The computer hardware market is pretty different from the video game market. Video games tend to be much more reliant on pre-orders and the first few weeks of sales, while computer hardware is subject to seasonal fluctuations but otherwise maintains strong ongoing sales throughout the product cycle. Games are also much less amenable to objective comparative analysis.

In the computer hardware world, a review embargo that coincides with the product hitting the shelves does not carry any negative connotations about expectations for the product's reception.