[sleepngbear]

McDonalds may not be the best food on the planet but they make a great cheap burger(I don't eat red meat so this is just an observation).

Does McDonalds has great marketing? Yes. But I don't know anyone who was convinced to by a McD Burger complained about how awful it was.

Also, there's a major difference between being unsophisticated and being uneducated and ignorant. People spend there money on what works for them. For the most part.

One would think, and common sense should dictate ... but I believe way too many people spend their money on what they think works or will work best for them, and they think what they do based on advertising, product reviews, or just word-of-mouth. I mean, just look at how much people in this country overspend on crap they really don't need (yes, I'm just as guilty). If people can be swayed to buy stuff they don't need, they can surely be swayed to a particular product that they do need even though it might not be the ideal product to suit that need. And once they do make that purchase, unless it's a complete and utter dog of a product, most will tend to continue to reinforce how 'right' the purchase was, mainly so as not to concede that they may have made a bad decision.

At least this has been my observation with products of all kinds -- people in general do not like to be faced with the realization that they are wrong. Obviously the degree to which this occurs varies from one individual to another; some are more willing than others to admit a bad decision, and some just always have to be right even if it kills them.

Add to that what drives the media: viewership and page hits. They're all going to tell and spin stories in ways that will maximize their audience. They love to pile on and kick someone when they're down almost as much as watching the mighty fall (can you say Charlie Sheen?). I think you'd be surprised at how many people get their information from a limited number of sources, or even just one source, and then consider themselves completely informed.

This is not to suggest that RIM did not have a major role in burying itself the last several years, particularly with their own horrendous marketing; but I believe their situation has been worsened by a media and blogosphere overly eager to rub salt in the wound and the dirty-laundry crowd who can't seem to get enough of it.

[ralfyguy]

Neither the critics nor the media. The blame rests with us, the uneducated simplistic consumer base. The majority of the population are clueless about tech devices and so will believe whatever the mob mentality spoon feeds them. Mob mentality is driven by the lowest common denominator, that being the sterotypical obese sweat pant wearing walmart customer, who ambles into their friends muttering such phrases as, "wot iz "great hardware" mean? wot's an OS? I don't understand that fancy gadget talk, but u need big appz store on tablets because I read someone saying that on the interweb so it must be true hurrrr hurrrr"

Sorry, but I always have to fall back on the McDonalds analogy with these arguments because it illustrates my point so well. 10 Billion served must mean that Big Macs are better than any other food on the planet.

That totally hit it right there! You are 100% correct! Thank you!

[Cowchip]

It's actually great - have you tried one? I see that you have an ipad2.
Any backup for your claims? A failure isn't a failure until it has actually failed.
.

Backup for my claims? Perhaps the fact that they are practically giving them away and unloading them as fast as they can, for one. Have you noticed RIM's stock price lately? They are in a downward spiral that they most likely won't pull out of and it's not churn, its uncontrolled bleeding. They didn't keep up with the competition, kept pumping out the better handsets to select carriers until they finally realized that wasn't working, and now they're down to the river card with nothing in their hand.

It's over, and I'll probably be back a year from now to dredge up this old thread once again to tell you I told you so...again.

Sorry, no iPad2 here.