Movies companies do it all the time. You see the big white words flash onto the screen and zoom and pan over the words:
Usually the review is by some unknown critic from a local newspaper in the director's hometown.
Third party Apple product reviews and product sales hype are pretty much the same way.
You can't take anything said about 3rd party addons and peripherals seriously unless concrete facts are provided and actual sales figure testimoinials are given.
With all the bad press Jack Campbell gets on the internet - which is his largest sales medium - it's hard for me to believe he is the number one seller for any product he sells in any category he serves.
Yet, this doesn't stop him from making blind, no faith statements like this recently on his BLOG:
Both our USB and BT mice outsell every other inidividual brand/model of USB/BT mouse in the independent Apple Reseller stores that stock and display our products. Since the folks at Apple don't particularly like me, and, I won't give the expected 70%+ discounts that the big-box stores want, we pretty much sell everything through several hundred neighboirhood independent Apple resellers (and a few smaller online shops). In those stroes, our mice rule. I dount that the DVForge or MacMice products will ever be in Apple Retail, Best Buy, CompUSA, etc., as I just don't feel like making the same silly compromise so many other manufacturers make to get stocked in those stores: basically, to give away the products at or below cost.
"Both our USB and BT mice outsell every other inidividual brand/model of USB/BT mouse in the independent Apple Reseller stores that stock and display our products."
Of course this is a backpedal clarification of this statement he had made in a previous BLOG entry:
"I actually use Apple 1-button mice on all of my personal Macs, despite having the number one selling USB and Bluetooth multi-buttonmice in my own product line."
Now
there is a testimonial - the owner of the company doesn't even use his own products!
Smalldog used to carry DVForge products and discontinued them.
They actually dropped reselling DVforge and MacMice. So did MacZone. So did MacConnection. So did MacWarehouse.
MegaMacs sells DVForge products, but I guess Jack is saying he outsells their entire inventory here:
3btn optical mouse usb/psw/scroll wheel 6ft cord
3Button Optical Mouse
ADB Mouse II (Apple)
Adesso PowerScroll Illuminated Mini Mouse
Apple Pro Mouse -White, NO Box
Apple Pro Mouse - Black Used
Apple Wireless Mouse
CompuCable USB Mouse
Interex ADB Ergo Mouse
Interex ADB Plain Mouse
Iridio Optical Mouse
Kensington Mouse in a Box USB/ADB
Kensington PilotMouse Optical
Kensington PilotMouse Optical Pro
Kensington PilotMouse Optical Pro Wireless
Kensington PocketMouse Mini Wireless
Kensington Studio Mouse for Mac
Kensington Studio Mouse Wireless
Kensington Studio Mouse Wireless
Logitech Cordless Click! Plus Optical Mouse
Logitech Cordless Mouse
Logitech Cordless Mouse
Logitech Cordless MouseMan Optical Mouse
Logitech Cordless Optical Mouse
Logitech Mini Optical Mouse
Logitech MX 500 Optical Mouse
Logitech MX 700 Optical Wireless Mouse
Logitech Optical Notebook Mouse Plus USB 10 Pack
Logitech Optical Notebook Mouse Plus USB
Logitech Wheel Mouse Optical SE:Black
Macally 1 Button ADB Mouse
Macally iMouse Jr
Macally iOpti Jr
Macally iOptinet USB internet Mouse
MacSense iCatch mouse adapter
Macsense USB AeroMouse 2 button Wireless Mouse
Memorex Cordless Optical Scroll Mouse
Mini Optical Mouse with Scroll Wheel Mouse
PageWalker ScrollMouse
PageWalker ScrollMouse
UnoMouse 1-btn USB mouse
USB 3-Button PowerScroll Mouse
USB PowerScroll Black
And yes, ADB mice count too - because there are a lot of ADB Macs still on the market. A lot of those Macs have USB cards in them, but people will still opt for USB to PS2 adapters and ADB Mice. I know a lot of people that use iMates with ADB Mice on USB Macs.
Why don't people like Jack get an actual statement from a distributor? List actual distributors that sell the product - where; if we wanted to, verify it. If DVForge is the #1 in their business - Jack should be happy to name them and they should be MORE than happy to give Jack that statement as a testimonial. Or, do the people that sell MacMice/DVForge products not want to be associated with the truths that are around the internet that MacMice products are subpar and stolen intellectual property?
Be wary of any review or product hype in the Mac Universe - often the reviewers over state and review products that have simplistic functionality, just to get into Google searches and to get free product samples. A lot of small website owners get in products to review just so they can resell the products to others immediately following the review. They hand out favorable and overly detailed reviews so the product manufacturer will send them future products to review!
"IT IS A SOURCE OF INCOME FOR MANY SMALL MAC WEBSITES!"Really, how much can one say about a mouse - unless it has revolutionary functionality or design such as Apple's Mighty Mouse? How much can one say about an iPod case in a review? Apparently, people like Bill Palmer can write 10-15 paragraphs about any iPod case ... and since he reviews 2-5 every week - I'm sure he keeps his pockets lined when he resells them after the review.
The blind testimonial should be looked at with scrutiny. A good review will give you pros and cons. If there aren't any cons, then the product wasn't worthy of a review. If the product is simplistic in nature, the only pro can be price and availability - and therefore - also unworthy of review.
Where have you found the best unbiased reviews for Apple peripherals from 3rd parties?