Winter is always a tough season for tech.
It?s like the post-holiday hangover
where most manufacturers just sorta hang back and maybe lob out a phone or
two.
But in spite of that, you guys are still coming to CNET in droves, and it got me
wondering what you?re looking at.
I?m Donald Bell, and in this Top 5 I?ll be
counting down the hottest new products on CNET whose pages went live
between December and March.
Starting off at #5, the Sony PlayStation 4. Now this one I understand.
Sony?s
next-generation console is really the first major tech announcement we?ve had so
far in 2013.
It?s the first shot fired in what will be an epic war against Microsoft.
In
fact, I kinda wondered why the PS4 wasn?t taking the #1 spot on this list, until I
remembered that no one even knows what it looks like yet, or how much it costs,
or when it will ship.
All we have to show you is an updated game controller and
some specs.
Considering that, coming in at #5 isn?t too shabby.
At #4: Microsoft Office 2013.
I wasn?t sure whether or not to includes software in
a product roundup, but I think it?s too interesting to leave out.
These lists are
almost always dominated by phones and tablets and TVs, but here?s a
productivity software suite breaking in to the Top 5 most viewed pages on CNET.
It?s unheard of.
But when a giant like Microsoft reinvents their operating system and their bread &
butter software, everyone wants to see if they pulled it off or fell on their face.
Looks pretty good to me, but you guys have some strong, divided opinions on
this one.
We return to normal with #3: the HTC One - as in ?HTC?s ONE last chance to
take some share back from Samsung.?
This is HTC?s flagship Android phone, it?s
due out in March, and there?s a lot of pressure here for the company to deliver a
big hit.
So just like Office 2013, all of you are stopping by and giving this thing a
sniff.
It is a gorgeous and fast phone, but there?s a lot of custom software here.
Maybe they?ll nail it...
maybe not.
Speaking of underdogs, check out #2: the BlackBerry Z10.
Man, I?m not sure if
this says more about you guys or the state of the industry, but every one of these
products so far feels like a Hail Mary pass from a company that desperately
needs a win.
But the Z10 in particular is the perfect meeting of longshot product
and a fanatical, expectant audience.
Honestly, it seems like a pretty great phone,
but the stank on the Blackberry name right now is enough to knock you down.
Now, before we get to the #1 hottest product on CNET right now, let?s take a look
back at our list of the most popular new products last Fall.
A very different list.
And since the iPad Mini and iPhone 5 are old news at this point, I can safely say
that this time around there isn?t a single Apple product on our list.
It?s kinda
refreshing, isn?t it?
So that leaves us with our #1 hot product for Winter: the Microsoft Surface Pro.
Booom!
That?s two for Microsoft.
Maybe they?re really turning that ship around.
The Surface RT tablet was a cool shot at the iPad crowd, but for those of you
looking for a full-fledged Windows Laptop replacement - the Surface Pro was the
one to watch.
It has its drawbacks, especially when it comes to storage, but
overall it?s a cool little machine.
So there you go, a snapshot of the new products you guys have been checking
out the most over the past few months.
I?ll be back again next week with another
Top 5, but until then you can catch up over at Top5.
CNET.com.
I?m Donald Bell, thanks for watching.
