Microsoft Remains on Offensive with 'Apple Tax' Report and Latest Laptop Ad

[Michael CM1]

"This is Lisa and Jackson." Two seconds in and the voiceover dude can't get his verbs right. He are making Microsoft sound stupid.

I must also again ask what's so special about $1,500. Why not hit $2,000 and actually see if they want the MacBook Pro? Same deal with that first lady. Why not go for $1,000 and see if she'll take the MacBook White? Is Microsoft skeert?

I'm also not too afraid if I work at Apple. Some woman letting her 11-year-old son choose a computer, and one that expensive? This kid gets a gaming laptop at 11 years old?

This is annoyingly hard to fact check. All I know is it's an FW series. Best Buy's Web site doesn't even have this computer, so I can just look at Sony. It "starts at" about $900, and I can't find all the specs. The glaring one is ANOTHER SEVEN POUND COMPUTER. It's also got DDR2 memory instead of DDR3, a stupid move for "gaming." No mention of how loud or hot it gets. This top-end system for some reason wastes space with a dial-up modem AND a VGA output.

The good news is since this is a Sony, at least it has a decent display (1600x900, not that crap display the HP had) and can at least dig Apple for not having Blu-ray when Sony has it in $1,000 computers.

Still, this makes it very simple for us Mac users to easily pick apart the stupid people of the world. None of these three commercials featured people who seemed to ooze intelligence. I guess part of the problem is most smart people do a lot of computer shopping online because you can customize everything so much more. Who spends that much money on what the manufacturer thinks is the best setup? I got lucky since I liked the base MBP, but most people want options. If BD was available, I'd add that instantly.

 

[Michael CM1]

Laptop, silly....

I think it's a great marketing ploy...

Find customers that ARE NOT Apple customers and give them a free PC to reinforce that fact...

Brilliant!

Next thing you know, Microsoft will pay some analyst to develop some "Apple Tax" chart and say it costs an extra $3,000 to own a Mac instead of a PC, also saying you're required to buy MobileMe on a Mac and not required to get security software on a PC.

 

[synth3tik]

Damn it, I want to be in the next one.

What I need. A laptop with a built in screen and not a mirror.

MS, call me

 

[Eidorian]

Damn it, I want to be in the next one.

What I need. A laptop with a built in screen and not a mirror.

MS, call me

It's next to impossible to find a laptop in store that isn't glossy.

 

[Ivan P]

the last frame of that video is priceless

Haha, thanks for mentioning that. I closed the video once it got to the "They agree, it's a PC" part, I forgot that they have a short clip afterwards. So I went back and rewatched it...priceless

 

[MacRumors]

Microsoft Remains on Offensive with 'Apple Tax' Report and Latest Laptop Ad



Microsoft has been particularly aggressive in attacking Apple specifically in their latest television ad campaign as well as commissioning a report detailing what it calls the "Apple Tax".

The latest television advertisement continues the "Laptop Hunters" theme in which a mother and son are tasked with finding a speedy sub-$1500 laptop with a large hard drive that is also good for gaming. Like the previous ads, they specifically point to higher cost of the Apple machines:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qui43P1kztw

In a somewhat controversial report, Microsoft commissioned (PDF) Roger Kay of Endpoint Technologies Associates to document what they describe as the "Apple Tax". The report details the price comparison between Apple and PC products and the relative difference.

While few would argue that Apple's machines don't indeed carry some premium, CNet's Ina Fried took a closer look and found the numbers additionally padded in favor of the PC.
Microsoft first started touting this idea of an Apple Tax in an interview last October. I'd argue, as I have, that the tax exists, but it is one that the average buyer knowingly pays for what they perceive as the differences between the PC and Mac experiences. In any case, the economic differences, while large, aren't as big as Kay and Microsoft make them out to be in this study.

Microsoft's aggressive marketing against Apple suggests they are particularly concerned about Apple's growth despite their relatively small overall PC marketshare.

Microsoft's VP of Windows Vista consumer marketing specifically said that they felt that Apple's "I'm a Mac" campaign had an impact and that they were planning on countering it.

Article Link: Microsoft Remains on Offensive with 'Apple Tax' Report and Latest Laptop Ad

 

[Eidorian]

I don't really use iLife enough to justify buying a newer copy of it.

 

[Macvillain]

These are getting really lame and very unoriginal

 

[MarkMS]

At least it wasn't a HP.

 

[xDYLANx]

Oh yeah, because only kids like Macs...good one Microsoft

 

[Telp]

At least it wasn't a HP.

True...If I ever went PC, I would definitely buy a SONY!

 

[HLdan]

I love the fact they were shopping for a "gaming" PC and bought a Sony Vaio. Off the shelf Sony Vaios don't ship with gaming GPU's and Blu-Ray for under $1500.00 and Sony doesn't even advertise gaming on their PC's. Good one again Microsoft.

 

[iEric]

It's cheaper but the time you spend reinstalling vista makes up for buying a mac.

 

[HLdan]

True...If I ever went PC, I would definatly buy a SONY!

Actually I would buy a Sony Vaio as well...IF I wanted a PC. The rest of the world of PC lappys are just pure junk.

 

[survivor]

that's just lame! o well if you have the Cash then go and buy the computer you want and you need if don't have the $ then buy along with your budget expensive or not that's their market
stupid microsoft trying to distroy apple loool

 

[zakfox1986]

What's with Microsoft's obsession with Best Buy? Goooood lord. And that girl's voice about drove me insane over the course of that short commercial.

 

[Eidorian]

It's cheaper but the time you spend reinstalling vista makes up for buying a mac.

I hate to admit this but I've restored from Time Machine at least 4 times now and I haven't reinstalled Vista yet.

 

[Evangelion]

So, MS is basically saying that we should stop paying the Microsoft-tax, and switch to Linux? Or is their argument totally opposite when it's their product that costs more?

 

[mikeinternet]

So they decided to acknowledge the fact that Macs are available at Best Buy as well. And they made poor Lauren run all over the place.

 

[jwhMac28]

Leave it to Microsoft to create a chart in an attempt to sell their message. I'm going to go watch that awesome unibody video for oh, maybe the fortieth time now. Haha.

 

[morphineseason]

Yea, they really missed the mark with this one. Gaming is real weakness on a Mac, yet they don't really bring down the Mac for that reason. The kid simply says "EHHHHHH IT'S KINDAAA SMALLLL." Also, in my opinion, laptops aren't meant for gaming, period. Light gaming, maybe, but most can't handle the new stuff coming out, and if they can, you can count on abysmal battery life, temperatures similar to that of the Sun, and something as heavy as a brick.

 

[SkillsToShow]

Haha, I actually liked this add.

 

[MarkMS]

I love the fact they were shopping for a "gaming" PC and bought a Sony Vaio. Off the shelf Sony Vaios don't ship with gaming GPU's and Blu-Ray for under $1500.00 and Sony doesn't even advertise gaming on their PC's. Good one again Microsoft.

Oh wow, I didn't even notice that. You can customize one though on Sony's site. Decent price on a dedicated 512MB video card and Blu-ray.

 

[BTW]

These are getting really lame and very unoriginal

I'm sure people are saying that about Apple's commercials of late.

I thought this commerial was good. Apple doesn't offer a system with a Bluray player. That is a sure selling point for many people.

Apple has been silent in responding to these commercials. Wonder what they have up their sleeves.

 

[guerro]

Maybe this is how GM and Chrysler should go about marketing their cars versus Mercedes, BMW, Lexus, Audi.

How can they make a comparison when they only give the specs for one half of the argument? On top of that, there are many features that can only be had with a Mac. How convenient of them to leave those out.