Nilay Patel was more off then I realized

[Tsuchiya]

So lets get this straight:

- Three people individually grew up with a common interest in gadgets
- Three people individually gain employment on one of the largest tech sites
- They build personal reputations that gain notice of companies (Including Apple)
- They leave Engadget to start The Verge which has instant success
- Two individuals move on to respected positions at Bloomberg and WSJ

Throughout their entire tech career they have primarily used Apple products, get invited to Apple events, are quoted during Apple Keynotes and are in the elite group that Apple allows early product releases to. And they're all Apple Haters?

Yep pretty much. If they don't worship at the altar, they're "haters". Lets of course completely ignore the fact that they all brought up valid criticisms of the Watch, yet acknowledged the potential benefits and that the platform will grow etc.

Nilay is a tool, but the genuine rage people in this forum managed to conjure up towards the Verge (which usually takes a pro-Apple stance) would be funny if it wasn't somewhat alarming.

 

[KPOM]

Yep pretty much. If they don't worship at the altar, they're "haters". Lets of course completely ignore the fact that they all brought up valid criticisms of the Watch, yet acknowledged the potential benefits and that the platform will grow etc.

Nilay is a tool, but the genuine rage people in this forum managed to conjure up towards the Verge (which usually takes a pro-Apple stance) would be funny if it wasn't somewhat alarming.

The issue with Nilay Patel is that he was flat out wrong on certain facts (e.g. "air gaps" on the screen) and seemed to go out of his way to find things "wrong" with the watch. He thinks the entire category is pointless, so he's not really the right person to review any product in the category. Joanna Stern walking around NYC with a DSLR strapped to a helmet in a series of contrived "real life" scenarios was a bit over the top, as well.

 

[lchlch]

The issue with Nilay Patel is that he was flat out wrong on certain facts (e.g. "air gaps" on the screen) and seemed to go out of his way to find things "wrong" with the watch. He thinks the entire category is pointless, so he's not really the right person to review any product in the category. Joanna Stern walking around NYC with a DSLR strapped to a helmet in a series of contrived "real life" scenarios was a bit over the top, as well.

I agree with what you've said about nilay.

But I disagree about Joanna. At least it's a fair attempt at documenting the daily life of wearing the watch.

 

[parseckadet]

So lets get this straight:

- Three people individually grew up with a common interest in gadgets
- Three people individually gain employment on one of the largest tech sites
- They build personal reputations that gain notice of companies (Including Apple)
- They leave Engadget to start The Verge which has instant success
- Two individuals move on to respected positions at Bloomberg and WSJ

Throughout their entire tech career they have primarily used Apple products, get invited to Apple events, are quoted during Apple Keynotes and are in the elite group that Apple allows early product releases to. And they're all Apple Haters?

I certainly don't recall any of the three I've mentioned being quoted by Apple during one of the keynotes. I could certainly be wrong on that, but I don't remember it. Their publications, sure, but not one of those three. As for getting invited to an event, that doesn't seem to me to be as big of a deal as you make it out to be.

All I know is that whenever I listen to The Verge podcast around the time Apple launches anything, be it new hardware or an OS update, it's never anything more than a giant b*tch session about how the thing just announced sucks so much. And I don't get their reviews at all. Their staff will write what seems like a positive review on the one hand, but then Patel and Tapolsky get on their podcast and do nothing but complain about it.

 

[KittyKatta]

Yep pretty much. If they don't worship at the altar, they're "haters". Lets of course completely ignore the fact that they all brought up valid criticisms of the Watch, yet acknowledged the potential benefits and that the platform will grow etc.

And lets not forget the biggest point that the lynch mob is overlooking.

APPLE CHOOSES WHO REVIEWS THEIR PRODUCTS FIRST

The fact that Apple, one of the most conscious and controlled companies out today, is handpicking these "Apple Haters" to be in this elite group of first reviewers is contradictory.

Nilay is a tool, but the genuine rage people in this forum managed to conjure up towards the Verge (which usually takes a pro-Apple stance) would be funny if it wasn't somewhat alarming.

Whatever people's personal view of Nilay may be (and I agree that he's been a bit grating ever since he was put in charge of VOX), the reason he was noticed in the first place is because he offers a very refreshing perspective to tech journalism due to his background as a lawyer. And while many will continue to pile on him (or WSJ's Joanna Stern or Bloombergs Josh Topolsky), their opinions actually do fit more in line with the general public than the predictable "Apple Blogger's review of excuses" that we see copy and pasted on every Mac Fan Site.

In the end, these guys didn't write the bible on the Apple Watch Review. They simply stated THEIR opinion so there's no reason for anyone to be as angry as they are over that.

 

[perezr10]

And lets not forget the biggest point that the lynch mob is overlooking.

APPLE CHOOSES WHO REVIEWS THEIR PRODUCTS FIRST

The fact that Apple, one of the most conscious and controlled companies out today, is handpicking these "Apple Haters" to be in this elite group of first reviewers is contradictory.



Whatever people's personal view of Nilay may be (and I agree that he's been a bit grating ever since he was put in charge of VOX), the reason he was noticed in the first place is because he offers a very refreshing perspective to tech journalism due to his background as a lawyer. And while many will continue to pile on him (or WSJ's Joanna Stern or Bloombergs Josh Topolsky), their opinions actually do fit more in line with the general public than the predictable "Apple Blogger's review of excuses" that we see copy and pasted on every Mac Fan Site.

In the end, these guys didn't write the bible on the Apple Watch Review. They simply stated THEIR opinion so there's no reason for anyone to be as angry as they are over that.

If we believed he was giving his honest opinion there wouldn't be so much anger directed at Nilay. Therein lies the problem. The guy lays an iPad Air 2 next to an iPad Air and doesn't see any reduction in glare? C'mon, it's obvious he's trying to break out of his reputation as an Apple site by being overly critical. It's like Democrats or Republicans "reaching out to the middle".

I like honest criticism of Apple products. In fact, it's one of the advantages of choosing iOS over Android. Apple users who run into issues usually can count on an insane apple hating press to come to our aid and broadcast the issue. I like that because it means that Apple will usually fix the issue. I feel sorry for the countless Android users who suffer bugs with their obscure or older devices and simply suffer until they buy a new phone because the issue gets no press.

But Nilay complaining about non-issues because he's too lazy to use the products? That does us no good. The guy should be a restaurant reviewer. He can then grouse and complain in an industry that requires little effort.

 

[webworks415]

After seeing him blow up and get super butt-hurt over comments by that Jean Louise guy about his ugly spike arm bracelet, I won't ever trust a review by him 100% again. That was super sensitive and childish of him.

 

[perezr10]

After seeing him blow up and get super butt-hurt over comments by that Jean Louise guy about his ugly spike arm bracelet, I won't ever trust a review by him 100% again. That was super sensitive and childish of him.

Image

Ha! That was hilarious! It was so obvious he made something up he didn't believe and got caught red handed. What an idiot.

 

[Gooberton]

Ha! That was hilarious! It was so obvious he made something up he didn't believe and got caught red handed. What an idiot.

Lol, I know he thought you could slip that past us. I fake conjured up review. He might as well do an iPhone review and say it just rings all the time

 

[Lictor]

The Verge is a dying blog.

It's too bad, the Verge is very useful. Since it's about the worst bloated piece of HTML out there, it provides an excellent real world benchmark for browser. For instance, Anandtech used the Verge to illustrate the problems with mono-threading and CPU processing on Safari on retina displays.

 

[Spankey]

After seeing him blow up and get super butt-hurt over comments by that Jean Louise guy about his ugly spike arm bracelet, I won't ever trust a review by him 100% again. That was super sensitive and childish of him.

Image

The reaction to the Jean Louise comment showed him to be a child. The original comment was barely even a criticism of his "fashion" sense but a comment on how to take his opinion of a watch band when you go out with a dog collar on your arm.

It can either be Patel or the Techno Buffalo Dude (Android Fanboi), when I see one of their reviews I know to look for their Apple digs or Android nods. I will give this to Joanna Stern. After some time with the watch she posted a video on how to taylor it to her needs. That is a much fairer review than Patel's.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXPfqO-UdSk

 

[Esoom]

The Verge is actually doing very well, tons of page hits and ad revenue.

Nilay is pandering to the core readers of The Verge, and it's demographics, young men who own Android phones.

Most of the writers at The Verge are iPhone users, and MacBook users, but they also use Android phones because that's what their readers use.

Nilay got busted, plain and simple, and as an "old white guy" I find his Twitter slap fest offensive as hell, and juvenile, he should have taken his lumps and moved on.

And as an aside, I really liked Josh Topolsky (the previous editor of The Verge) and met him in LA a few years ago, I'm not convinced Nilay wasn't part of Josh's leaving The Verge.

 

[macduke]

It's too bad, the Verge is very useful. Since it's about the worst bloated piece of HTML out there, it provides an excellent real world benchmark for browser. For instance, Anandtech used the Verge to illustrate the problems with mono-threading and CPU processing on Safari on retina displays.

HAH! As a web designer and developer myself I find this to be hilarious. Their website is a piece of crap. I'm a designer foremost so I realize my code isn't as efficient as it could be, but I usually get decent marks on Google Page Speed after I optimize things and spend a lot of time testing my sites on various devices. I think my browser crashed maybe once in the course of the hundreds of tests on my iPhone I did with the last site I launched which was also a news site. The Verge crashes my 6 Plus no problem.

 

[Jmona]

Why do you guys think Joshua Topolsky left the verge? I'm so glad he did. I hate Nilay. I HATE the guy. He is not just a self serving prick but he is incompetent as he is a bad reviewer. Oh wait. That's the same!

 

[Jmona]

I'm not convinced Nilay wasn't part of Josh's leaving The Verge.

Actually you're wrong there. There was too much tension between Joshua and Nilay and that's why Joshua left for Bloomberg. He couldn't put up with that prick of Nilay anymore. He had to put up with him at Engadget, then when they created Vox... the Verge, too much chaos and clashing because Nilay is a professed apple hater and an erroneous thinker and so on. Joshua thinks outside the box. He had to go and he did. He is better off. And so are we!

 

[Esoom]

Actually you're wrong there. There was too much tension between Joshua and Nilay and that's why Joshua left for Bloomberg. He couldn't put up with that prick of Nilay anymore. He had to put up with him at Engadget, then when they created Vox... the Verge, too much chaos and clashing because Nilay is a professed apple hater and an erroneous thinker and so on. Joshua thinks outside the box. He had to go and he did. He is better off. And so are we!

Sorry for the double negative, I'm convinced Nilay actively torpedo'd him. Notice they never mention Josh, ever.

 

[ChinaRye]

Patel is a joke and is an embarrassment to The Verge. I used to like The Verge, but I abandoned the site after he started to run it into the ground.

 

[Jmona]

Sorry for the double negative, I'm convinced Nilay actively torpedo'd him. Notice they never mention Josh, ever.

Don't be sorry man. Not your fault. Many of us didn't know. Better late than ever to know the truth of what happened.
Don't feel bad either.
I'm just glad Joshua is gone from The Verge on to better grounds. Those of us who love the guy for who he is and for his honesty and knowledge will follow him wherever he goes for he has tangible knowledge on things unlike Nilay. That guy is done. So is TV.

 

[viachicago22]

His horrible horrible review I now understand how bad it was having the Apple watch a month now. The notorious bar notification scene. In hindsight he was 100% reviewing with an agenda, a. Because the notifications are the same exact thing as my phone and everyone has a phone, and b. I keep my watch on mute so it never interupts anything I ever do, let alone the absurd and rediculous self serving manner he portrayed it.
And after coming to this conclusion I realized I think he's a bad person deep down let alone on the surface when you add this to the Twitter stuff

I lost a fair amount of respect for The Verge with this review. It's not that I didn't agree with it, it's that it was so pompous and self-important.

 

[Gooberton]

I lost a fair amount of respect for The Verge with this review. It's not that I didn't agree with it, it's that it was so pompous and self-important.

Agreed

 

[Aluminum213]

The Verge is wildly viewed as a pro Apple website, they release a review that's critical of an apple product, and insecure apple fans now have lost all respect for them, lol