Why Tom's Hardware is such a sell out

[Atomahawk]

Question: If Tom's is so biased towards Nvidia, why have I seen numerous ATI fans use Tom's IQ tests for 'Far Cry' to show that Nvidia cards have bad IQ? Why is the main headline in the video section "ATi's X800 Pulls Off Another Coup in the Graphics Performance War" ?

Here's the conclusion to that X800 review:

We haven't even really gotten over NVIDIA's highly impressive introduction of its GeForce 6800 Ultra, and here ATi is already hitting back hard. Thanks to its performance advantage when using anisotropic filtering, the Radeon X800 XT Platinum Edition shows its rivals who's boss in this discipline without noticeably sacrificing image quality. Even the much less expensive X800 Pro with its 12 pipes can beat the GeForce 6800 Ultra in some game tests. The price difference of about $100 will certainly be an argument that could win over a number of undecided buyers. When quality-enhancing features like FSAA and anisotropic filtering aren't enabled, however, it is often the GeForce 6800 Ultra that takes first place. Thanks to Temporal AA, though, ATi has a good solution even to this "problem". At any rate, most gamers would be loath to do without anisotropic filtering when using cards of this caliber anyway. But keep in mind that neither of the cards can be termed "slow". We´re talking about differences at very high levels!

In our opinion, the most impressive thing about this card is how little effort ATi needed to reach the performance we saw here. The power consumption of the X800 XT is about the same as that of its predecessors in 3D applications. Additionally, the cards require only one auxiliary power connector and don't need an especially potent power supply like the GeForce 6800 Ultra does. Even the cooler has shrunk a bit, reducing the card's overall weight and ensuring that it would fit even into a mini-ITX case.

Perhaps someone can enlighten me as to how this is biased towards Nvidia? Or when people say Tom's is biased, do they just mean it doesn't reflect their own bias?

Because sometimes facts are facts, even bias reporters have no choice but to state the facts as they are, if not don't you think readers will see through that? Especially considering that most reviews give the card very high marks. Their is a scale from the totaly bias to the complete unbias, THG plays the line very well.

Reread the article, what is the message that your getting ? Now look at the facts! "Retail stores now indicate shipping dates closer to the end of June." But they quote " CompUSA however puts the..." Excuse me this is 1 Chain Store. "Rumors, that the new X800 XT might be off to a slow start..." Is this the Inquirer? Did they validate the information through other means at their disposal, like calling others chains, distributors or resellers. THG should know everyone in the industry that could give them a clue. But they take a rumor and run with it is totaly bogus considering the facts can't be that hard to get. I get the feeling THG dosn't want facts why?

 

[Joe DeFuria]

THG posted an article yesterday saying that the X800 was seriously delayed based on the Comp USA expected availability dates.

This is why it is an issue. THG DID NOT SAY the x800 was off to a slow start they said the X800XT was off to a slow start that is different.

But, Um, the X800XT is not "supposed" to ship for a couple weeks yet...so how it can already be off to a slow start is beyond me...

 

[Diplo]

even bias reporters have no choice but to state the facts as they are, if not don't you think readers will see through that?

Erm, surely the whole point of being biased is you mis-represent the facts and distort them? If Tom's is biased against ATI, why didn't they show that in the most obvious place of all, a review of an ATI card? Why is there lead feature today an undemanding interview with Dave Orton, which acts as a great PR piece for ATI?

Reread the article, what is the message that your getting ? Now look at the facts!

I get the impression that the 800XT is not shipping in vast quantities. This seems to resemble the facts (or would you like to tell me where I can go and buy one from, please?)

 

[martrox]

I get the impression that the 800XT is not shipping in vast quantities.

Um....the point is...it's not shipping at all, it's not going to ship till the last week in May...Jeez......IF ATI doesn't ship then....THEN it's late.......Sheesh!

 

[Joe DeFuria]

I get the impression that the 800XT is not shipping in vast quantities. This seems to resemble the facts...

Indeed...it does.

Of course, the 800XT is not suppossed to be shipping in quantities for at least another couple weeks. So what's all the hub-bub?

I mean, the PRO wasn't even listed at CompUSA or anywhere else until a couple days ago. Now, it's starting to appear for sale...

When the first week of June arrives, and XT is nowhere to be fonud "in stock" anywhere, then maybe the "facts" will be relevant to an actual news story.

 

[Diplo]

So, that's your evidence to back the initial post that seems to see a big consipracy between Tom's and Nvidia to elevate Nvidia shares (or deprecate ATI ones) ? Man, the internet really does bring them out...

 

[martrox]

So, that's your evidence to back the initial post that seems to see a big consipracy between Tom's and Nvidia to elevate Nvidia shares (or deprecate ATI ones) ? Man, the internet really does bring them out...

Doesn't it? Try to read what everyone is saying, Diplo....... A product cannot be late, or even thought of as being late. until it supposed to be available....understand? CompUSA has a history of being slow to get new, highend graphic cards. It was a couple of months before they had the GF4's after introduction...... I know, I've been buying* cards from CompUSA since the Voodoo1.......

* I use their trade in policy/extra warranty.......

 

[Joe DeFuria]

So, that's your evidence to back the initial post that seems to see a big consipracy between Tom's and Nvidia to elevate Nvidia shares (or deprecate ATI ones) ? Man, the internet really does bring them out...

No, that's my evidence to say that Tom's news-story is simply not newsworthy at all.

This means EITHER bias, or just poor journalism. Take your pick....

 

[Evildeus]

And ED, you really need to stop taking this so personal..... You must have posted in every thread that has anything to do with the X800's.....

No i don't think. The X800 is a great product, the best for performance

 

[AlphaWolf]

The difference being Ati said that availability was immediate, whereas Nv said less than 45 days. So what's your point?

Diplo,
Because when a rumor is not in favour of someone prefered card maker then it is biased

Has Tom's published an article about the limited (non) availability of the 6800 cards? Even nvidia has stated they won't be available in any volume until July and they would only ship at the end of the month? Why is the information noteworthy for one IHV and not the other?

If THG was print media his ass would have been sued out of business ages ago.

NO. ATI said immediate availability for the X800Pro. Some places have them so that is true. ATI stated X800XT cards later in the month.

My point is that Tom's feels the need to make a story out of possible limited availability of X800XT cards (which quite frankly wouldn't suprise me at all), but not with 6800 cards. Neither of which is shipping yet.

 

[Diplo]

Doesn't it?

So you believe Nvidia made Tom's post that article in order to effect share prices? Is that what you honestly believe?

The story may not be particularly newsworthy, but that really doesn't prove any of the outrageous claims being made here. One small new item, probably posted on a slow news day, does not prove there is a vast conspiracy theory going on against ATI. You ignore the fact that Tom's have a very flattering interview with ATI's CEO as their main story today, and you also ignore the fact that they gave the 800XT a glowing review. If you want to talk about bias then I'd suggest you look at people who selectively choose articles that aren't indicative of the wider picture.

 

[Sxotty]

THG posted an article yesterday saying that the X800 was seriously delayed based on the Comp USA expected availability dates.

This is why it is an issue. THG DID NOT SAY the x800 was off to a slow start they said the X800XT was off to a slow start that is different.

But, Um, the X800XT is not "supposed" to ship for a couple weeks yet...so how it can already be off to a slow start is beyond me...

I did not say it was newsworthy or that it was unexpected. I simply said that the person who posted this topic tried to sensationalize the story by misrepresenting what THG actually said. I know everyone loves to hate THG, but still that was simply a lie via selective quotation to say that THG said the X800 was delayed b/c they did not they said

the X800XT MIGHT be off to a slow start.

He did not even say it was late the caption says

US retail expects delays for ATI's Radeon X800 XT

Now you can take issue with that but a delay from may to june is a delay. People can take issue that they haven't harrangued Nvidia about it, I am not saying they are perfect and w/o bias. I am simply saying the poster misrepresented them to make it seem as though they were worse than they actually are.

 

[Atomahawk]

even bias reporters have no choice but to state the facts as they are, if not don't you think readers will see through that?

Erm, surely the whole point of being biased is you mis-represent the facts and distort them? If Tom's is biased against ATI, why didn't they show that in the most obvious place of all, a review of an ATI card? Why is there lead feature today an undemanding interview with Dave Orton, which acts as a great PR piece for ATI?

Reread the article, what is the message that your getting ? Now look at the facts!

I get the impression that the 800XT is not shipping in vast quantities. This seems to resemble the facts (or would you like to tell me where I can go and buy one from, please?)

"Erm, surely the whole point of being biased is you mis-represent the facts and distort them? If Tom's is biased against ATI"

I suggest you look up the word bias as apposed to the word lies, they don't mean the same thing. You can't lie about facts just as THG has not lied about ATI's product or changed the wording of the interview with Dave Orton to indicate something other than what he said. But they have shown bias without getting their facts straight in regards to a rumor that is not backed up by fact!

And since your useing the term mis-represent or distorting facts, when are the X800 suppose to ship? When are they suppose to be available to consumers? So until that time has come and gone or they have confirmation from ATI themselves, they are in fact mis-representing and distorting the facts and our showing bias in their reporting.

 

[martrox]

Doesn't it?

So you believe Nvidia made Tom's post that article in order to effect share prices? Is that what you honestly believe?

What I meant was doesn"t the internet really does bring them out... sheesh!

BTW....looked in a mirror lately?

 

[Stryyder]

Doesn't it?

So you believe Nvidia made Tom's post that article in order to effect share prices? Is that what you honestly believe?

The story may not be particularly newsworthy, but that really doesn't prove any of the outrageous claims being made here. One small new item, probably posted on a slow news day, does not prove there is a vast conspiracy theory going on against ATI. You ignore the fact that Tom's have a very flattering interview with ATI's CEO as their main story today, and you also ignore the fact that they gave the 800XT a glowing review. If you want to talk about bias then I'd suggest you look at people who selectively choose articles that aren't indicative of the wider picture.

The point is that it is more a pro NVIDIA article which is biased released within an hour of them releasing quarterly numbers and then it was referenced all over the yahoo finance boards for investors to see. Obviously there is the possibility that all these things happening at the same time could give one the perception of something being not right regardless if that is the actual case or not.

 

[Diplo]

I suggest you look up the word bias as apposed to the word lies, they don't mean the same thing... But they have shown bias without getting their facts straight in regards to a rumor that is not backed up by fact!

Actually, I suggest you look up the word bias. Unless you can show they deliberately knew the facts were wrong, then this is not indicative of bias, only shoddy journalism.

If Tom's was so biased against ATI they wouldn't be interviewing Tom Orton - or they would be selectively editing what he said to paint ATI in as bad a light as possible. In fact, if anything, the interviewer let's Tom use the opportunity to make many sly digs at Nvidia. I've no problem with that, it was an interesting read.

 

[Stryyder]

I suggest you look up the word bias as apposed to the word lies, they don't mean the same thing... But they have shown bias without getting their facts straight in regards to a rumor that is not backed up by fact!

Actually, I suggest you look up the word bias. Unless you can show they deliberately knew the facts were wrong, then this is not indicative of bias, only poor journalism.

Main Entry: 1bi·as
Pronunciation: 'bI-&s
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French biais
1 : a line diagonal to the grain of a fabric; especially : a line at a 45° angle to the selvage often utilized in the cutting of garments for smoother fit
2 a : a peculiarity in the shape of a bowl that causes it to swerve when rolled on the green b : the tendency of a bowl to swerve; also : the impulse causing this tendency c : the swerve of the bowl
3 a : BENT, TENDENCY b : an inclination of temperament or outlook; especially : a personal and sometimes unreasoned judgment : PREJUDICE c : an instance of such prejudice d (1) : deviation of the expected value of a statistical estimate from the quantity it estimates (2) : systematic error introduced into sampling or testing by selecting or encouraging one outcome or answer over others
4 a : a voltage applied to a device (as a transistor control electrode) to establish a reference level for operation b : a high-frequency voltage combined with an audio signal to reduce distortion in tape recording

 

[Diplo]

Well, you've proved your ability to cut'n'paste from an online dictionary. Now all we need to work on are the cognitive functions that will enable you to comprehend the meaning...

 

[Stryyder]

Now look at the layout of the article...

Title

US retail expects delays for ATI's Radeon X800 XT

Ok specifies on Vendor CompUsa but does not interview anyone from that company plus they mention other unamed retail vendors at a Barcelona System builder events, why not mention them in either number or name if they are such a qood representative sample of 'US retail'

Paragraph 1

Rumors, that the new X800 XT might be off to a slow start, first appeared at the System Builder Summit in Barcelona earlier this week. While ATI mentioned that it has started shipping the cards, representatvives of large retail stores said that the products might not arrive until the end of May, pushing availability dates into June.

Pure supposition saying that the X800 Xt 'MIGHT' be off to a slow start and that unamed unnumbered representatives of large retail stores saying product would not get to them by May and therefor might not be available to June why ?? what product ??? We know the cards are supposed to ship the 21st of May or late may how is that a slip??? Why didn't the interviewer contact the home offices or product managers of these companies for confirmation how do we know these company representatives have anything to do with product availability

Paragraph 2

ATI originally expected to have the cards available between May 21 and May 31. CompUSA however puts the expected ship date for the $499 X800 XT at June 25. The X800 Pro will be available between May 9 and 12 for $399, according to CompUSA.

Why does Comp USA take 1 week to put cards into retail I.E. the X800 pro but take over a month to put them into retail for the XT why was the question not asked??? Is this true for the other vendors he spoke with if any?? and who made the statement from CompUSA??

INSERT LARGE ADD HERE


Final Paragraph 2 Lines

ATI said that it was unaware of any shipping delays and was inquiring, if the X800 XT might in fact ship later than expected.

Who at ATI? Did you make them aware of the COMPUSA statements and what was the response, Why not say "ATI stated the X800 XT as previously announced and any delays if discovered would be announced why not quote exactly what ATI said instead of paraphrasing it?

This is journalism damn even the inquirer does a better job most of the time.

 

[WaltC]

My Question is why THG is spreading the FUD through a news article that is over lower quality than Inquirer reporting. Damn I know THG is biased but this is ridiculous no?

I've read numerous public comments by various people writing at various times through THG who've said, basically, that they consider it laughable that it's up to them to "investigate" anything they write for veracity before publishing it. Some of the comments I've read from them indicate they are incensed that anyone would think it was their job to publish verified information--seriously. Your obervations in this case, as deplorable as they may be, really don't surprise me about THG, accordingly. They've made it plain often that accuracy and veracity are entirely secondary concerns for them. I agree that it's sad--but I'm glad that I know better than to accept their flimsy, tinfoil definitions of "journalism"... It's "journalists" just like that who've given the profession its sorry reputation overall.