phil’s Comments

• May 19th, 2011 @ 6:11am

  Why is he not collecting CA taxes?

  on Bezos: Attempts To Collect State Sales Tax On Amazon Sales Is Unconstitutional
  Much of his argument doesn't work in California where Amazon has over 1500 employees developing their Kindles, music services and other devices. Amazon has a big presence with its Lab126 and AtoZ companies in the Bay area. So why does he get away not collecting CA taxes? These employees certainly use the highways and enjoy the other services of CA.
• Apr 13th, 2011 @ 7:30am

  The Times has no tech savvy

  on Even With A Very Leaky Paywall, Noticeable Decline In NY Times Traffic
  I've been a subscriber to the weekend editions of the NY for 30 years on the West coast. If they just asked me to pay $79 a year for access on my mobile devices I'd have been willing to do so. After all it adds another service. Yet, they try to be surreptitious about it and charge a ridiculous fee that makes no sense. They really don't know their customers nor do they understand today's online world. It's sad to watch incompetent thinking at work from an otherwise intelligent organization. They've become their own worst enemies.
• Aug 18th, 2010 @ 7:45am

  Worcester

  on NY Times Tests A Paywall With A Regional Paper
  I'm from Worcester; left many years ago and returned to visit recently. The newspaper was always a joke, mostly filled with AP and NYT national stories. Much of the city is depressed and in shambles. Its downtown city center, a remake of Main St. is in shambles, the huge parking garage boarded up. Selling a $15 a month subscription to Worcesterites is like selling a $100 a month ice delivery to eskimos.
• Apr 17th, 2010 @ 12:14pm

  Mr Pogue Mr Conflict of Interest

  on Has the New York Times Run Afoul of the FTC's Endorsement Guides?
  Pogue and the NY Times have a history of overlooking conflicts of interest in his reviews. He's one of the most prolific publishers of manuals for Apple products, has early access to them, and profits off the sales of Apple products. He had to apologize for accepting a free hard drive repair worth $2000 after writing a column of praise about the repair service. While Pogue is a terrific writer, he's opinions are likely influenced by all of his other relationships.
• Dec 30th, 2009 @ 10:15pm

  Re: Kindle?? You have to be kidding.

  on Amazon Announces It Sold More Kindle Books Than Physical Books On Christmas... But Doesn't It Mean Rented?
  It's the ability to avoid the optometrists that make these devices so useful. You can enlarge the type with a push of a key. That's why my wife has enjoyed her nook so much. No more eyestrain.
• Dec 19th, 2009 @ 12:15am

  Pogue is full of it

  on David Pogue Weighs In On Ebook DRM: Non-DRM'd Ebook Increased His Sales
  Pogue is full of contradictions and conflicts. While he's an entertaining writer, he's reviewing products he writes books about that require the cooperation of the manufacturers to get early looks at the products. He's in bed with Amazon, his number one reseller, and as a result, trashed the Barnes and Noble nook because it was too similar to the Kindle. He expects music to be DRM free yet when it comes to his own books, he thinks differently. I've cancelled my NY Times subscription because of this conflict of interests.