From CNET’s Software Publisher Newsletter:
“As of March 16th, reviews on CNET Downloads are changing in a small but significant way. Since we began reviewing software nearly eight years ago, we have reviewed only the trial version of any software title that was also available for purchase.
Going forward, we will begin reviewing and rating software based on the full version, judging the software’s effectiveness as a complete piece of software.“
Not a bad move, but I’m guessing that many CNET visitors would be surprised to discover that they’ve been reading reviews of trial versions. After all, no-one buys a trial version, and the idea of the trial is for the user to evaluate an application for themselves.
Or could it be that CNET visitors don’t really care what the editors say, but instead judge software by votes, user reviews and number of downloads?
More importantly, has Google now made software sites redundant?
When’s the last time you searched for a software solution on a software site?
