“The journalism community in general—and tech journalists in particular—discourage free enterprise and real competition. They are the worst kind of bandwagon-hoppers and hero-worshippers. No wonder the public does not think highly of the profession,” John C. Dvorak writes for PC Magazine.
“This thought is triggered by the ridiculous over-coverage of the Apple iPhone in a market full of new phones that get zero coverage from these same people,” Dvorak writes.
MacDailyNews Take: Because the iPhone is a new kind of mobile computer masquerading as a phone and not cellphone, John. Because Steve Jobs changes the tech world with startling regularity, shifting paradigms like no one else ever has: Apple I, Apple II, Macintosh, NeXT Computer, Pixar, iMac, Mac OS X, iPod, iTunes, iTunes Store, iPhone, App Store… That’s why real tech journalists cover Steve Jobs so thoroughly, John.
Dvorak continues, “While a lot of this can be blamed on the fact that Neonode and Helio don’t have the same buzz machine Apple has working for it, that should be beside the point. I say this because all of the hotshot big-market journalists—especially the ones working for large-circulation daily newspapers—brag about how they are not influenced by PR people and they like to do everything themselves. Meanwhile, they all flock to PR-driven Apple. Which of these jokers has written anything in detail about the Samsung iPhone lookalike?”
MacDailyNews Take: Careful, John, that was a bit too transparent. It might actually qualify as satire.
Dvorak continues, “I often wonder whether there would be any line at all if the media wasn’t glorifying these dummies in the first place. You already know the answer.”
MacDailyNews Take: The real answer would surprise you, John. There would be a line. Because Apple innovates and creates quality products that people desire to own and use. You have far too high an opinion of the media, John. Probably because you’re part of the mainstream media and your overinflated ego is dwarfed by nothing, not even that which is not at all concealed by your garish Hawaiian shirts. You’re not a genius, John. You’re a clown.
Nobody with at least half a brain cares a whit about what you write or think, John. You have no power. You couldn’t create a line for something if you tried. God knows, you can dispel one, though; all you have to do is show up. Fewer beans, John. Fewer beans.
Steve Jobs’ tombstone won’t physically be able to adequately convey all of his accomplishments. What will your tombstone read, John? “Here lies a bloated hit whore who baited Web surfers with petty, snide, jealous remarks about vastly superior people and products. In a sad irony, his words rang completely hollow because he did not even believe what he wrote himself, using his words instead to entice clicks from an ubiquitous device that he could not even foresee as useful. His most famous quote: The Macintosh uses an experimental pointing device called a mouse. There is no evidence that people want to use these things. – 1984″
John Dvorak admits to baiting Mac users for hits:
Direct link via YouTube here.
Full article, containing absolutely nothing of value as usual, Think Before You Click™, here.
That’s OK John, we think you’ve been getting more coverage than you deserve for years.
(Guess he needs page hits)
Pointless to comment. We all know Dvorak is an idiot
More Dvorak swill masquerading as thought?
Not Want!!
Why even give him the time of day, the putz
He writes solely for the response, “Yawn”, next……
Dvorak and Krakow should start a LooserMe club.
I was at the local Apple Store here in Louisville, Kentucky, yesterday and there was a line from the back of the store all the way out to the entrance, and there was NO media coverage whatsoever. And it was 5 days after the intro day, when I figured I could just walk in and buy an iPhone. I was wrong!
You know, what’s needed is some kind of redirect system or mirroring system for this kind of trash (and Thurrott and Enderle), so that I can look at what was written without added to their trolling for hits behavior.
Might be a good service for MDN to set up.
Here lies a bloated hit whore who baited Web surfers with petty, snide, jealous remarks about vastly superior people and products. In a sad irony, his words rang completely hollow because he did not even believe what he wrote himself, using his words instead to entice clicks from an ubiquitous device that he could not even foresee as useful.
Fsck me with a rusty knife. It’d be less painful than having to read MDN’s Take again.
Right on Macromancer.
The iPhone may have more than its fair share of coverage, but JD has had several years of people paying too much attention to him.
I for one am not paying attention to anything he says. I can get far for informed tech commentary from much better sources thank you.
Isn’t he Mr. Ironic.
Hmmm… I think I’ll do ANOTHER story about the iPhone, but the twist to this story is – drum roll —– It’s about too many stories about the iPhone.
Done.
No wonder I don’t ever read his “articles”.
Remember those little robots in the Helio commercials of old? They frightened me.
@John C. Dvorak
Gross. I hope you’ve had your tetanus shots.
M$ is a PR machine. They’ve had legions of committed media people dedicated to following their every move for decades. Why not pick on them John?
Magic Word: “modern”, as in “I use the most modern OS available: OSX.”
Helio won Dancing with the Stars last year, right?
And, let’s lay off the “garish Hawaiian shirts”. Remember, John Lasseter and I’ve seen Phil Schiller wearing them too!
Dvorak has paid the price for his rabid, unobjective bias. He has made himself an irrelevant annoyance that even Microsoft fans disregard with an eye roll.
So now Dvorak is going to write stories about other people’s stories? Or is he going to completely change his journalistic training and only write about things which are NOT news, like a new Samsung phone?
One of the easiest ways to get attention is to scream out that somebody’s getting something they don’t deserve. I guess that would be Dvorak, because he doesn’t deserve the attention he’s getting on MDN or anywhere else.
I can’t believe I just wasted 2 min. talking about him.
I know JCD is a baiter, but in this world where truth is hidden amongst the fanboys and anti-fanboys his cynicism is refreshing.
I love the vidcast Craky Geeks since the presenters challenge John’s views and John either sticks to his guns, despite the opposition, or as often has to admit he was wrong. He doesn’t go with the crowd, so he is entertaining, just like Zune Tang…
I actually agree with him and I am love Apple and my iPhone. Some coverage has been good, but mostly its just journalists following like sheep. On launch day the iPhone became the top story for a period of time on CNN. With all the things going on around the world the release of a phone (yes an amazing one) should not have made number one news on CNN.
Slightly harsh on the take, MDN–if we’re talking legacies here, you yourself don’t even throw a name on your opinions, many of which feature unprofessional ad hominem attacks that surely entertain, but hold no logical substance, just like Mr. Dvorak’s columns.
On second thought, oh, silly me! I’m make the secondary mistake (on top of attacking the anonymous MDN powers that be) of taking performance to be reality! The Ann Coulter strategy–you and John both employ it! I’m just not in on nit…
Dvorak does have a point about bandwagons.
He may be wrong often, but this time he is absolutely right.
This guy has become the biggest non-factor in tech journalism. Why does MDN even bother reporting what this douche-bag has to say?
There’s nothing to see here, move along…
MDN is an irrelevance
“This thought is triggered by the ridiculous over-coverage of the Apple iPhone in a market full of new phones that get zero coverage from these same people …”
What a ridiculous statement (and a ridiculous article for that matter). Maybe the other phones being loosed on the public don’t have anything worth covering. Maybe they aren’t aesthetically pleasing. Maybe they don’t offer any new interface. Maybe they don’t bring the fastidiousness that are coupled with Apple products; the sheer perfection and dedication to detail. Maybe people only care about revolutionary products. Products that are a cut above the rest. Products that entrance and delight. Products that tickle a consumer in just that right way.
I am sick of pundits trying to pull the rug out from under Apple. Apple has reached where it is by designing word-class products that outperform their competitors. They certainly don’t innovate as much as perfect. But that is their niche. And they deserve accolades. Unlike competitors that either have a tenuous monopoly, or have risen to the top through anti-competitive behaviour, Apple made rose to their respected level through dedication and a meticulous nature.
Moreover, if we adopt Dvorak’s skewed way of thinking, then that would mean no product, not any, no matter if it cured cancer, vacuumed your house, gave you free beer, or turned your relationship around for the better, would get any more press than the dancing banana that sits on your desk. Sometimes products deserve their legions of fans…
“”The journalism community in general—and tech journalists in particular—discourage free enterprise and real competition. They are the worst kind of bandwagon-hoppers and hero-worshippers. No wonder the public does not think highly of the profession,” John C. Dvorak writes for PC Magazine.”
Except that Dvorak uses the Apple PR machine (even though he makes negative comments) to get hits for his sight which:
1) Makes him the WORST kind of bandwagon hopper
2) Makes the public not think highly of the profession
3) Makes him simply appear as a big, loudmouthed idiot
I have actually seen him make statements that are logical.
It makes me doubt my own sanity when he does.
Is that windbag still around?
This from a guy whose profession is earmarked by countless flattering articles on software and hardware that never actually existed for the benefit of a certain software behemoth. Anyone own a Surface yet?
The sad irony is that this is sad irony: the tech press fell all over themselves to herald the future arrival of Windows 7 so as to pretend the Vista debacle never happened.
I personally like Dvorak. I always click on MDN links that report on him. He’s blunt and straight forward. At least he’s honest enough to admit that he baits Mac users.
For those on this forum that are putting Dvorak down as an idiot, how can you say this. The guy lives and breathes technology. He’s been doing so his entire career. You may not agree with Dvorak, but he’s entitled to his opinion and I personally tend to almost always agree with him (maybe I’m an idiot too
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I like when he is a guest on TWIT. He’s always a grouch. He’s not easily impressed. I think he makes the show a lot of fun.
He’s correct about the over coverage of the iPhone. I’m sure there are other great phones that don’t get any coverage. Even if they are covered, they are always compared to the iPhone.
Why does MDN or any other site pay attention to Dvorak? don’t you know he does that in other to catch attention because he is so stupid that he does not know other way to do that.
He’s just trolling for hits again. Nothing else to see here.
Ya know, after “The New World Symphony” he never did much worthwhile – this proves it – damn – fishing for hits.
While the 3G iPhone launch should get some coverage-I to am tired of it being the sole focus of many podcasts/news sites.
Isn’t anyone else doing anything interesting?
No-then the rest of you tech companies need to get off your asses and show some effort.
Best. MDN. Take. EVER!
Dvorak wouldn’t know journalism if it was the Titanic and fell on him.
The iPhone gets the coverage because it’s the future right there in your hands. The Samsung “lookalike” didn’t get as much covereage for the same reason Sanjaya didn’t get the coverage that Dughtry gets. One’s a pretender in drag, the other’s a hard core rock and roller. (Well, okay, only when comparing the two.)
I’m upset at the coverage Dvorak gets.
“Which of these jokers has written anything in detail about the Samsung iPhone lookalike?”
Right, they should review the photocopies beside the original. Aside from comparing the features, they should compare the OS and ease of integration, such as the fact that iPod owners can sync their iPhone to the same software. Excellent.
OK, get this then if you want a great example of iPhone ignored syndrome… The BBC online news site has YET TO MENTION AT ALL the iPhone launch, 1m sold and 10m downloads of the App store. The only mention they have given to the new iPhone is of the download problems on Friday…!
Complain away if you pay a BBC license fee like I do – and begrudge every penny of it.
As I’ve said before, Dvorak is a noob. Back in 1984 or 1985, he wrote in Infoworld that there was no need for the WIMP interface (Windows, Icons, Mouse, Pull-down menus) and there was no evidence it made anyone more efficient. He wrote about how he had become so proficient using DOS. Really, he was expert in the command-line interface and was simply disappointed that this new technology would level the playing field and erode his “expertise.”
DVORAK’S WRITINGS ON COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY ARE ABSURD. IGNORE HIM FOR GOD’S SAKE. THE ONLY REASON HE’S STILL EMPLOYED AS A WRITER IS HE KEEPS WRITING TRIPE THAT 1) PEOPLE READ, SO 2) ADVERTISERS BY AD SPACE.
The headline should be changed to read “Pompous windbag bemoans lack of coverage of pompous windbags”
The only time I hear anything about this guy is on MDN. He actually gets paid to write? Does he have a day job?
Covers over-coverage with more coverage?
Am I crazy?
Dolt.
In my mind’s eye I still Dvorak on the last page of MacUser back in the day (or was it MacWorld). He was kinda cute back then, and in his own ugly way, he’s still kinda cute.
And no, I’m not gay – Usually.
John wrote in March 2007:
“Apple should pull the plug on the iPhone” — http://www.applegazette.com/on-the-web/dvorack-thinks-apple-should-dump-the-iphone-before-its-too-late/
He is a ding dong. Why bother with this nut job!!
John C. Dvorak and dvorak.com/blog both rock!!
Not surprised at all to see MDN hooked and reeled in yet again.
John C. Dvorak, whose crankiness knows no bounds, is a contributing editor of PC Magazine, for which he has been writing two columns, including the popular Inside Track, since 1986.
The consistently irritated Dvorak has won eight national awards from the Computer Press Association, including Best Columnist and Best Column.
Dvorak is also a weekly columnist for Dow-Jones Marketwatch, Info! (Brazil) and BUG Magazine (Croatia). He was previously a columnist for Forbes, Forbes Digital, PC World, MacUser, PC/Computing, Barrons, Smart Business and other magazines and newspapers and is a former editor and consulting editor for Infoworld. Dvorak’s writing has also appeared in the New York Times, LA Times, SF Examiner, Vancouver Sun. He was on the start-up team for CNet TV and for ZDTV. At ZDTV (and TechTV), Dvorak was host of the show Silicon Spin for four years and did 1,000 live and live-to-tape TV shows. He was on public radio for 8 years and wrote over 4,000 articles and columns, and authored or co-authored 14 books.
Dvorak is the 2004 Award winner of the American Business Editors Association’s national gold award for best online column of 2003. That was followed up by an unprecedented second national gold award from the ABEA in 2005, again for the best online column (for 2004).
————–
Those of you complaining about Dvorak, please post your credentials and awards.
Bandit Bill,
He’s still an asshole no matter what his credentials.
So are you his press agent, or just an admirer?
Bandit Bill, brush your teeth. Your breath smells like Dvorak’s ass.
Dvorak is great. He’s way better at the baiting game than MDN.
He’s a fun read and often has some pretty insightful things to say and probably has more integrity than MDN.
Just a Dvorak fan. I agree he’s a cranky ass. He presses people’s buttons. That’s what I like about him.
I wouldn’t take him too serious. He admits in the clip above that he likes to cause controversy.
There is nothing wrong with getting hits/reads. Dvorak does a good job of this. You don’t have to like him, but I think he deserves a degree of respect.
Just my opinion. If you didn’t find Dvoraks comments somewhat interesting you likely wouldn’t have read this article. Some people love to hate the guy
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Dvorak… sounds like a good brand name for a sleeping pill.
@Don
“Bandit Bill, brush your teeth. Your breath smells like Dvorak’s ass.”
How do you know what Dvorak’s ass smells like? BTW quit smelling my breath, you sicko.
Bandit Bill,
Don’t tell anyone, but I’ve subscribed to PC Magazine for a number of years. I always read his columns. I tried to watch Cranky Geeks at the beginning, but I can’t take him for very long on video. Maybe I’ll give it another try. I’m a masochist.
I think he’s right about the mouse. I have been mouse free for 20 months now since I bought my MBP! It just took him a long time to get it right.
Dvorak is great. Didn’t he invent some keyboard?
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It’s ironic that the MDN response would call someone’s credibility in question while at the same time calling him names, criticizing his clothing, and, unbelievably, breaking out fart jokes. Seriously, this is just sad and is the typical response to any article written anywhere that does not sing the praises of Apple. Unfortunately, the hosts are doing the exact same hit whoring that they accuse Dvorak of with this kind of response in an effort to excite the fanbois.
MDN, hurts, not helps, people’s perception of Apple as it just reinforces the zealot stereotype.
here is my disclaimer before i go on. i love apple products. i will never buy a pc/ windows based machine as long as i shall live. i’ve worked on windows so i have an opinion that os x is by far better. i love the design aspect of all apple products. i love the things work. it’s all logical. but here is my problem that unfortunately is associated with apple. people that over glorify the company.
i understand steve jobs is an intelligent man, but seriously… he’s not the whole corporation. he did not single-handedly invent everything. i just get really annoyed with everyone saying steve jobs is apple. i totally agree he is a major part. but not the whole kit and kaboodle. give the rest of the team credit they deserve.
“Those of you complaining about Dvorak, please post your credentials and awards.”
take his IQ, multiply by 3. still less than mine.
anything else?
There are millions of people who want to buy iPhones now. They can’t possibly all buy them at the same time. Hence the lines. The media reports on them because no other phone manufacturer can entice millions to want a product as much as people want the iPhone. Is this so hard to understand?
John, you are a part of this media. Don’t flatter yourself by claiming you have the power to make people line up for a product.
“Dvorak is also a weekly columnist for Dow-Jones Marketwatch, Info! (Brazil) and BUG Magazine (Croatia). He was previously a columnist for Forbes, Forbes Digital, PC World, MacUser, PC/Computing, Barrons, Smart Business and other magazines and newspapers and is a former editor and consulting editor for Infoworld. Dvorak’s writing has also appeared in the New York Times, LA Times, SF Examiner, Vancouver Sun. He was on the start-up team for CNet TV and for ZDTV. At ZDTV (and TechTV), Dvorak was host of the show Silicon Spin for four years and did 1,000 live and live-to-tape TV shows. He was on public radio for 8 years and wrote over 4,000 articles and columns, and authored or co-authored 14 books. “
So he did all that and he still knows jackshit about modern technological trends. Impressive.
He is just sad not to be as good in marketing as Apple is… He! He! Easy to get jalous!… ;p
S’funny – I’ve read quite a few reviews of the iPhone which compares and contrasts it with the recent <strike>imitators</strike> competitors other mobile handset makers have brought out.
Just about every comparison had concluded that none of the others offer the same usability and functionality as the iPhone.
So it’s not that the other phones are NOT being reviewed – just that they all come up lacking. Maybe it’s this which is sticking in John’s throat..?
Actually, I don’t think Dvorak is going to be interred and have a tombstone produced after he dies (and in all sincerity, I wish him a long life). I hear he’s going for cremation, after which his ashes will be scattered to the winds of irrelevance and (as Saddam Hussein was fond of saying) the dustbin of history.
This guy’s been talking nonsense for longer than you’d think..
“A lot of ink has been spilled over the new Apple Computer—the
Macintosh. The machine is praised and acclaimed by the press.
“While I personally like this new computer, I don’t see it as a general
hit. I hope I’m wrong. Normally, I don’t like to pontificate about these
things, but there are some good reasons that the computer may not
become the raving success hoped for by Apple:
1.The trend toward color
2.The trend toward two disk drives
3.The trend toward IBM PC compatibility
4.The machine’s main memory is limited to 128,000 characters
5.The Macintosh has no slots for expansion and is therefore restricted
in versatility
6.There is no bundled software except for a word processor and a
program that allows the user to ‘paint’
7.The machine uses an experimental pointing device called a ‘mouse’
8.The smallish keyboard has no cursor arrows and no numeric
keypad
9.Who out there in the general marketplace even knows what a ‘font’
is?
10.What businessman knows about point size or typefaces or the
value of variable point size?
11. The computer only drives a dot-matrix printer
12.The high-speed serial port is too slow for a hard disk
13.Apple’s inability to sell anything but the Apple II
14.It’s too expensive for a single board computer with one disk drive
and a mouse.
15.The Macintosh uses icons to represent functions as though there
was some intuitive knowledge on the part of the user as to what
these icons mean.
“The nature of the personal computer revolution is simply not fully
understood by companies like Apple (or anyone else, for that matter).
Apple makes the arrogant assumption of thinking that it knows what
you want and need. It, unfortunately, leaves the ‘why’ out of the
equation—as in ‘why would I want this?’”
John C. Dvorak, San Francisco Examiner, February 19, 1984
Apparently, that is all one can “talk” about.
Can’t discuss any of the following,
1. Apple’s dismal failure to develop resolution independence after two years of effort.
2. Slumping MBA sales.
3, Lack of quality control in manufacturing or is it poor design? Both?
4, Cleaning the mess formerly known as Leopard into the “new and improved” Sno’ Leopard.
5. Close association with AT&T;’s Rape the Customer Division.
shen,
“take his IQ, multiply by 3. still less than mine.
anything else?”
OK, here goes.
1, Dvorak’s IQ equals 0.00000000000001.
2. Multiply by three equals shen’s IQ of 0.00000000000003.
3. shen’s IQ is quantifiably less than a lamp post, rock, or pile of dog crap.
That’s not saying much, shen.
Ouch!
Ya gotta admit shen, ya kinda set yourself up for that one.
“There is no evidence that people want to use these things. – 1984″”
And can you disprove what he said? Can you prove that where some kind of survey or study made before 1984 to showing people wanted this?
What happens after that point is not relevant at all. If you were a real journalist you would understand that.