On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:17:31 -0400, "J.H. Holliday" doc@ok wrote:

wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:36:58 -0700, David Nebenzahl
wrote:

Get and read the latest issue of Consumer Reports. They did an extensive
comparison and rated many antivirus suites both free and for sale. They
liked BitDefender very much, were surprisingly down on Norton/Symantec
(the
suite I use) and also down on Trend PCCillin, the product I previously
used
but found way too slow and buggy.

Those who rely on Consumer Reports for reliable, honest, and accurate
analysis of ANYTHIING, deserve what they get.

And why is that? Please explain. As I understand it, they actually
*test* the products that they compare, which is more than can be said
for a lot of the idle speculators one hears from, oh, I don't know, in
forums like this ...

The root problem is that their testing "methods" are completely
laughable.

If you want to believe they have a clue, then by all means, follow
them wherever they go.


And what about guys who post broad, sweeping generalizations-- just their
opinion, really-- and glaringly don't support them with any data ;-)


Just because I don't feel obligated to spoon feed you, doesn't mean
what I said is not valid.

Consumer reports has made an art form out of comparing items based on
data points that are often of no consequence, while ignoring features
and elements of performance that are vital to a real evaluation. They
also often make GLARING errors that expose their shoddy practices.

No, I'm not going to sit here for hours typing up a synopsis of all
their many gaffsgaffs.

Here's one described briefly:

Two VCR's - one gets top rating and one gets bottom. They praise
certain features on the top rated unit that they casitgate on the
bottom rated unit. Top rated has a much better picture, faster rewind,
and so on compared to the bottiom rated unit. Only problem is....
drumroll... They are the exact same unit internally with slightly
altered cosmetics and a different brand name on the front. They even
use the same service literature and part numbers for servicing. They
are built in the same factory on the same assembly line.


Consumer Reports writer asks as he punches in for work, "Okay, what am
I an expert on today?"