European Ski Resorts in meltdown

Bosses at beleaguered ski resorts across Europe are holding crisis talks this week after shocking preliminary surveys show bookings for the next 6 months have plummeted to less than 10% of the figures for the previous 6 months.

“We don’t know what went wrong,” said Mr. Jobsworth, of struggling tourism operator Alp-ple. “All our customers are abandoning us in favour of going to see the Meditterranean Vista. Hopefully they’ll come back next winter when we launch our new Snow Leopard package.”

Analyst Paul Thurroughlywrongasalways thinks he can explain what’s happened: “It’s nothiing to do with warming” he said from the deck of his yacht, the MS Whore, in Monte Carlo. “Now that the Med has built its own mountains and stolen much of the world’s snow, the game’s up for the Alps.”

“People catch skin cancer every day now, in the Alps” added Meditterranean chief Bill Everyoneevenfortheairtheybreathe. “That never happens on a beach holiday. We offer the Worst of alll Worlds. The Woaw starts noaw.”

You’re right on the money. He clearly expected Vista sales to have an impact on Mac sales but the facts didn’t support him. So he came out with an honest report in a back asswards kind of way.

But did you read the comments left on his site? The Microsoft fans were absolutely insensed with him for being pro-Apple. Stranger and stranger.

Mac sales declined 5.5% (sequentially)
All PC sales declined 8.5% (sequentially)

“When I saw Apple’s numbers, I very much expected to write about Vista’s negative impact on Mac sales. The top section was written with that expectation.

However, the consulted analysts had a different interpretation of the numbers, which I was obliged to write. Reporting leads the story.”

What he’s saying is that he had already written half of the artlcle beforehand. He doesn’t say it, but I would gues he had the “top section” written before Apple even posted their numbers. He then expected to call up a few analysts and get some quotes to round out his reporting. Very nice.

So, when the numbers didn’t fit his story, that didn’t deter him. And when the analysts couldn’t provide him with a money quote (was Rob Enderle not available?), he just put in what they said without reconsidering the topic of the article.

In short, he may have saved some time doing it this way — but it’s just bad reporting. If the facts don’t support your thesis, you must reconsider your thesis.

D

My mom had a saying for every occasion. One was, “Why be difficult? With a little more effort, you can be impossible!”

Here’s hoping Apple makes it impossible to dial and drive. It might not be good for sales, but it would be great for your fellow road runners.

Hitler Alive In Israel?
Vista Actually Norton Commander Repackaged?
Mac Computers Made Of Dead Puppies?

Then I read the comments on the article. And then I REALLY entered the bizarro world. Despite the fact that the author was trying to pretend that Apple didn’t have the greatest 2nd quarter in it’s history, the commentators were simply FURIOS that the article’s author was so pro-Apple and anti- Microsoft! I’m looking at this guy and thinking he is a Microsoft tool and they are looking at him and calling him an Apple fanboy.

Honesty, I can’t express how strange the comments are. You just have to read them yourself. Don’t worry about giving the author unwarrented hits. When you read his article you’ll see that he clearly is not intending to bait Apple supporters.

My head is spinning…