__/ [ Timo Pirinen ] on Friday 05 January 2007 17:50 \__
> Larry Qualig wrote:
>
>> Given that Sony is taking a LOSS of about $300 per unit, the slowing
>> PS3 sales is actually saving the company a lot of money. So sure...
>> Microsoft only sold about 3X as many units as Sony (and sold them for a
>> profit and not a loss) so it's actually Roy Schestowitz that gets the
>> consolation prize with his little article.
>>
>>
>> http://news.punchjump.com/article.php?id=3586
>>
>> <quote>
>> Xbox 360 outsells Wii, PS3 in U.S. holiday sales
>> Published: January 3, 2007 9:25 AM PDT
>>
>> In its research data, the Xbox 360 sold 2 million units by Dec. 25. By
>> comparison, it estimates Wii sales at 1.8 million units and PS3 sales
>> at 750,000 units in the same period.
>> </quote>
>
>
> Unfortunately Larry Qualig does not even get a consolation price,
> because the Punchjump article he refers to is based on bogus data.
>
>
<url:http://www.gadgetell.com/2007/01/npd-groups-findings-reported-before-they-exist/>
> "NPD Group?s findings reported before they exist
> ...
> The information was derived from a comment made in an interview by an
> analyst from the marketing firm, IDC, and CNBC?s mis-attribution of a
> sales chart and figures. NPD had provided CNBC with November 2006
> console hardware install base sales figures but no figures for December
> 2006.
> ..."
>
> So XBox beat Wii by some 10 per cent in November when Xbox was available
> all through the month but Wii was just released on what, 19th?
NPD is a Microsoft shill.
See some proof below (the text is largely reused and edited mildly).
On Zune.....
,----[ Quote ]
| 'All in all, that's a pretty good performance,'' said Stephen Baker,
| an analyst with Reston, Va.-based NPD.
| ^^^
`----
http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/business/technology/16263552.htm
Zune does a bit better than expected
,----[ Quote ]
| Despite getting a hammering in the tech press, Microsoft's Zune has
| had respectable sales last month according to data from market
| research firm NPD Group.
| ^^^
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=36443
So, while every publication speaks about these sales as a disaster (see
bottom), NPD seems bullish. Who are these NPD?
Microsoft's Xbox 360 US sales-NPD story withdrawn
^^^
,----[ Quote ]
| The Los Angeles story headlined "Microsoft's Xbox 360 US sales
| top first Xbox--NPD" is withdrawn because the data supporting the
| ^^^
| story may be inaccurate. Reuters is waiting for an update from the
| company. A new story may be issued.
`----
http://yahoo.reuters.com/news/articlehybrid.aspx?storyID=urn:newsml:reuters.com:20061208:MTFH45656_2006-12-08_01-12-52_N07221320&type=comktNews&rpc=44
I recall this one clearly. NPD published Microsoft's overly optimistic
predictions as though they were facts. This appeared in some major sites
before vanishing.
Microsoft Xbox to Join the Battle for Video Downloading
,----[ Quote ]
| Editors' Note: November 10, 2006, Friday An article in Business Day
| on Tuesday described a decision by Microsoft to offer movies and
| episodes of television shows for downloading through its Xbox Live
| online service in the United States.
|
| The article quoted Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle
| Group, discussing the features that set Xbox Live service apart
| and its position in the market.
|
| But the article did not note that Mr. Enderle had Microsoft as a client,
| a fact later pointed out by a reader. Mr. Enderle does consulting work
| for several of Microsoft's product groups, though not for the one
| developing the Xbox; still, had The Times known of Mr. Enderle's work
| for Microsoft, it would not have sought out his opinion on the product.
`----
http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50713F83A5B0C748CDDA80994DE404482
http://tinyurl.com/y3avsv
This is getting interesting...
NY Times bans Microsoft analysts from Microsoft stories
,----[ Quote ]
| The New York Times continues to perplex with its analyst- quoting
| policy. Rather than having analysts declare their ties to clients,
| the paper would prefer to quote analysts that have no experience
| with a client - a protocol which seems to undermine the very point
| of citing analysts.
|
| The Register this week started pushing the Times to explain its
| quoting stance after noticing that Rob Enderle - the most quoted
| technology analyst on the planet - had been blocked from commenting
| on companies with which he has a financial relationship. The ban
| against Enderle appeared odd, given that Times reporters continue
| to cite analysts from larger firms who also have financial
| relationships with the companies discussed.
|
| [...]
|
| Just days after banning Enderle from discussing Microsoft because
| he has Microsoft as a client, the Times quoted Gartner analyst
| Michael Silver and AMR Research analyst Jim Murphy in a story
| about Microsoft's Windows and Office software.
|
| If the paper would prefer not to quote an analyst who has
| experience with a client, it did a poor job. Silver is Gartner's
| vice president in charge of client computing. Microsoft happens to
| do lots of business with Gartner and also happens to have a
| client-software monopoly. We're guessing that Silver knows
| Microsoft's products well and has direct involvement with the
| company.
|
| And, sure enough, he appears a number of times on Microsoft's
| own site and thousands of times in stories about Microsoft.
|
| Jim Murphy - wait for it - covers Microsoft too and is even more
| prolific than Silver.
|
| [...]
|
| Part of the problem stems from the reticence of companies such as
| IDC and Gartner to reveal their clients. That should make everyone
| nervous, but it doesn't. So called objective technology publications
| keep publishing material bought by vendors without telling you this.
| They're also too lazy or scared to ignore the likes of Gartner and
| IDC until the firms change their disclosure rules.
|
| As it turns out, there's a cottage industry devoted to Rob
| Enderle, where Linux zealots fire off this form letter to editors
| whenever Enderle appears talking about Microsoft. Perhaps the Linux
| crowd could put its fabled collective mind toward creating letters
| for all the major analysts. Lord knows, the Times could use
| some help.
`----
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/12/15/nytimes_ms_ban/
Shill season
,----[ Quote ]
| It's often difficult to figure out the motivation behind a particular
| study - until one finds out who has commissioned and paid for it.
| The so-called tech consulting companies would love it if the consumer
| believes that they have conducted an "independent" study. The worrying
| thing is that not many people blow their cover.
`----
http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/8109/1090/
Corporate Propaganda Still On the News: Study Finds Local Stations
Overwhelmingly Fail to Disclose VNRs
,----[ Quote ]
| A new study by the Center for Media and Democracy says Americans are
| still being shown corporate public relations videos disguised as news
| reports on newscasts across the country.
`----
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/11/14/1518200
Microsoft hires InfoWorld hack
,----[ Quote ]
| Of course, Udell is far from being the first journalist to sign on
| for Big Green. In fact, Microsoft UK made a series of hires in
| 1996 from the BBC and elsewhere when it populated its MSN site
| with original news and other content.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=36256
Wrong Yesterday Wrong Today Wrong Tomorrow
,----[ Quote ]
| I just got through watching a segment on the Today Show on NBC
| highlighting the launch of the Microsoft Zune.
|
| First of all, I thought journalists were suppose to reveal their
| affiliations with any product if such an affiliation exists.
| Microsoft owns a stake in NBC ie MSNBC News Network.
|
| [...]
|
| Second, all the side by side product comparisons showed 4th Gen iPods
| with monochrome screens with no song selected or playing, while the
| Zune was playing a video.
|
| [...]
|
| This isn't the first time NBC has misled its morning viewers with
| puff pieces about the Zune.
`----
http://fixyourthinking.com/2006/11/wrong-yesterday-wrong-today-wrong.html
Bill Gates lends cash to buy newspapers
$350 million to MediaNews
,----[ Quote ]
| Gates involvement has been very behind the scenes. In fact many of
| those involved in the deal didn'teven know he was one of the investors.
| It was carried out through the Gates Foundation, the world's largest
| philanthropy outfit.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=33849
Should MSNBC really be "reviewing" (Microsoft's) Gears of War?
,----[ Quote ]
| MSNBC recently reviewed Gears of War, calling it the Xbox 360's first
| killer app.... Nowhere on the page is any indication of the possible
| ethical issue MSNBC is "Microsoft-NBC", and the site is hosted as a
| subdomain of msn.com (a major Microsoft portal). Is this really balanced
| journalism?
`----
http://www.thisisby.us/index.php/content/should_msnbc_really_be__quot_reviewing_quot__gears_of_war_
IDC pronounces Linux unimportant to European economy
,----[ Quote ]
| A recent IDC white paper on the economic impact of Microsoft's super
| soaraway new Vista operating system seems to be lacking one crucial
| ingredient -- other operating systems.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=34542
--
~~ Best wishes for the new year!
Roy S. Schestowitz | Those who can, Open-Source
http://Schestowitz.com | GNU/Linux | PGP-Key: 0x74572E8E
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