Apple Demands Microsoft Pull Laptop Hunter Ads

[WickedRabbit]

Not sure if this has been posted (or why it hasn't in case it hasn't) but this is sort of interesting:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10...=2547-1_3-0-20

[jessica.]

Dear Apple,
Good luck with that.
Did MS ask for the I'm a Mac ads to be pulled?

[Stella]

I was just about to post this too!

http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/15/m...aptop-hunters/

Personally, I think its quote a hoot! Apple asking Microsoft to stop posting "Anti-Apple" ads, especially when Apple have been doing the same with microsoft!

[Eidorian]

Comments on Engadget are having a field day with it.

Turner said that he knows the ads are working because "two weeks ago we got a call from the Apple legal department saying [...] 'Hey, you need to stop running those ads, we lowered our prices.'" Turner further went on to note that "they took like $100 off or something," before stating to applause that it "was the greatest single phone call in the history that I've ever taken in business" -- though he did apparently take a minute to ask: "Is this a joke? Who are you?" In case you're wondering, Turner also confirmed that Microsoft is indeed "just going to keep running them and running them and running them."

[toxictrix]

Kevin Turner sure does sound like a tool.

[Tomorrow]

I've seen the ads - while I don't necessarily think they tell the entire story, they do appear to tell a truthful story.

Generally, a Mac does cost more for similar hardware, relative to a PC - but the TV commercials are, at best, vague about the specs on the PC laptops. I know the "hunter" mentions some features they would like to see, but we never see any real feature-for-feature comparison.

I'm not sure Apple can strike this down; it doesn't sound like Microsoft is being untruthful, and not even particularly misleading.

[FunkyMonkey]

Originally Posted by Eidorian

Comments on Engadget are having a field day with it.

And they have every right to. Apple is wrong on this one.

[NT1440]

Uh, this doesn't exactly sound credible. Even if Apple did call I highly doubt the MS guy didn't put their own spin on it (as anyone in the business would).

[jav6454]

As much as I despise Microsoft, Apple has not right to dictate MS what it can air on the ad front. Apple aired "Get a Mac" ads, and they were great. No MS is striking back. All Apple can do is watch and innovate on a new advertising method.

I can call the strike back questionable at best since many of those cheap PCs have no exact comparison to the Mac equivalent being compared. So they don't exactly tell the truth.

However, the ads work on less tech savy people. Its marketing. Apple took advantage of it, anyone can.

What Apple should really be doing is start changing their "Get a Mac" campaign ads and focus on something new and catchy; more so than "Laptop Hunters"

[upinflames900]

The ads are misleading in many ways though...I can understand why mac is upset. I don't think they should be calling and asking for the ads to be removed that is just asking for it to be thrown in their face. It is a shame that the laptop hunter ads are working, because all they do is convince people to buy a windows laptop without actually offering any evidence or credible data to support it. I know the ads piss me off when I see them because they don't ever compare the two laptops feature for feature. It isn't illegal but it is crummy what Microsoft is doing.

[bruinsrme]

Originally Posted by upinflames900

The ads are misleading in many ways though...I can understand why mac is upset. I don't think they should be calling and asking for the ads to be removed that is just asking for it to be thrown in their face. It is a shame that the laptop hunter ads are working, because all they do is convince people to buy a windows laptop without actually offering any evidence or credible data to support it. I know the ads piss me off when I see them because they don't ever compare the two laptops feature for feature. It isn't illegal but it is crummy what Microsoft is doing.

Who's mac? The guy driving the dump truck?
Misleading ads, how so?

What features of the laptops do you want them to compare, blu-ray for instance? Perhaps, larger screen, more ram, faster processor for less money?

[WickedRabbit]

Originally Posted by upinflames900

The ads are misleading in many ways though...I can understand why mac is upset. I don't think they should be calling and asking for the ads to be removed that is just asking for it to be thrown in their face. It is a shame that the laptop hunter ads are working, because all they do is convince people to buy a windows laptop without actually offering any evidence or credible data to support it. I know the ads piss me off when I see them because they don't ever compare the two laptops feature for feature. It isn't illegal but it is crummy what Microsoft is doing.

To be fair, Apple isn't entirely out of the misleading or stretching the realm of perception either. Remember that disclaimer commercial where like half of the 23 steps listed were talking about running defrag. Pretty sure I find myself running Disk Utility on my new iMac pretty often to clear up quite a few things. That, of course, would be the Mac version of a defrag. There are other examples, but I'm not going to get in to it. That's just the first one that comes to mind that stood out the most for me.

[pdjudd]

Originally Posted by WickedRabbit

That, of course, would be the Mac version of a defrag. .

No, that's not accurate at all. Mac's do not require defragmenting - the file system (HFA Journaled) does that.

If you are referring to repairing permissions, that is a repair function roughly equal to chkdsk on the PC - it should only be done if you are having problems.

[LethalWolfe]

Originally Posted by upinflames900

The ads are misleading in many ways though...I can understand why mac is upset. I don't think they should be calling and asking for the ads to be removed that is just asking for it to be thrown in their face. It is a shame that the laptop hunter ads are working, because all they do is convince people to buy a windows laptop without actually offering any evidence or credible data to support it. I know the ads piss me off when I see them because they don't ever compare the two laptops feature for feature. It isn't illegal but it is crummy what Microsoft is doing.

Riiiight. If you seriously think this you need to take a step back 'cause you are seriously approaching Apple fan-boy territory. Every person that has ever advertised anything has put their product in the best light possible and their competitors product in poor light (assuming a head-to-head type comparison).


Lethal

[upinflames900]

Originally Posted by bruinsrme

Who's mac? The guy driving the dump truck?
Misleading ads, how so?

What features of the laptops do you want them to compare, blu-ray for instance? Perhaps, larger screen, more ram, faster processor for less money?

I can see you obviously disagree with me...no need to point out the fact that the company's name is apple. The ads dont give a comparison of what you are actually getting. I would like to see here is mac with processor, hard drive, screen size, etc and here is pc with... However if they did that it wouldn't be as effective for Microsoft. I just want them to actually say more than jeez these macs are expensive.

Originally Posted by LethalWolfe

Riiiight. If you seriously think this you need to take a step back 'cause you are seriously approaching Apple fan-boy territory. Every person that has ever advertised anything has put their product in the best light possible and their competitors product in poor light (assuming a head-to-head type comparison).


Lethal

Okay I am not an apple fan boy, but thanks for the insult. My point is I see the ads as misleading. If you don't then just say so and state why you dont have to pick a fight with me. I am simply expressing my opinion thats all no more. I understand advertising, but I just feel that it is a little (perhaps not illegally so) misleading thats all. If you disagree fine.

[bruinsrme]

Originally Posted by upinflames900

I can see you obviously disagree with me...no need to point out the fact that the company's name is apple. The ads dont give a comparison of what you are actually getting. I would like to see here is mac with processor, hard drive, screen size, etc and here is pc with... However if they did that it wouldn't be as effective for Microsoft. I just want them to actually say more than jeez these macs are expensive.

thats the WHOLE point of the commercials, macs are MORE expensive than pc notebooks.
Watch them again, The commercials do say they are aesthetically pleasing.

[nostaws]

If apple legal really did this they are stupid. What do they think MS would say?

[Superdrive]

Originally Posted by NT1440

Uh, this doesn't exactly sound credible. Even if Apple did call I highly doubt the MS guy didn't put their own spin on it (as anyone in the business would).

QFT. You said it about as good as anyone could have.

[upinflames900]

Originally Posted by bruinsrme

thats the WHOLE point of the commercials, macs are MORE expensive than pc notebooks.
Watch them again, The commercials do say they are aesthetically pleasing.

A PC with a 2.66GHz Quad Core is probably more expensive than a PC with a 1.2 GHz Pentium 4...my point is mac is a higher end machine and the price difference is not that different if you compare it to a higher end windows machine. And again...I dont want to have to defend myself. If you think that you dont have to direct it at me.

[bruinsrme]

Originally Posted by upinflames900

A PC with a 2.66GHz Quad Core is probably more expensive than a PC with a 1.2 GHz Pentium 4...my point is mac is a higher end machine and the price difference is not that different if you compare it to a higher end windows machine. And again...I dont want to have to defend myself. If you think that you dont have to direct it at me.

I want to understand, perhaps my thinking is warped, please help me understand.
higher end?
how so?

[ChadBrommer]

I find myself to be incredulous to the truthfulness of this story. Hmmm. No paper proof or recording when you know they "record for quality insurance."

[IBradMac]

Originally Posted by Stella

I was just about to post this too!

http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/15/m...aptop-hunters/

Personally, I think its quote a hoot! Apple asking Microsoft to stop posting "Anti-Apple" ads, especially when Apple have been doing the same with microsoft!

Thats odd. Her face will look just the same in a year from now upon returning the machine for either spyware, malware, or virus fixes.

[Small White Car]

If the MS ads say something that's no longer correct, they should change it.

But I'm not sure what they're talking about here. They don't mention an exact price for any Mac as far as I remember. Is there a version I haven't seen?

I kind of expect that by tomorrow morning this will turn out to be a hoax. If there was some part where they said "A Mac costs $x" then I'd believe it, but I don't remember hearing that in any of the ads.

If this is true it is very strange.

[neutrino23]

Very bizarre story. Sounds like BS to me. Maybe someone called with a very specific complaint about a particular claim? Even that sounds iffy.

And that's the reason he knows they are effective? Because Apple legal called? They don't have metrics that tell them whether this ad money was well spent? If there is truth to this at all this is something small that was blown out of proportion.

[pika2000]

First of all, will a legal department from big companies call you? Highly unlikely. Most of them will contact you via fax/letter. So I smell publicity stunts. MS, could you just put Ballmer jumping around again? That is more entertaining.