roam the Touch Pro forum and cause trouble (where it was originally posted). Apparently, I mentioned a *certain* phone too many times to get my point across about the negative reviews that the Touch Pro was getting, by both CNET and its users, and they were offended. Why we can't show support for our phones and express our dissatifcation with irrational reviewers in our own device's forum without being reported is beyond me...

I won't name the Phone that I was referring to the last time around, but I clearly stated several times that I thought it was a solid phone and that my beef isn't with the phone itself or with friendly users of it - it was always about balancing the reviews that were skewed by obnoxious reviewers. I also requested a couple times in the main post that posters remain clean and tasteful in their responses and I ask the same here. We can show support for our phones without "bashing" others - that way the sensitive ones won't feel the need to report us.

I only ask two simple things from my fellow Touch Pro adopters:

1) Go here: http://reviews.cnet.com/smartphones/....html?tag=rnav and rate the Touch Pro to show support and prove CNET & the unruly members that they were/are wrong.

2) Post in here, but try to refrain from insulting anyone since we seem to have some sensitive people roaming around. Also, Try to keep your posts about why you think CNET doesn't give the TP credit and why you believe they should.

In my opinion, the Touch Pro's rating should match the leading phones of their respective operating systems. Those phones rule their world, these current gen phones rule ours. This is one of the best phones that's available in the WM based device category (especially sprint), so it should get more credit. I'm sure many of you agree because I've already seen the outcry of support we've given on CNET the first time around. Lets continue this support with class and show them a thing or two and keep this thread in the proper forum - where we touch pro users reside.

If you know any other major sites that you feel have been unfair towards the TP, feel free to post the link so those that choose to can show support there too. As adopters of phones that aren't as popular as some others on the market, we have a responsibility to pass the proper word on. The higher the demand there is for our devices, the better they will get and the greater the selection we'll have in the future. Who knows... if demand was higher for HTC devices, maybe we'd be sitting with a CDMA Touch HD right now.

If we've sucked all the support out that we can in that one day, then this post will just fall gracefully; but I hope there's still more of you out there. Thank you.

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

hibby already made a thread like this

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

no that was him not me its like a double post???? whyd u make another log?

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

the haters that don't even own a touch pro reported me for mentioning their phone too many times, so they moved my thread to somewhere that was worthless...
Now i'm following the moderator's rules with a new post.. please read it.. we did great work with the last one before it was ruined by haters, if people don't agree it'll just disappear anyway. I just want to show the most support we can for our phones, i don't see anything wrong with that.

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

Nice post. Thanks.

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

and wow what a coincidence, the additional positive reviews on cnet continue now... go ppcgeeks members, go

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

Heh, I'll prolly go write a review just for something to do, but I don't care what they say. And I don't care if their review turns noobs away, the people who will get the most out of the phone wouldn't take the cnet review with much stock.

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

I don't see where cnet lied about the phone at all, no claims of no 3G, etc. It seems like just the user reviewers.

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

that's what i was always talking about, but the haters from before weren't even listening. if they actually went there and saw what i was talking about, then maybe they wouldn't accused me of things i didn't do.
CNET reviewed it 3 & a half for whatever reason and with the last 50 reviews we obviously don't agree. Before the thread that caused our ratings to dominate the user reviews, there were people giving it a really poor rating for no reason... i just wanted to saturate the reviews with real touch pro users, so reviews wouldn't stay skewed and skew even more in the future.
thanks.

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

Also, I vote we report all the half star and 1 star reviews to cnet. If enough of us report the unfair reviews, they should do something about it. So, click the yellow ! icon on the bad reviews and report them!

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

I don't know why they bashing the touch pro!?!? Its the best pda phone I EVER own! Don't have any problems out of it what so ever! Sad to see ppl bashing the touch pro :( but by far its the best phone out right now :headbang:

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

good idea, done and done.
i wanted to contact bonnie cha and ask her why they couldn't give an extra half star for the improvements the tp made over its predecessors, but she's probably untouchable lol.

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

I went through and reported all the crappy reviews, stating what was unfair and incorrect in them, and posted my own review. I got an out of office autoreply from Daniel Hobbs at CBS after reporting, so I wrote him a reply telling him how unfair these reviews are, so maybe he will write me back on the reviews.

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

my favorite was the guy who listed design as a con and a pro lol i had to have a little fun when i sent cnet the message: "half a star? zach morris' cell phone from saved by the bell doesn't even deserve half a star! Why is this person complaining about thickness because of the keyboard when he could have just purchased the diamond? doesn't sound like a sprint customer to me.. either that or it's his own fault. On top of that, he put design as a pro and design as a con! Kinda silly and hard to take seriously."
http://www.kaynehosting.com/%7Elondo.../2007/01/l.jpg

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

Posted my review. Ticks me off the iPhone converts out there. I went to ALL the vendors and tested their phones for about 6 weeks before settling on HTC Touch Pro. the iPhone sure is pretty but awkward as hell to use. Even my buddy who has it can't manage the manage the onscreen keyboard. Windows Live is better for mapping than Google - that comes with the iPhone. Looking for the cheapest gas is an awesome feature with Windows Live.

I think the Instinct is more of a fair comparison to the iPhone - but a PPC is FAR more customizable. More apps, more tweaks available.

Hey, that's the reason I switched to PC over Mac so long ago. Damn sad Mac used to irritate the hell out of me. Couldn't go fix it yourself - just put the magical CD in and have it fix itself on it's own. That used to scare me, too.

Regarding Vista being buggy - what the hell? Why? Because it was a learning curve for some folks? I didn't suffer anything super freaky-deaky about my Vista boxes. Hell, Ultimate beats the pants off the previous Media Center. XP MCE had more bugs than a brazilian rain forest but the Vista version is unbelievably stable.

Oh well - venting.

Just ticks me off because Mac people act like they have no problems whatsoever. I still see sad Macs. Hahaha.

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

Don't much care for Bonnie Cha's reviews. After doing more research, I found her very biased and her reviews are kinda fluffy. Can't think of the place I went to, but it was more like a Tom's Hardware place for phones. One gal totally went to great depths to test phones. She lived with them and abused them. Now a person who does that, you're gonna get a review.

I think Cha is more like those funky food critics who get so spoiled with awesome food that they end up losing their taste buds and start thinking a dessert of ice cream with a balsamic vinegar glaze is just a special treat. At that point, it's time to step back and clear your palate.

I think Cha needs to do this - step back. I also think she is probably reviewing for a special audience and we aren't that target audience. I only use CNET as a jumping off point, but for serious reviews, it's places like PPCGEEKS you need to go - and see how many REAL users are complaining. Did the same thing with my Lenovo T61. Still pretty partial to my Thinkpads....Poor thing gets abused by a 2 year old standing on the keyboard daily and still works wonderfully.... :-)

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

Don't forget there are people who are paid to go write poor reviews and falsehoods about companies and products.

It's usually the same person writing 4 or 5 reviews as well. Always look for similarities and such.
I really wish I could review products for a company. I live in a unique area where signals don't reach very well even VZW does not reach this are worth a dam.
I'm posting my review over there.
Under a different name. Somebody went around and scrounged up my user name. =\

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

Yeah, I would like to review products. I am hard on my stuff. Try to go the limits of something. But then, my target audience wouldn't be mainstream America. Actually, I don't know who would read my reviews....seems no one really read my reports in corporate America anyway.

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

Wow this is hilarious. It was CNET that gave such a good review of the Instinct. They have no idea what they are talking about.

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

Got my Mom the Instinct and it is a GREAT phone - but for my mother. For me, I would constantly be thinking of ways to tweak it. :-)

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

Sweeeet, we broke the 100 mark on CNET ratings. I bet they've never had so many reviews pour in on one device in such a short amount of time.

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

Ah CNET, the epitome of fair and balanced journalism admitting that they really are unfair and biased... http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-10094835-17.html

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

So incredibly true. *sigh* lol

I love reading tech product reviews... and I love writing them too. I just don't care if anyone reads them or not.

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

plus 1 to both of you

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

I think lots of those biased reviews are part of the culture nowadays. The iPhone is still considered in the mainstream as the end all be all device. The iPhone was dubbed "the jesusphone." I happen to own an iPod touch and I can see where the attraction lies. It is a fun device. That is the inherent problem, when the fun masks the propriety, the price, the propriety, and oh...did I mention the propriety? Functionality the iPhone will eventually catch up...and they make those apps practically idiot proof!! So now in comes CNET...calling idiot proof (USER FRIENDLY)...meaning anyone can operate one. Of course they're going to be biased toward that d**n thing!!

Now, every high end hand held device (we'll even include the Instinct) are all compared to the iPhone by CNET, simply because they have an infatuation with the stupid thing. At the same time, they'll allow those apple fanboys and fanboyettes to make those F-ed up reviews EVEN WHEN THEY DON'T EVEN OWN THE DEVICE. So, we have this issue now on TP's receiving 1 star or half star reviews.

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

Well all we need to do is concentrate on the htc reviews and maybe they'll get the hint, especially if we flag the completely fake ones like someone mentioned earlier.
i just don't see why they can't rate our phones with more than 3.5 stars. even if it's not the phone for them, they have to know about its functionality.

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

I don't get it.
Does it REALLY matter that much what CNET or other users rate the phone?

I read CNET's review. I didn't see that much wrong with it. I also read some of the user reviews... there are some that were definitely too harsh with it ... but plenty others (probably from here) that were definitely too over enthusiastic with it. It's called an OPINION. Whether we agree with them or not... it's still an opinion. It's NOT an issue of fairness.

Besides, does it really matter that much that we have to "PROVE" something to the CNET editors?

Just enjoy the phone and DON'T WORRY what other people think.

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

Yes, it DOES matter.

CNET is, for better or worse, a trusted technology site that millions of people look to for tech news, reviews, and analysis. When you can't trust the reviews to be fair and honest and instead are highly opinionated, then why should they get away with that? If you scroll up a few posts, I linked to an actual CNET article that confirms, yeah, they're biased.

News sites used to adhere to a standard of professionalism and reported facts objectively, not subjectively. It should STILL be that way. I don't care that people have different opinions, but I do care that those opinions are educated versus biased.

So why does that matter? Simple. When everybody thinks that everything Apple or Company X produces is a rose, there is no accountability for that company. Apple could release a product called iPoop and it would literally be a piece of dog feces wrapped in an aluminum case, and people will still buy it as if it's their last meal.

Biased reporting also has a nasty economic consequence. When people are flocking to one product religiously, the prices of that product go up with the demand, good old econ 101. Well, when the competition isn't able to sell as many due to the bias against their products, so they also have no motivation to lower cost (they have to recoup their losses somehow), so they sell a good product at a high price and wonder why they're not selling.

The current posted staff review is now quite favorable, but only because the article has been revised to be more objective. This is the desired result. Now people can read the article and know some factual information about the device and make an informed decision about buying it.

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

I put in my two cents worth!

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

i totally agree that at this point its silly and futile. so what the Pro got 3.5 stars and the iphone got 4. the BB Bold got 4 stars too, so are they BB fanboys now too? What about all the other WM devices that only got 3.5? 1/2 a star, in a totally subjective scoring be it, on cnet and people are blowing a nut like this is the end of WM as we know it. Who cares? Are you going to go to every single tech website and write positive reviews or are you going to get off the computer live your life and actually enjoy your device purchase? Honestly its silly and futile and wont stop people from making a choice in phone that they want

This wont swing economic stature either thats a silly response too and you know it. Its cnet, its not the majority of people or the major source of information. TV commercials are still the number ONE source of false advertising for electronic devices to sway a customer. If Cnet accounted for .01% of swing decisions by customers id be shocked it was so high

People will buy what they want based on their needs, and a very small percent of wireless consumers read cnet, and fewer base their purchase off of the reviews or user reviews.

If you want to email cnet and point out there errors thats one thing, but to play a childish game of who can post more positive user reviews is immature and playing right into that immature iphone group you people keep pointing out how rediculous they are. youre acting EXACTLY the same now responding to it.

REALLY? Fox News and Republican ring a bell? So what is "trusted" then? Every news source is entitled to their opinion no matter what it is- First Amendment. Simply deal with it and hope that people are the educated ones to know the difference, if theyre not there nothing you can personally do.


as i said above total BS, the iphone has cause other device prices to FALL to match and be competitive- BB Storm, Instinct, etc all prices at 199 to match up against iphone 3g. PPC's are NEVER and have never been priced cheap to the avg consumer, totally different target audience and pricing scheme



P.S i hope you actually got mods permission to make the exact same thread again and didnt undercut a mod's decision to move it to go and make a new one.

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

OK this is just my opinion.. (ha ha)

but it seems like some are a bit too attached to their Touch Pro. They can't stand when someone doesn't like it as much as they do. Or another phone gets more attention.

Honestly, it's a good smartphone... but it's still JUST a phone. Who cares what CNET says. There really are more important things in life than to go on crusade against CNET simply because you don't like their review. It really does seem a bit silly.

Disclaimer: I'm close to getting a Touch Pro myself but actually CNET's review totally convinced me not to..!

(Just kidding, I'm still getting one, and I read CNET's review a while back...)

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

Amen to that, brother.

Although I have plenty to say about naughty Corporate America, numbers don't lie....and if Apple was so awesome, more companies would be all Mac. Why, even schools don't have Macs anymore.

Now, believe me, I want NOTHING to ever happen to Apple because frankly, competition is a great thing - keep Microsoft on it's toes.....

Fair enough, Apple and Novell both had great ideas, but despite marketablity on Microsoft's side, there a a TON more apps that can tie into Microsoft computers.

Now, that being said, there's room for it all...as there are near 7 billion people on this planet.

For me, flexibility and tweaking and toying with something that really turns me on. Can't really do that with an iPhone. It's an all or nothing deal. Nothing a-la-cart....which is what is sooo appealing about Microsoft based stuff.

But, it takes a more advanced user, too.

So, I sound like a linux user, huh? Hahaha. Well, the cool thing about Microsoft is you *DO* have fairly decent supportablity, too :-).

Ok, I am off my soap box - 7 billion users - to each his own - but yeah, I think reviews oughtta balanced....reviewers oughtta announce their biases and audience before giving a review.....

Then again, CNET has turned into fluffy central.

Have to dig a little more for real reviews.

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

Man, It's not really all about cnet or even the actual phone for me. It's about people giving the TP a bad rating that have never used it. Some of the reviews I read stated....duh, uh, duh, it doesn't have 3G! Well, if they actually saw, used, and read up on the fact, they woulda realized that EVDO REV.A is a step up from 3G. But they didn't do their homework so it's ok for them to give the TP a bad rating? I could really careless about the stupid ratings or even the review of the phone itself. I like my TP and that's that. But it is the principle of it all plus it was fun bashing apple fanboys. If you bought a new car that you saved for for years for and love it, then you take it to a car show and people bash it saying...I "heard" it drives like crap! or I started it up before and it didn't "sound" fast enough for me, yadda yadda, and gave your car a bad review, wouldn't you try to defend it?? Or would you cower to the will of the people? Positive attitudes = Positive results.

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

Can't believe everyone is getting so worked up over a CNET review which you may agree or disagree with...

And another interesting thing that ALMOST always seems to happen. Apple and the iphone always seems to get included in the discussion. I think we have serious insecurities when it comes to the iphone. We get really bent out of shape when the iphone gets a good review or when it gets more attention.

Simply put, get the phone that you like the best and just be content with that. If you love the Touch Pro... Great! BE HAPPY and don't get so bent out of shape what others say about it.... or what the iphone does or doesn't do.

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

Why care then, if they want to go on CNET and express their displeasure for the review then they have every right to do that. We already went down the iPhone path once with this, I'm not doing it again

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

Yeah, I laughed about that, too. Hahahaha, when I got out of the T-Mobile contract, it was gonna either be Verizon or Sprint just for that. Both work well here....if only for a moment I thought about rollover minutes or that I have a lot of friends on ATT....but man, that EVDO is just awesome. And the unlimited plan with Sprint - tasty.

Heh, I convinced my Dad to get one (have to train him on it) and my brother! Bunch of rednecks using these fancy phones... Watch out!

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

Ok, maybre I am wrong, but what most people are having issue with is that CNET is *SUPPOSED* to be like a Consumer Reports for folks. And it's not. I would TOTALLY be cool if the editors just said "It's my opinion that the phone sucks." Instead, they insinuate they are masters of the universe and that they can be trusted advisors. They aren't.

I shudder at how many times non-technical folks have asked me for an opinion on something they read was totally awesome on CNET and it is totally junk.

I have had to tell people they are banished from going there.....and begged them to find places like this forum. Go to the source, man. Go talk to people who actually have a working knowledge about the dang thang.

So, maybe we need to educate people to become better reseachers and leave CNET to it's own propaganda machine.

To be honest, I only go there to see what they slam and then buy it. Haha.

It's like the buddy you have who recommends certain restaurants....ones you know to avoid. Hahaha.

Yeah, I also think some Apple people are all about the underdog. And, well, I admire them. But little do they know Apple is just as bad. It's big business. Sheesh, there's no real underdogs out there in big business :-).

Linux, maybe for a time....

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

We're just being supportive of our phones. We want the word to spread because we don't believe in some of the uncalled for user reviews or CNET'S review. It's fine if some of you don't think it's worth it.

Just like we rely on review threads on here to help make our decisions on whether to buy a phone or not, A LOT of people only go to sites like CNET to help make their choices - scary, i know.


*STOP BEING ARGUMENTATIVE WITH OTHER USERS* - PC

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

Amen to that. Yep. These threads are invaluable.

I do think that X had a point about educated people making their own decisions, though.

But I also get a little upset because CNET doesn't really give me the stuff I need in comparisons. I used to love Tom's Hardware and how they would do benchmark tests on stuff and post their results. Those were facts. Ahhh, if only CNET could do something like that.

A little unfair to say people are insecure about the iPhone. I think most people are reacting to the age old fight of Apple versus Microsoft.

Everytime Microsoft releases something, it's slammed. Vista, XP, Windows 98 and 95 have ALL been slammed. Never hear that about Apple's operating systems. EVER.

But, the basic numbers say Microsoft has the market share. Period. Personally, if I were Microsoft, I wouldn't care because I got the $$$....so Apple can be the unsung hero.

Maybe it's for the same reason people in ther rest of the world hate the USA? Dunno.

But, being positive is a good thing. All sides have valid points.

And fairness just doesn't exist.

So, that is my last post here. No need to beat a dead horse.

Re: CNET ratings of the Touch Pro, unfair? Lets show support for our favorite WM devi
 

There is a difference between being supportive of the phone... and say a bit overboard... calling on people to go over to CNET and deliberately write 100% positive user reviews to somehow negate the other reviews and even CNET's own review..

OK... I guess I'm in the minority but this whole thread just strikes me as being very insecure. Does it really matter that much to you?

I'd much rather spend my time tweaking my phone than going over to CNET and trying to argue with the editor over a bad review (and if you read it... it's NOT that bad of a review. Yeah there are a few mistakes but it's fine.)

As for affecting sales... nonsense. The main reason I'm not currently a Touch Pro user is because every place sells out so fast.