back to article Reg Hardware Awards 2012: The Winners...

Almost 17,000 votes were cast by Reg readers when we asked you all to name the best - and the worst - tech products of 2012. We asked you to tell us which kit you though most warranted a Reg Hardware Award from shortlists in a variety of categories: laptop, tablet, e-reader, home entertainment device and smartphone, but we …

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  1. Phil O'Sophical Silver badge
    Happy

    Lemmings

    Ah, Lemmings. I still have a copy somewhere, must hunt it out for some nostalgia this evening.

    One thing that was fun about the Amiga version was that you could plug two mice into the system and play a two-player version, trying to tunnel under the other player's team or block them up, while racing for the exit yourself. Did any other platforms have that option?

    1. Jimboom
      Thumb Up

      Re: Lemmings

      Great game that! I know thats what i voted for. And no, the pc version was 1 player only as far as I recall.

      I just remember all the spinnoff's from lemmings. Lemmings Paintball, 3D Lemmings. I am still however waiting for the original to be ported to Android so that I can kill... err I mean save some lemmings on the way in to work. I did however find a working version of Star Control II for the droid the other day and am currently loving that!

      1. EddieD

        Re: Lemmings

        http://www.elizium.nu/scripts/lemmings/

    2. Goldmember
      Thumb Up

      Re: Lemmings

      Thumbs up, top game. They've redone the original levels for PS Vita (in the style of the PS3 version), and it's fantastic.

    3. LarsG

      Sony

      Are runners up in the entertainment section with their 84" television?

      Who has actually bought one or is the vote in this section all about aspirational products?

    4. myob
      Happy

      Re: Lemmings

      The sega megadrive version had two player Lemmings, although I'm not sure I ever finished a level in that, as it was too much fun destroying the other player's lemmings instead.

    5. Steve Evans
      Coat

      Re: Lemmings

      "you'll regret that"

      1. Phil O'Sophical Silver badge
        Mushroom

        Re: Lemmings

        "Oh, No!"

      2. Anomalous Cowturd
        Mushroom

        Re: "you'll regret that"

        "Oh dear."

        Wasn't that Worms?

        Multi-player Worms is the best game ever!

        </Armageddon>

  2. Dan 55 Silver badge
    Holmes

    The Apple what?

    Or is this recognition that all the iAppliances just the same old thing in different form factors now?

    1. Philip Lewis
      Facepalm

      Re: The Apple what?

      It is a recognition that the Fandroids and Apple haters (not always the same people) now dominate the readership of the Register, and that they are sufficiently motivated/obsessed/crazy/... (choose appropriate epithet) to make the effort to denigrate Apple at every opportunity.

      No news here, move right along

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: The Apple what?

        Philip Lewis, has it ever occurred to you that maybe there are just a lot of people who don't like Apple's products, and prefer those of their competitors?

        When people feel the need to defend their beloved Apple by dismissing everyone who doesn't adore them as "Apple haters", it reminds me of the term "Suppressive Person" used by certain other fanatics.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: The Apple what? (@Anon Coward 09:52 GMT)

          Fixed that for you:

          Philip Lewis, has it ever occurred to you that maybe there are just a lot of people who don't like Google's products, and prefer those of their competitors?

          When people feel the need to defend their beloved Google by dismissing everyone who doesn't adore them as "Google haters", it reminds me of the term "Suppressive Person" used by certain other fanatics.

          1. Steve Todd
            Stop

            Re: The Apple what? (@Anon Coward 09:52 GMT)

            There's a distinct difference between preferring another manufacturers product(s) and hating a particular company. The former is perfectly normal behaviour and fair comment (you preferred the GSIII to the iPhone? Fair enough, it's your money), but the latter is a form of fanaticism.

        2. Philip Lewis
          FAIL

          Re: The Apple what?

          "dismissing everyone who doesn't adore them as "Apple haters""

          I did no such thing. Complete comprehension fail on your part AC.

          I merely pointed out that The Register readership who are motivated to post in the forums (and vote) are a very special subset of reality. The comments and up/downvoting behaviour in the Register forums are more than enough evidence of this.

          A characteristic of people with a passionate dislike of something (or conflicting passion for its competitor) is that they are willing to go out of their way to let everyone know their opinion. Opinion polls always register this, which is why proper opinion polls are designed specifically to recognise and filter out this type of deviant response.

          The Register forums are packed with commentards ranting and raving (that is part of the purpose of the forums) and voting up/down based on this precise behaviour characteristic. Casual empiricism suggests they dominate by a large margin.

          Anyone with an understanding of the Register readership as evidenced by forum activity could predict with high accuracy the result of the "dodo Award". It's not news or even remotely interesting except for The Register owners/editors themselves who knew this already.

          1. Goldmember
            Thumb Down

            Re: The Apple what?

            Again, you seem to have conveniently forgotten the fact that the Apple Macbook Pro 15" was voted laptop of the year. By Register readers.

            Or maybe you're right, it is a giant conspiracy against such a lovely company, and anyone who disagrees is a crazy, obsessed, Fandroid Apple-hater.

            1. This post has been deleted by its author

            2. Philip Lewis
              Facepalm

              Re: The Apple what? @Goldmember

              Logic Fail. See previous post.

            3. Philip Lewis
              Headmaster

              Re: The Apple what? @Goldmember

              Conflating my explicit distinction to "Fandroid Apple-hater" reflects poorly on your thought processes. If you had wanted to paraphrase me, you might have more appropriately (and accurately) written.

              "... disagrees is a crazy and/or obsessed Fandroid or Apple-hater"

              Not quite the same thing, is it?

              You attempted message would not be lost, but you would look less like a pillock.

              And where did the "conspiracy" concept come from? Certainly nothing that I wrote. Fail again ...

              1. Jonathan 10
                Flame

                Re: The Apple what? @Goldmember

                Wow that was heated, even El Reg standards.

              2. Richard 120

                Re: The Apple what?

                @Philip Lewis

                Given your prolific activity on this particular forum Philip one might suggest that you yourself are "sufficiently motivated/obsessed/crazy"

                Maybe you want to tone it down a little to avoid the Fanboi label?

                I'm a little surprised that Apple won the rusty dodo award, although maybe people are getting sick of the marketing hype and the lack of interoperability of Apple products, or perhaps everything else was just mediocre and nobody was compelled to suggest a particular product that was bad enough for a consensus to be formed, there probably hasn't been enough time for the Surface tablets to reach that stage, give it a year.

                1. Philip Lewis
                  Holmes

                  Re: The Apple what?

                  I am not surprised at all. I think it is perfectly predictable, for the reasons I noted.

                  I would be unsurprised to find Sony in second spot for similar reasons.

              3. Goldmember
                FAIL

                Re: The Apple what? @Goldmember

                Oh dear, you are a very angry little fanboi, aren't you? So what you're saying is that the same 'Apple-haters' who wish to denigrate Apple at every opportunity, are so awe-inspired by the power of the holy Macbook that they feel the need to vote for it as best laptop, in spite of their 'motivated/obsessed/ crazy' urges to do everything but? And you accuse my logic of being flawed...

                I hope your lunch hour spent venting and 'picking apart' non-existent arguments, whilst making yourself look like a typical, ill-informed iSheep made you feel better. Now calm down, dear, or you'll give yourself an aneurysm.

                Big hugs x

                1. Philip Lewis
                  Flame

                  Re: The Apple what? @Goldmember

                  Comprehension fail again.

                  Your paraphrase is simply wrong, I wrote no such thing.

                  You may be a GoldMember, but that is in no way an indicator of your comprehension skills.

          2. Andrew Newstead

            Re: The Apple what?

            I will agree with Mr Lewis here, I do think this is an indication of the Reg readership. Well, I am going to add some more fuel to the fire. As well as being a faithful follower of El Reg I have also been a subscriber to Which for the last twenty years. Over the years I have found these people quite reliable when they produce tests and comparisons. Ok, I agree that they may not be as technically inclined as the commentards here but that's not their audience. The one thing that keeps cropping up when they they test laptops, desktops, tablets and smartphones is that Apple keeps coming up near the top of their recommendations, if not the top.

            It's not all unbridled praise from Which though, they do criticize Apple for a number of points that will be familiar to the Reg readership, particularly cost and upgrade ability of the recent consumer items. But it is noticeable that Apple kit fares well in their direct comparisons of kit.

            As a whole though it does tend to recommend Apple products to a wider audience than the Reg readers, an audience that may be looking for a simpler experience with their computing kit and may not have a problem about such ideas as a "walled garden" (in fact they may even appreciate it as means of providing a level of security for their devices).

            Now, I can see the reaction to this already. "Which are Apple shills/apologists", etc. Knowing the Consumer Association (the organisation that produces Which) I don't think so, they are fiercely independent and brook no nonsense when it comes to that kind of thing.

            My position on this?

            Neutrality with regard to tech, I have to work with Windows, Apple and Ubuntu boxes and I can see the ups and downs of all three platforms (but that's another post...). But, as I said, I do find Which to be reliable, I have used a lot of their recommendations when buying washing machines, TVs, DVD recorders and other stuff over the years and have not been disappointed (I have also taken their switching services advice and am quite happy with it). So I cannot ignore their comments over Apple.

            If you want to call me a Which shill, that's ok, I've done well by them over the years.

          3. Intractable Potsherd

            Re: The Apple what? - @ Philip Lewis

            Philip - why do you care so much about this? You are clearly far too involved in a really trivial thing. Perhaps you are a little obsessed yourself?

            1. Philip Lewis
              Devil

              Re: The Apple what? - @ Philip Lewis

              http://xkcd.com/386/

              Lunch hour is always a suitable time to pull apart a few poorly constructed arguments.

              1. Anonymous Coward
                Anonymous Coward

                Re: The Apple what? - @ Philip Lewis

                Apparently, your lunch hour is a suitable time to *make* a few poorly constructed arguments.

          4. Tony Paulazzo

            Re: The Apple what?

            I merely pointed out that The Register readership who are motivated to post in the forums (and vote) are a very special subset of reality.

            What absolute rot, the entire human species from Romans vs Christians to Arsenal vs Chelsea hate and love their selected opinion (sometimes to the death: cf. Christians vs lions). It's our innate nature to give praise and spiritual wonder to a burning bush / man tied to a tree / special shaped stick / shiny thing.

            I, for example, dislike Apple, was never a fan and never bought any of their products... until the ipad 1, since upgraded to the third version, but I still think Apple are a douchebag company and wanna believe that Google does 'less evil' than other corporations.

            Doublethink is alive and well in the human race, good day sir!.

            PS I didn't downvote any of your posts.

            1. This post has been deleted by its author

            2. Philip Lewis
              Devil

              Re: The Apple what?

              Your response is "conflicted". It does not contradict the quote, nor is it in any in conflict with the post containing the quote. I agree with most of your post. You have failed to grasp that the statement is much broader in scope than just the Register readers/posters. "reality" is quite large.

              And, like it or not, the quote you used is provably true.

      2. Goldmember
        Thumb Down

        Re: The Apple what?

        "obsessed/ crazy"...? A bit strong, that. Apple winning laptop of the year surely disproves your theory.

        I suspect it was down to the sub par iPhone 5 and botched IOS 6/ Maps fiasco that earned Apple the Dodo this year.

        1. Khaptain Silver badge

          Re: The Apple what?

          I don't believe it is the products that they don't like, it is the company......

          1. Michael Wojcik Silver badge

            Re: The Apple what?

            I don't believe it is the products that they don't like, it is the company.

            Can't it be both?

            I don't like Apple products (after the Apple //e, which was pretty nice). They're entirely wrong for me: they're not designed to do what I want to do, or to do it the ways I want to do it. Of course that says nothing about their appeal for anyone else, but I'm quite happy to go on the record saying I don't like the products.

            I don't like Apple the company. I don't care for their litigious behavior, and I find their marketing smug and obnoxious.

            Of course, there aren't many companies I do like, and there are few electronic gadgets for which I feel anything more than tolerance for their faults. That's one reason why I don't vote in surveys like this one. (The others are that I don't have experience with enough products to make my opinions useful, and that I'd much rather spend my time being contentious after the fact in the forums.)

            But my point is that there are reasons to dislike Apple products, and to dislike Apple as an organization, and either or both could have motivated any one of those votes. Then again, some people might have just done it to annoy Philip Lewis; that's a real temptation.

            1. Philip Lewis
              Holmes

              Re: The Apple what?

              "Then again, some people might have just done it to annoy Philip Lewis; that's a real temptation."

              Via time travel?

        2. Philip Lewis
          FAIL

          Re: The Apple what?

          "Apple winning laptop of the year surely disproves your theory."

          It does no such thing. Logic FAIL of massive proportions.

          The opportunity to denigrate Apple in the poll was the Dodo Award. The Award is designed to let people with a need to vent and opportunity to do so. The question counts down votes in essence. In this case with an absolutely predictable result.

          It is logically consistent to think the MacBook Pro (or any other Apple device) as the best in class and indeed vote for it for that matter, and still be motivated to denigrate Apple at every opportunity. One can't "not vote" for the MacBook as best in class. You can just vote for something else. The people who like something different than the MacBook are as fragmented as the market. It is highly probable that the anti-Apple vote that would be manifested by votes for competing products and would be numerically larger than the votes for the MacBook, but no single product would be more popular because of this voting segment.

          Have you understood your error yet, or do I need an etch-a-sketch (tm)?

        3. Philip Lewis
          Headmaster

          Re: The Apple what?

          Postscript:

          The "Maps" fiasco was indeed a black eye and would likely have contributed.

          My explanation, however, is far more likely.

          1. Combustable Lemon
            Meh

            Re: The Apple what?

            Which bit wasn't a black eye?

            The tedious little note added to their site regarding a UK court hearing that suggested UK courts are rubbish? (Which i don't particularly disagree with, they are, but it's not for Apple to be hinting at that).

            The whole maps issue?

            The lackluster release of products this last year doing nothing to really innovate at all? (Not that i am saying any company actually did, Samsung probably did more than Apple in the last year though, like it or hate it).

            The continuation of these pointless, pointless court cases?

            I could probably go on but i can't be bothered to go digging. Apple have had a bad year, both technology wise and PR wise. Maybe you need to start actually looking at what Apple did over the last year before you start trying to summon a hoard of fan boys frothing at the mouth from your imagination to explain survey results as anything other than they are.

      3. David Simpson 1
        Devil

        Re: The Apple what?

        Some of us are reassured to pay through the ass for ridiculously overpriced toys, the rest of us have brains. To each their own !

      4. jai

        Re: The Apple what?

        I suspect it's more likely that 12,000 of the 17,000 respondents where all from Anna Leach hitting the submit button over and over and over and over while laughing maniacally and stroking a white cat....

        #mayHaveHadTooMuchSugarThisMorning...

    2. turnip handler

      Re: The Apple what?

      I wondered if it were mainly for the Apple Maps - the only real Apple product that could be thought of as 'rusty'.

      But maybe it just shows that more people dislike all Apple products en masse.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: The Apple what?

        "Apple Maps - the only real Apple product that could be thought of as 'rusty'." by the appleites, whilst everyone else knows that its not just maps that has Apple rot.

    3. Avatar of They
      Happy

      Re: The Apple what?

      I think it is a mixture of people realising the shiny 'ithing' isn't that ground breaking anymore, coupled with the real annoyance by world & dog of Apple trying to sue everybody, repeatedly for any reason they can possibly think of, and their general disregard for anyone or anything in their path to total patent apocalypse.

  3. Jemma

    In the style of lord blackadder..

    Tim, for you the term ' customer satisfaction' was just something that happened to other people wasn't it.

  4. RyokuMas
    WTF?

    Best mobile provider...

    Three???

    The same three who use baliffs and debt collectors featured on Watchdog? Who try and bill people for services they cannot even use?

    Surely some mistake...

    1. Jemma

      Re: Best mobile provider...

      If you think Three are bad I would avoid EE/Orange like the plague. Orange will happily admit their own mistake and then send out credit companies one after the other... for years to get a hold of money they admit isnt owed.

    2. dubno
      FAIL

      Re: Best mobile provider...

      HAHAHAA,,,

      Certainly some mistake there.... Just now I am being transferred to the 4th "customer support" person in this call alone. (total calls are 5, going back 4 months now!) After reconfirming name, address, postcode, phone number, date of birth ad naseum as well as the long sob story of how they £$%^ up a simple upgrade, each and every time only to be told I've got to yet another "wrong department"..

      Absolutely horrible and I can't imagine how they've been awarded anything other that "fucking useless twats".

      1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

        Re: Best mobile provider...

        But they've got better customer support than Vodafone!

        Then again, so do Al Qaeda... Press 1 if you are missing a limb. Press 2 if your 72 virgins have not been delivered yet. Press 3 for enquiries on beard care. Press 4 for your birthday Osamagram. Press 5 for expenses reclaiming.

        5. While you are waiting to be connected the leadership would like to remind all members that First Class travel IS NOT PERMITTED YOU INFIDEL DOGS OF SATAN!!!!! Any member who attempts to claim for this sky-harem of the evil one (may he be cursed to eternal damnation!) will be sent to HR and terminated with prejudice! We are aware that 1st class passengers are allowed metal cutlery, but it is a good member's duty to provide his own in-flight weaponry.

        [hmmmm. Perhaps I shouldn't have eaten all that cheese I found under the cooker?]

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    How times have changed

    An Android tablet being product of the year, and apple living in the shitbin.

    Very surprised Windows8 wasn't there, but it's perhaps too new, and not enough people despise it yet. Surefire contender for next year.

    The Nexus7 is well deserving, it's a fantastic device and a fantastic pricepoint, and hits the nail on the head directly with what consumers want.

    1. Sorry that handle is already taken. Silver badge

      Re: How times have changed

      IIRC the wording of the rusty dodo question, at least in my interpretation, technically ruled out software.

      After much deliberation I voted for Windows 8 anyway.

  6. jason 7
    Meh

    So the Macbook Pro won eh?

    Shame no one is buying them anymore really.

    20% down year on year........

  7. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge
    IT Angle

    Sod all this IT crap

    We want a post-pub death-match between Jaffa Cakes and Fish Fingers! Or possibly, I just want a fish finger sarnie for lunch, with Jaffa Cakes for afters?

    My nephew, at the age of 3, was eating his lunch and went for the awesome taste combination of Jaffa Cakes and olives (in the same mouthful). Yum.

    1. Rukario
      Alien

      Re: Sod all this IT crap

      The only thing that goes with fish fingers is CUSTARD!

  8. Code Monkey
    Mushroom

    I'm cancelling my subscription!

    The Antique Code Show award going to Lemmings is typical of the anti-Carmageddon BIAS that has ruined this once-fine website. Your writers are nothing but paid SHILLS gobbling away at the Amiga/Psygnosis danglies for all the filthy lucre you can get. And the readers are just SHEEP. SHEEP damnit!

    Where's the Reg tombstone icon when I need it?

    1. Eponymous Cowherd
      Thumb Up

      Re: I'm cancelling my subscription!

      Hi Patrick

    2. Esskay
      Joke

      Re: I'm cancelling my subscription!

      Philip Lew- I mean, Code Monkey, has it ever occurred to you that maybe there are just a lot of people who don't like Stainless Games' products, and prefer those of their competitors?

      When people feel the need to defend their beloved Stainless Games by dismissing everyone who doesn't adore them as "Stainless haters", it reminds me of the term "Suppressive Person" used by certain other fanatics.

  9. Beamerboy
    Happy

    RE: I'm Cancelling my subscription!

    Your post reminded meof the fun we had this year introducing eSheep to the PFYs int he office who hadbn't seen it before. The best app to remote execure of all time

    1. Anonymous Coward
      WTF?

      Re: RE: I'm Cancelling my subscription!

      WTF?

      1. Rukario
        Headmaster

        Re: RE: I'm Cancelling my subscription!

        This is the comments section of The Register, not the letters section of Private Eye! ...although it is difficult at times to tell the difference, Pedant's/Pedants/Pedants'/Ped'ants Corner and all.

  10. Beamerboy
    FAIL

    And I really should learn to type properly on this new fangled swipe keyboard on my Nexus 10 - great device, poor user!

  11. Combustable Lemon
    Unhappy

    Black Ops 2? Really?

    Shhhh, you'll just encourage them...

    1. jai

      Re: Black Ops 2? Really?

      Well, "awards" such as this are no more than popularity contests. Were the award based on the merits of the software itself, then there's no way that Dishonored would have come below a rail shooter like Black Ops2.

  12. Intractable Potsherd

    Galaxy Note 2 is a tablet?

    Seriously, guys and gals - as an owner of a Galaxy Note 1, there is no way it is a tablet. It is a big smartphone. The test is - will it fit on a clip on my belt? If yes, it is a phone. If no, it is a tablet. My Note lives in a very nice Otterbox cover that clips to my belt just over my right hip, so it is a phone.

  13. Oli 1

    just lost my whole lunch break to HTML 5 Lemmings.

    Nice one!

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Mushroom

    DayZ

    You are wrong, game of the year is DayZ.

  15. Long Fei
    Alert

    Note?

    Why the heck is the Note II classed as a pad? I have a pad, but I also have a phone, the Note II as it happens. Whilst I appreciate there's the 'phablet' label, it's far closer to a phone (because it is a phone) than a tablet.

    Still, good to see it up there in the rankings, as it's a really good device. (phone). I'm super pleased with mine.

  16. phr0g
    Paris Hilton

    It's obvious.

    Laptops is essentially Mac v Windows. The Windows market is "infinitely" more fragmented than the Mac one. So I would have been extra surprised if a Mac variant had not won. The other markets are also fragmented but in the case of mobile phones has coalesced around one very good product, enough to steal the crown (and same for tablets). Essentially people vote for what the have (or want to have) in the case of the positive votes, and for what they hate most in the case of negative (Dodo) votes.

    Ergo Apple have a product in the (now) quite boring category of laptops and lose out on the major battlefields due to being overtaken by single stand out products,

    They were voted down in the Dodo award because they are now the single most hated company (as well as probably the single most loved company) in the world. The football analogy would be Manchester United.

    Paris - Loved AND hated for different reasons.

  17. Lamont Cranston
    Trollface

    If I were a more cynical man,

    I'd think that Apple getting the Rusty Dodo was pure flamebait for the Forums.

  18. A 31

    off topic

    What's happening to reghardware ? barely one article a week ... have I missed something ?

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