Wow. I've been defending these guys to a certain degree in the past (including earlier in this thread), because I think they do provide some value to their viewers, but this is just really sloppy. At 8:19 your can clearly see that the Mac is tested on geekbench 5, but at 8:22 he presents the Intel and AS results as both stemming from geekbench 6 tests. And knowing how different v. 5 and v. 6 are (v. 6 giving way higher scores than v. 5), their test methodology leads to completely invalid results and, thus, conclusions. Already in the title/thumbnail of the video, they hint at Apple Silicon being a mistake. Add to that that their titles and thumbnails have become even more clickbait during over the last few months (in my opinion), they AT LEAST have to make sure that their content is valid and high quality and supports what the titles and thumbnails indicate. This won't win over skeptics.
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I might be changing my mind about Max Tech YT channel
- Thread starter Sami13496
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The ability to do a good presentation is very important and I believe is less common than you would think. You simply can't take it for granted. I am sure that some people would not mind getting the info from somebody mumbling to their noses or typing the text instead of speaking. At this stage you might as well just google the info you need in text format.
No thanks. I used to like MaxTech at first but the channel went to **** and his "benchmarks" aren't indicative of real world use at all. The straw that broke the camels back was the garbage review of the M2 MacBook Air. The M2 MBA is a beast and no it doesn't constantly throttle. I've ran simulations in Houdini, edited 4k video in Final Cut, made music in logic "I think 24 tracks is what I got to before getting bored adding tracks), worked in Unity, Godot, Xcode, Blender, etc and played a lot of Final Fantasy 14 on it and this machine just took it all in stride, again, without even getting warm. It also blew my 16 inch MacBook Pro (top of the line i9, 64 gigs ram, etc) out of the water on all tasks.
But, if you went by his garbage review you'd think it was a crippled machine that overheats at the hint of work and that simply isn't true. IT guys who know their stuff know benchmarks are pretty much garbage.
Like or hate her iJustine was one of the good reviews on it. She was editing video using Final Cut just fine. One of the best reviews I saw was Lisa at Mobile Tech Review. Her reviews are great and her experience with the M2 MBA mirrors mine because like me, she actually used the thing and didn't just run benchmark software.
But, if you went by his garbage review you'd think it was a crippled machine that overheats at the hint of work and that simply isn't true. IT guys who know their stuff know benchmarks are pretty much garbage.
Like or hate her iJustine was one of the good reviews on it. She was editing video using Final Cut just fine. One of the best reviews I saw was Lisa at Mobile Tech Review. Her reviews are great and her experience with the M2 MBA mirrors mine because like me, she actually used the thing and didn't just run benchmark software.
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I never understood the iJustine hate. She's enthusiastic and bubbly which some people like/hate but she does know her stuff and she's a great video editor. I look to her reviews for unboxing and real world use even though it is from a video editors standpoint. She showcases new products a lot better than other channels in my opinion.
I love iJustine. I’m done watching cynical people complain for 15 minutes and then call it a review. I like watching new stuff get unboxed and I like watching people like Apple products as much as I do. All the moaning and groaning about SSD speeds and whatever else……keep it. I realize Apple isn’t perfect. I pretty much leave it at that and vote with my wallet.
For example—I’m not buying a 15” MacBook Air, but I’m so happy that product finally exists and absolutely watched iJustine’s unboxing of it along with many others. That’s about as close to a review of anything I’ll watch these days.
I don't disagree that quality video production and refined presentation are still important. What I mean is quality production DOES NOT necessarily equal good content. What I've found with guys like Luke Miani is that his videos are catchy to the eye, presented nicely, and are often full of factual errors, misleading information, or just plain fluff to hit the magical 10 minute mark or whatever. I'm not saying they're always wrong (there is still lots of good information), but they make plenty of mistakes that reveal how "green" they really are in the tech space. These guys know they have to hit certain criteria for the YouTube algorithm to get them clicks and views. Regular videos are a must, and getting enough clicks to generate revenue and sponsorships are #1 priority. No fault in that, but trusting what they say just because the video is well made is foolish. Just like trusting someone with a high post count on MacRumors to be the wisest is also dumb. They're just bloggers or forum posters on the YouTube platform.
I believe the same argument was made about the MTV. You don't need ears to see how music changed through the years. The videos in general can be seen as a sign of dumbing down of the society. Even on MacRumors I see people apologizing for a long post because they don't expect people's attention to last for longer than a few seconds.
I know this is an old thread but I just want to point something out. They actually never said that the M2 MBA base model is a bad computer - in and of itself. It’s the VALUE that really sucks, when all you have to do is spend an extra hundred bucks for 512 GB and you get that second NAND chip that literally doubles performance (sometimes more). It’s not how it compares with old computers, it’s how it compares with what is virtually ITSELF, just $100 more, making it a bad value but not necessarily a bad product. They’ve said this many times in the videos. But yeah, if you go by the title, it’s certainly going to seem clickbaity because that’s what you have to do in order to catch the eyes of YouTube’s algorithm these days.
P.S. if you notice, once their vids have been out for awhile and gained enough traffic, they often change the title and tone down the thumbnail, which I appreciate. I can’t fault them for wanting to get their videos popular faster though; they make six or seven a week and that’s literally their livelihood.
Luke Miani is good enough for me when he unboxes old products, or pulls out an old Mac I haven't seen in a while. I agree MaxTech is a bit boring... specs and benchmarks, yawn.
Dave2D is one of the worst. Total chip on his shoulder about Apple etc.
You ever see that Lisa from Mobile Tech Reviews? She does good detailed laptop reviews - usually of Windows machines. But there are so. many. creeps. in the comments. I click on to those just to see the creeps posting comments about her... Get ready for more of that as the rats run from Reddit onto all of the other comments / community discussions across the web!!!!
Dave2D is one of the worst. Total chip on his shoulder about Apple etc.
You ever see that Lisa from Mobile Tech Reviews? She does good detailed laptop reviews - usually of Windows machines. But there are so. many. creeps. in the comments. I click on to those just to see the creeps posting comments about her... Get ready for more of that as the rats run from Reddit onto all of the other comments / community discussions across the web!!!!
She's been around for a lonnngggg time. She's doing something right. I remember back in 2009 era doing tech reviews. Ahead of her time especially as a lady tech reviewer / voice. Proving that it is and always has been possible to do, and to excel in, with the burning desire to do a great / unique job.
It's just a pleasant, positive channel. She gets a lot of flack for loving Apple and Nintendo so much, but I love both of those things too, so I feel right at home watching her videos. I was already sold on the Apple ecosystem years and years ago. I already know it's the best environment for me to productive and happy. iJustine just helps me decide when it's time to change/upgrade that environment, and she does it in a way where I still learn new things about the product that I didn't know before.
That's it. And that's her unique way of doing it, it won't be for everyone, but again nobody is taping anyone's eyes open here. I really liked Rene Ritchie's coverage too, as someone sold / all in on the Apple ecosystem. Although he always 'defended' Apple, it was nice to take onboard his logical / defending Apple approach versus the views online criticising Apple at every turn. Together, both view points helped me find a very reasonable middle ground. Things like CSAM were really and deliberately exaggerated by news outlets and misinformed people (including myself with my initial understanding of it) but when it was explained properly I realised it wasn't extreme or dangerous as first feared.
Things like Apple serialising screens / batteries too, seemed so negative and anti-consumer and everyone railed against it, but, with Rene's video I learnt that there was a large scale scam operation going on in China exploiting Apple's 14 day open box returns, harvesting genuine batteries / screens / parts then returning them with fakes etc. I'd never have thought there was a reason to serialise those parts, BUT, knowing both sides makes it more understandable.
The guy from Max Tech blocked me months ago when I lashed out at him in the comments section for his clickbait tactics. He scours the Internet for unconfirmed Apple rumors and then places them in the subject of his videos turning them into misleading headlines that he has definitive information on them.
This is the worst kind of journalism I have seen in the Mac community. This guy is complete trash.
As far as iJustine is concerned...
She is a one-trick pony. I give her a lot of kudos for making a marketing success by opening boxes and doing fake screams. Every video starts with "I'm Excited" and there is never anything negative said about the product she is reviewing. And why would she even consider doing a fair review of a product she receives for free? Her shtick is being an influencer. She has made a name for herself doing it. However, it's cringe-worthy to watch her over-the-top reactions. She's not genuine.
I'm sorry if I come across as being negative, but it's true. I would much rather watch an honest in-depth review from Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) or The Verge than from someone like iJustine who is being sent products just to gush over them.
This is the worst kind of journalism I have seen in the Mac community. This guy is complete trash.
As far as iJustine is concerned...
She is a one-trick pony. I give her a lot of kudos for making a marketing success by opening boxes and doing fake screams. Every video starts with "I'm Excited" and there is never anything negative said about the product she is reviewing. And why would she even consider doing a fair review of a product she receives for free? Her shtick is being an influencer. She has made a name for herself doing it. However, it's cringe-worthy to watch her over-the-top reactions. She's not genuine.
I'm sorry if I come across as being negative, but it's true. I would much rather watch an honest in-depth review from Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) or The Verge than from someone like iJustine who is being sent products just to gush over them.
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All rumors are unconfirmed. Nonetheless you wouldn't be on a website called MacRumors, if you didn't find any value in speculative forecasting.
It's not speculative forecasting that Max Tech is doing. He's taking rumors and passing them off as fact complete with release dates that he pulls out of thin air.
I watch YouTube to be entertained and generally take all the “tech” channels for what they are (i.e. entertainment). I actually enjoy Luke Miani and iJustine (along with MKBHD and a host of other channels), but there’s something about MaxTech that really winds me up and makes their videos unwatchable for me: I don’t know whether it’s their click baity titles or presentation style but I actively remove any of their videos from my feed and try and forget they exist!
But nobody cares what he passes them off as. Everything which is not in an official Apple press release, conference call or keynote speech is a rumor. It doesn't matter how hard you believe it to be true. Judging information on its probability level is the bread and butter of every critical thinker. That's why you always check if today isn't April 1st.
I don't agree with that and judging by the scathing negative feedback he gets on other sites (namely Reddit), I think people would be in agreement with me on that.
You and I understand rumors and coming to a forum like this and discussing Apple projects that may never come to fruition. I get it ... rumors.
But you got this guy Max Tech posting outrageous click-bait videos with no disclaimer whatsoever (he doesn't call it Max Tech Rumors) about the information he is pawning off as being "definitive."
You and I wouldn't be fooled. Those who are providing scathing feedback about him across the Internet aren't fooled either.
However, there are a lot of newbies out there that don't know any better. And I even see his videos quoted on Mac sites with people thinking what he is spewing is actual truth.
And you know what? It's just bad journalism to come off as a carnival barker selling snake oil all in the name of gaining subscribers and clicks. That's exactly what this guy does.
And the newbies are going to learn that all of YouTube is clickbait titles and that people on Reddit are always going to be angry on people being wrong on the internet.
He does it because that's how the algorithm works. He's a youtuber, not a journalist. Clicks, likes and subscribes are his income. He doesn't get rewarded for fact checking and playing it safe.