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Apple Continues 'Get a Mac' Ad Campaign with 4 New Ads
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Yes. Who doesn't?
However, Mac hasn't been as annoying as he was in the past. I don't know why.
It's more to do with the fact that a lot of developers got the rug pulled out from underneath their feet when Apple decided to cancel Carbon 64 Bit support at the eleventh hour despite initial promises to the contrary. Had Apple handled the situation better and in a more timely manner (say 2-3 years ago) we wouldn't be in this predicament.
Perhaps, but this short-term bump will lead to advantages long-term as this will force developers to finally move to the newer Cocoa. Personally I can't believe that Apple themselves hasn't moved everything of theirs to Cocoa.
AFAIK Apple said something like: "No, we just decided to pull the plug and stop developing 64bit-Carbon. Move to Cocoa and XCode, like we have been saying for years."
Suddenly Apple developers were left in the cold, and people over here don't seem to understand, that it's quite an effort, to move a language to a completely new environment. Btw: Check the Office 2008 thread and the Spaces problem. That's also an Apple API problem, not perfectly M$'s fault.
I can, easily. Of course I don't expect you to be able to say that, because you're a Mac fanboy and your fanboyism doesn't allow you to say that. I think the "You find it, you keep it" ads promotes PCs strengths very well (although, they still have a few things they can hit that would really take aim at Apple). They don't try to bash Apple. They don't write off the computers as being bad, but overpriced or not capable of doing what they want at a reasonable price.
Take the first "You find it, you keep it" ad, where they start off with a 1000 dollar price point IIRC. That ad really targetted Apple's price. Apple really doesn't offer a laptop under 1000 bucks (ok, the Macbook, but after taxes, it's over 1000 bucks, and even before taxes, it's 1 dollar below the price point). You may not like that they criticized Apple's price, but it certainly is a valid point to bring up.
The second ad with the price point of 1500 bucks emphasized the variety of options you get with PCs. You have a multitude of sizes, from under 10" with netbooks to over 17" with PCs. There are many PC laptops that offer more power at a lower price than what Apple offers. ASUS offers a 15.4" notebook with a 9650M GT and I think a 2.5 Ghz C2D processor as well as 4 gigs of RAM at around 1300 USD, or for the same price, you can get all the same specs with a 9800M GS. For 900 bucks you can get a 2.0 Ghz C2D processor, 4 gigs of RAM and a 9650M GT, or for 1000 bucks you can get the same computer with a 2.4 Ghz C2D processor. And it's not like ASUS is a bad brand. If they were, would Apple use them as a ODM? It's that type of variety that I think the Windows commercial emphasized at that price point.
The third size was 2000 bucks IIRC, and again, the subject of price came up.
I really think the ads are capitalizing on the current economic situation, and unlike the Apple comercials, they're not stooping to Apple's level of running a smear campaign (which is what their commercials are). They do concede that their computers look nice. They don't try and say that Apple makes bad computers (because they don't).
My whole problem with Apple's campaign is that much of it is perpetuating a fear of viruses and that Mac OS X is flawless. The truth is, if you're smart, you won't get Viruses. All it takes is safe browsing (don't go to sites you don't trust) and running anti-virus software. There are many anti-virus suites that don't slow your computer up and there are quite a few that are free. Often times, people who get viruses aren't a victim of security holes and vulnerabilities, but rather a victim of themselves. They simply don't know any better.
Another part of their campaign is them slandering Vista, when in truth, it's not a bad OS and that, contrary to what Apple presents, the "problem" with Vista wasn't MS's fault, but rather hardware vendors slacking off and not providing drivers for Vista. The UAC was another source of criticism, and it's one of the few claims that Apple does have a valid point in making. It certainly can get annoying, but it's pretty easy to disable if you're one who doesn't want annoyances.
They also claim that Windows is a victim of frequent crashes and freezes. Honestly, the last time I think I had a BSOD was a year ago and it turned out to be a Nvidia driver for my network adapter caused the crash. I was alerted that there was an update available as well. And before that, I can't recall of any. Many of the claims weren't the fault of Microsoft, but rather the PC manufacturers who put a bunch of pre-loaded crap on the computer, but currently, that's gotten much better, and it's all really easy to remove. The Apple commercial that brought up the money it cost to "fix" Vista was really a bunch of bull crap, as there was nothing wrong with Vista. The same question could be asked about the money it took to fix Leopard, which still doesn't work right for me on my MBP because of Apple's crap drivers.
Which is the same rhetoric we've been hearing since day one. Nothing new there, and of course, they blow it out of proportion.
Adds to the cost? You mean like free Anti-virus software that's easily found on the Internet (Avast, AVG, Avira, Win-Clam AV, and I'm sure there are a few others). The best spyware utility that I know of is spybot, which is free (and the only "spyware" that I ever get detected is tracing cookies, which affect all operating systems).
This was probably the best commercial. This is one of the fews I didn't hate. It actually promoted something they offer and told the viewers what they do better than MS.
However, Microsoft does offer a lot of decent programs via their Live services that are good for the price (free). But I personally don't use any of that junk like iPhoto, Garageband, ect. In fact, I don't use any of the iLife suite, but that's just me personally.
Hm... I've never had a computer freeze in the past or so years... Again, just more FUD from Apple's FUD department. Really, it shouldn't be a problem anymore for ANY OS now that they've ditched Coopertive multi-tasking (relies on the programs to give other programs controls, which can easily cause poorly programmed programs to hang). With Pre-emptive multi-tasking and its refinement, it's really not a problem any more. Early OSes that used Pre-emptive OSes weren't very good at it (like Windows 95), but it was still better than Coopertive multi-tasking.
I really think Apple should start a new campaign, and tell the people the reasons why a Mac is good, and not why a PC is such a crap.
It was fun to watch for quite a while, but now it is only stupid and boring.
It was fun to watch for quite a while, but now it is only stupid and boring.
Might as well. Windows 7 is just Windows Vista with a personality transplant and a new pair of Nike's
Agreed. I want to wipe that smug look off his face. The contrived cool thing really irks me.
And I suppose you troll Apple forums because you're not a Windows Fanboy?
Here's some advice. Go and join Neowin.net, you'll feel right at home there.
Bunch of grown up kids...
Buy a PC if you like a PC
Buy a Mac if you like a Mac
Buy both to compare, then decide.
I've got them both, both serve their purpose.
Stop doing this pissing contest, it is getting VERY old. Especially from Apple and Microsoft.
Buy a PC if you like a PC
Buy a Mac if you like a Mac
Buy both to compare, then decide.
I've got them both, both serve their purpose.
Stop doing this pissing contest, it is getting VERY old. Especially from Apple and Microsoft.
I agree that they are great commercials. From a marketing standpoint, it is quite ingenious. They do not mention how Vista sucks. (Yes, it does suck as a product.) They stress the hardware over the software while dismissing the competition, quite effectively and with subtlety.
I wish that Apple would have done something to have addressed this perception of the "apple tax". They could have done a Mac vs. PC commercial showing off the "pc discount" for having to deal with Viruses, the trial software, and Vista.
Standard fair from Apple again, which seems to be:
1) Attack the apparent detriments of windows (even though they are incorrect...and they are)
or
2) highlight some feature of a Mac and make it appear that Windows does not have it even though it had done years before.
1) Attack the apparent detriments of windows (even though they are incorrect...and they are)
or
2) highlight some feature of a Mac and make it appear that Windows does not have it even though it had done years before.
Except they aren't as especially the first two sum up issues that also affect the Mac. You can't avoid installing software updates on the Mac
.Biohazard Suit:
Legal Copy:
Stacks:
Time Traveller: meh
Tired...
Very very tired. Same crap they've been saying for years that still isn't true. They make it sound like every single PC gets a virus the instant you turn on, when in reality I don't know very many people at all who've gotten a virus on a PC, even when they weren't running AV software (outside of a corporate setting, where you're always going to have to deal with idiots infecting an entire network). Macs aren't magical, they're just as vulnerable and actually easier to hack, but no one bothers messing with 7% of the market. Sure there are more stories of people having trouble with PCs, but that's because there's 20 times as many people using them.
And what is this "maintenance" cost that they always talk about? Doesn't almost everyone in the world know at least one PC geek who will fix your computer for free if you actually do have a problem? Maybe if you live in backwoods Idaho or something.
Faces is a gimmick that doesn't work very well. It's something I guess, but a real highlight? If they hype it, people are just going to be disappointed. Bottom line, after being on the rise for a while, their market share is falling because overpriced merchandise + bad economy = lower sales. I always see a lot of people in Apple stores because they look so hip and trendy, but very few walk out with Macs -- if they have anything it's almost always an iPod or iPhone, or something small like a case. They play with the Macs, but one look at the price tag and they walk away.
Very very tired. Same crap they've been saying for years that still isn't true. They make it sound like every single PC gets a virus the instant you turn on, when in reality I don't know very many people at all who've gotten a virus on a PC, even when they weren't running AV software (outside of a corporate setting, where you're always going to have to deal with idiots infecting an entire network). Macs aren't magical, they're just as vulnerable and actually easier to hack, but no one bothers messing with 7% of the market. Sure there are more stories of people having trouble with PCs, but that's because there's 20 times as many people using them.
And what is this "maintenance" cost that they always talk about? Doesn't almost everyone in the world know at least one PC geek who will fix your computer for free if you actually do have a problem? Maybe if you live in backwoods Idaho or something.
Faces is a gimmick that doesn't work very well. It's something I guess, but a real highlight? If they hype it, people are just going to be disappointed. Bottom line, after being on the rise for a while, their market share is falling because overpriced merchandise + bad economy = lower sales. I always see a lot of people in Apple stores because they look so hip and trendy, but very few walk out with Macs -- if they have anything it's almost always an iPod or iPhone, or something small like a case. They play with the Macs, but one look at the price tag and they walk away.
Hmm? This particular ad was talking about the face recognition in iPhoto. I can't recall Windows having anything like that before. iPhoto was the first photo management program to sort by faces, I think. Other programs could detect faces, but nothing else to my knowledge organized photos by faces.
I've never understood criticisms like this. I mean... they're ads, fer @#$%& sake, not high art. Since when are ads tasteful? There's no such thing as a tasteful ad and if you think otherwise, you've been spending too much time in front of the TV.
And anyway, Apple has gone the so-called tasteful route before and their market share didn't budge. I always bring up the airplane ad, the one where the two people on either side of the Mac user are just amazed at what iPhoto can do.
Bo-ring!
That just didn't work. Not at all. In fact, that was at a time when Apple's market share was even dipping a little and going under 2%. That was an ugly time. Apple found their groove with these ads and their market share has crept upward which means they're getting attention and people are buying the product. And that's the sole measure of success when it comes to advertising, tastefulness be damned.
Please tell me you're being ironic with all this. Or is this the part where all the small print comes up?
This "market share means more viruses" argument was buried ages ago. Give it up already. There's no supporting evidence for it. If you have some, cite it. The only example we have is Windows and that's mostly the result of Microsoft's sloppy attitude toward security ("Gee, let's have Outlook automatically open attachment... what could go wrong?") And people have been saying this about Macs since they were 2% of the market. And Macs are moving toward 10% now. I mean, what's the magic number? What market share percentage will precipitate this nightmare invasion of OS X viruses?
And I suppose you troll Apple forums because you're not a Windows Fanboy?
Here's some advice. Go and join Neowin.net, you'll feel right at home there.
Quoted For Truth.
I'm always amazed at how people go to forums for the express purpose of saying things they know will get them in trouble. Is that really the best use of your time?
In any case, for the ads, I agree Stacks is the best of the bunch. Legal Copy is also pretty good, especially once you go and read the legal copy itself. But there needs to be more like Stacks.
Haha first thing I imagined was PC and Mac being very little and hanging their heads in shame!!!
