News, info, and opinion by Mac users, for Mac users.

July 17, 2006

business

Leander Kahney is the anti-Dvorak: calm, rational, and correct

Posted Jul. 17, ’06, 8:47 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Business

Leander KahneyWhen the din of the Internet becomes a crashing roar, Leander Kahney of Wired News’s Cult of Mac blog is there to quell the waves. Unlike agent provocateur extraordinaire John Dvorak, Leander looks at Mac news with a critical and reasonable eye, rather than merely trying to generate cheap publicity. So when mainstream news sources started speculating about a consumer “backlash” against Apple, Leander investigated (a novel concept!), then deemed it “hogwash.” Or something very much like “hogwash.” Only, you know, much more sophisticated and all that.

But, in fact, there’s no consumer backlash at all. Apple’s firing on all cylinders, and is selling more Macs and iPods than ever.

Look at the numbers: Apple is enjoying about 20 percent year-on-year growth in Macs and about 200 percent growth in iPods. The quarter that ended April 1 was the second biggest quarter in Apple’s history, and continued blockbuster sales of both Macs and iPods are predicted.

Leander conlcudes, as many before him (including our own lovable chief, Number 6—er, Jason Snell, in his column in the most recent issue of Macworld) that “widespread” reports of flaws are in fact isolated cases amplified by the cavernous dimensions of the Internet.

Meanwhile, I look forward to the inevitable battle far above the Earth’s atmosphere when Leander will take on Dvorak—no holds barred.

[hat tip: Jason Tocci]


2 Comments

Jason Author Profile Page said:

I am not a number. I am a free man!

July 17, 2006 9:54 AM
Juha Haataja said:

Good point about critical vs. populistic reporting. However, it seems that many reporters and columnists start with a critical touch, but when they establish their position they tend to maintain it with populistic means, without presenting alternative viewpoints. The road goes from insight towards egocentricity?

July 18, 2006 3:20 AM

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