“It’s widely agreed that columnist Walt Mossberg of The Wall Street Journal is the ‘dean’ of tech journalists. He’s been at it as long as anyone, and his reviews merit serious attention from almost every corner of the industry. He’s even among the few on Apple’s preferred lists of journalists to get an early look at their new products. That’s why Mossberg, David Pogue and a handful of others manage to get those stories out sometimes before the new Apple gear goes on sale,” Gene Steinberg writes for TechNightOwl.
“When it comes to Mossberg, one of the reasons he’s earned special attention is the result of the calm, even-handed approach he takes in his reviews. It doesn’t hurt that he works for the most respected financial newspaper on the planet,” Steinberg writes. “So you can expect that when he wrote his review of Windows 7, people took notice. When he said that Windows, at long last, comes especially close to the Mac OS in terms of performance, features and reliability, certainly you have to consider what he says seriously.”
Steinberg writes, “On the other hand, nobody is infallible… I am extremely disappointed with the way Mossberg handled this particular piece, and it’s not because I’m a Mac user and consider Microsoft products mostly second rate. When you look behind the conclusions and examine the facts, you wonder if Mossberg isn’t seriously understating his conclusions and the distinctions he found between the two operating systems… This isn’t the first time Mossberg has been a little too enthusiastic about a Microsoft release. You see… he also raved in a similar fashion about Windows Vista back in 2007.”
Full article here.
Philip Elmer-DeWitt reports for Fortune (crediting reader Jon T. of Cardiff, Wales) on two quotes from Mossberg’s Windows Vista and Windows 7 reviews:
“After months of testing Vista on multiple computers, new and old, I believe it is the best version of Windows that Microsoft has produced.” — Wall Street Journal, Jan. 18, 2007
“After using pre-release versions of Windows 7 for nine months, and intensively testing the final version for the past month on many different machines, I believe it is the best version of Windows Microsoft has produced.” — Wall Street Journal, Oct. 8, 2009
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Note: Windows rots. And we don’t just mean that’s inferior to our Macs, but that also over time, in the hands of everyday users, it clogs up, slows down, and generally deteriorates. Let’s give Windows 7 the time it needs for its inherent issues to begin showing up.
That’s the smoking gun.
Ah… I just love the smell of biased reporting in the morning…
Say it ain’t so Walt…
In other words, Mossy just jinxed Windows 7 SP.
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No more pre-release Apple products for you.
Just pandering to the Microsoft stock holders reading the WSJ
Let’s face it, most people have Windows and Mossberg wants them to like him. period.
No real journalism on tap here.
Walt screwed the pooch on this one. When his machines become a morass of viruses and crap will he, one wonders, issue a new review ?
In addition, he seems (from reading the summaries here) to completely ignore or at least underestimate the significance of the new technologies in SL.
“Best” is a relative term. If a product upgrades from “completely crappy” to “99% crappy”, that means it’s the best product produced. I know, I haven’t RTFA, but you gotta give Walt a little space for error … as long as the errors are on the MS side, who cares? He’s certainly not an MS fanboi.
Well, maybe Windows 7 is the best version of Windows ever produced.
It’s probably also true that some reviewer sequentially claimed that the 2007 and 2008 models were the finest Yugos ever produced.
Microsoft speaks for itself.
Walt has generally been an even handed tech reviewer… However, he has already proved with his previously misguided review of Vista, that the actual acceptance of a Windows operating system will depend ultimately upon its ease of use, and functionality.
Those who suffer with Windows, in the end, still suffer.
Isn’t WSJ now owned by Rupert “Foxy” Murdoch?
The Touch of his bony hand is like something from Lord of the RIngs.
On a machine specifically equipped to run Vista, I can imagine that it was ‘The best version of Windows….” The problem was that it tended to build up issues over time, wouldn’t run software that people needed, and didn’t work properly on ‘normal machines’.
“Windows 7 is the best version of Windows ever produced.”
Isn’t this like saying that Britney is the best singer that the Spears family ever produced?
Think of it this way, saying its the best Windows ever, really isn’t saying its that great, since the previous versions are so bad.
Win 7 is impressive only because Vista was such a disappointment and because Microsoft copied even more features of OS X to put into Win 7.
Hmm… if one of the big “problems” for Windows 7 is the upgrade path from Windows XP – not to mention the new HW requirements, wouldn’t it seem that most XP folks are going to buy new computers? Especially now that we approach the holiday season.
Given that most XP folks are going to buy new computers, isn’t now an opportunity for Apple to due a full court press on the advantages of it’s wares?
The “Windows of opportunity” (credit – MDN) is not closed yet but will be closing soon. Hope Apple can somehow take advantage of this situation. Let’s hope Uncle Walt’s review was a wake up call.
Peace.
I for one hope that Microsoft has improved their product. It means that Apple will continue to improve their product too… We need competition – it fosters innovation and creativity. I’m not saying that they are competing in the same ball park or even playing the same game…. don’t misunderstand me.
I think the term we are all looking for here is: Backhanded Compliment.
That is, considering MS’s past track record, this is faint praise, . . . though probably not untruthful or exaggerated.
He lost me at “he works for the most respected financial newspaper on the planet”–lol–that’s a good one..
Windows may rot over time, but speaking as a Windows hater of the first degree, there are programs out there that will rebuild Windows once a week for you.
Norton, that necessary evil anti-virus vendor, has a program that not only rebuilds Windows but checks out the stability of other mainstream programs on your computer. In addition, it also blocks Microsoft’s pathetic attempts to keep your computer virus free. Protection from Microsoft’s interference is a bonus.
Sadly, Windows should not fall apart at all but as it does fall apart, there are many apps for that.
I’d rather use a Mac.
Walter Mossberg is a creature of Rupert Murdock — a creature of Fox News, Sky News and the red tops of the once-free U.K.
Ignore him. He sold out.
If MS produces an OS that just works and doesn’t needlessly complicate things for the end user then great and they deserve the recognition for it.
Mac users no longer have to cheer for the demise of MS in order for Apple to thrive and be prosperous. The attitude of MDN writers is repulsive and I understand now why PC users can’t stand to interact with us.
I will continue to be a loyal Mac user and consumer but will not prescribe to the views and attitudes that currently dominate the community.
I will delete MDN from my bookmarks and will not return. It’s a shame because it was part of my daily routine. Thanks for all the info over the years MDN.
and if you’re looking for and all mac news site like MDN then try http://www.macsurfer.com no negative bullshit there.
Mossberg is smart” “I can heartily recommend Windows 7 to mainstream consumers.”
Remember folks, it is actually better that the mainstream stays on Windows. You want more indians than chiefs.
I’d like to know why that whenever we here at MDN get chastised into seeing that it is necessary for Apple to have competition that it always seems the ONLY solution to that delemma can be answered by Windows?
Why not Linux?
Can’t MS just die so that others can live?
FWIW, Mac users have VALID reasons to dislike MS. Do a little investigating, and you will earn rich rewards.
Buh-bye.
It’s amusing how the Mac fan base is suddenly ruffled. Windows 7 is actually a damn good OS, as any of you would know if you actually bothered to use the damn thing instead of buying into MDN progaganda. And it’s not just Mossberg (so stop blaming the WSJ lol).