“Will the new Hudson Merlin replace the Rolls-Royce??”

I’m always irritated and amused by the screaming headlines that predict the demise of popular items. The i-pod has been a target for years as player after player has tried (and failed) to unseat the reigning champion. I can’t tell you why the i-pod is so overwhelmingly popular (I have one and I love it by the way), but I can tell you how wrong all the doom-sayers were.

This morning I saw the latest headline predicting the doom of the i-Mac (also a longstanding and copied target ) and it just cracked me up.

Computers, MP3 players, cameras all fall prey to this kind of hype.

Of course, most of these doom-sayer articles are thinly-disguised press-releases or are written by authors that have something to gain or lose.

Having worked in the publishing industry, you quickly realize that it’s an advertiser-driven business, not a reader-driven business. Heaven help the publisher that bites the hand that feeds them.

Still, P.T.Barnum was right and many people believe almost everything that’s presented to them.

Did I tell you, by the way, the the Hudson Merlin (pictured above) was the winner of my “Car of the Year” award?….