Analyst: The pace of technological development brings a constant stream of new devices to the market, and many of them enjoy commercial success. But announcing new technology too soon after the introduction of a successful device can backfire. Once consumers hear about the new device, they may stop buying the one currently on sale. So, if a company wishes to announce the upcoming sale of a new device, it should wait until purchases of the old device have begun to decline.

Which of the following, if true, would best support the analyst's main assertion?

A. New technology often becomes less expensive after an initial surge in sales.
B. Media outlets, such as television programs and magazines, often report on the planned introduction of new devices while the sales of old devices are still strong.
C. Many consumers are unable to determine whether new technology is superior to current technology.
D. Surveys have shown that some consumers make only one or two technology purchases per year, whereas others make more frequent purchases.
E. Consumers tend to be loyal to technology companies whose products they enjoy using.

I chose D, but the right answer is B. I don't get the explanation given. Can you explain it more clearly?

first, i feel compelled to point out that this is not a reading comprehension question; it's a critical reasoning question. [reading comprehension questions are the ones with the big, long, boring passages]

at the outset, you have to figure out what 'the main assertion' actually is. in this passage, that's the following:
if a company wishes to announce the upcoming sale of a new device, it should wait until purchases of the old device have begun to decline.
also note the premise in the main text about consumers hearing about the new device. that's important: not that many consumers read corporate memos, but many, many customers are glued to the media.

since choice b makes it much more likely that consumers will hear about the introduction of the new devices, it strengthens the argument.
choice d is totally irrelevant, because nothing in the argument has anything to do with, much less depends upon, a statement about the frequency of purchases.

hope that helps.

Thanks Ron for the detailed reply. However, my concern is that Option B) doesnt help me to strengthen Author's "main assertion". Option strengthens the premise X (= companies releasing information about their new device) before concluding Y (companies should hold on to releasing ANY information until the old device's sales are up). Essentially, if X happens, Y SHOULD be done.

I see your point about "hearing." I also read Stacey's response to the same question on the same lines as you have described. But, can you please tell me two things :

1) Is my understanding correct ?
2) The next time I see this question, how can I make sure that I beat it. I always thought that strengthen questions may look out of scope but their main goal is to help author say "yes" to the conclusion and not premise. I am sorry but my logic is not saying "yes" to the conclusion if I am given "B." I have a bad feeling that I am missing something.

Can you please help ?

Thanks
Voodoo Child

Hi Voodoo,
No, your understanding is not exactly correct. Let's break this down again:
Conclusion: companies should wait to announce new technology until sales of old technology has died down
WHY?
Premise: When customers hear that a new device is coming, they may stop purchasing the current device and wait for the new one.
Assumption: when companies announce new technology, consumers actually hear about it.

Notice that if this assumption is NOT true the argument falls apart. For example, if companies announce new technology in boring press releases that customers never see or hear of, it doesn't matter whether they announce new technology or not as it will have no effect on sales.

Notice how answer choice B affirms the assumption, which is what many strengthen questions do (and what you should be on the lookout for when you do these problems). Choice B says that the media outlets do report this information, strengthening the idea that customers are actually likely to hear about the new devices.

I hope this helps!

_________________
Jamie Nelson
ManhattanGMAT Instructor