Apple Continues 'Get a Mac' Ad Campaign with 4 New Ads

[Nero3000]

I also loved the hypocrisy of the legal ad considering their iphone ads were subjected to the same thing.

 

[tubbymac]

Windows live photo gallery, part of the live essentials suite.

What the heck, well I stand corrected. I've never installed any of the Windows Live stuff so I didn't know Microsoft even had that feature. I doubt most Windows users even know this exists.

Did this come before or after iPhoto's faces, do you know?

 

[The Flashing Fi]

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.

Here's some more advice. Don't make assumptions. It only makes an ass out of you and me (moreso you than I). Believe it or not, I do have a Mac. I have had my Macbook Pro for a year and a half, and I love it.

Just because I don't go doting on Apple like a mindless idiot doesn't mean I'm a Windows Fanboy. I'm neither a Windows Fanboy, a Mac Fanboy or a Linux Fanboy. I use the tool that gets the job done, whether it be a Windows machine, a Mac machine or a Linux machine. I don't care, I'm proficient in either of them (at least enough to do what I need to do).

And just because my viewpoint doesn't match up with yours doesn't mean I'm a troll you dolt. It means I'm different than you. After all, I thought Apple's moto was "Think Different." What was it that I did that is considered "trolling." Not being a Mac fanboy? The fact that I have a Mac doesn't make me a Mac fanboy or a Mac lover. It makes me a Mac user. I'm also a Windows user. I'm happy being both.

And I don't suppose you care to point out where I was "trolling," and remember, areas where my opinion doesn't match up with yours doesn't count as trolliing.

And just some more helpful advice, if you don't like people having differing opinions from yourself, I suggest you not read what anyone says.

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.

Hmm... I've been a member here since September, 2007, around the time I got my MBP. What was it you were saying again? Something about me saying this that will get me in trouble? If having an opinion that doesn't constantly favor Apple gets you in trouble around here, then it's not me who has the problem...

 

[Nero3000]

What the heck, well I stand corrected. I've never installed any of the Windows Live stuff so I didn't know Microsoft even had that feature. I doubt most Windows users even know this exists.

Did this come before or after iPhoto's faces, do you know?

It came before, but not by years more like months. With windows 7 more consumers will be aware of this, and those that use windows live messenger probably have this program too when they updated.

If you have a PC you should give it a try, some of the stuff is pretty good.

 

[Wikinerd]

Transcription of "Legal Copy". From 9to5Mac.

Please note that when you first receive your PC there is some suggested work that needs to be done before PCs can perform at their peak. These steps include, but are not limited to, downgrading and installing necessary drivers for peripherals. These drivers may include printers, scanners, cameras, storage devices, music players, and other media devices. There may be more depending on your needs. It is also recommended that first time users remove all unneeded bloatware and remove all optional components. To remove unwanted bloatware first open uninstaller, select applications to remove, and uninstall. To remove optional components, click start, go to all programs and open control panel, select remove components, select components you want to remove, select next, when done, select finish. Once initial prep is complete, PCs may then be easy to use under certain controlled conditions and when properly maintained. In order for PCs to achieve optimal performance on a regular basis and for long periods of time, routine maintenance should include (but is not limited to) the following: download and install updated anti-virus software, check for system updates, clean out registry, defragment hard drive, free up disk space, remove temporary Internet files, empty the recycle bin, remove unnecessary programs, run error check utility and fix file system errors. It is recommended that a maintenance schedule is developed and adhered to in order to make sure your PC is running safe and secure. Update your software, do a virus scan, and run error check utility once a week. Search for and download software and driver updates, free up disk space, and defragment hard drive at least once a month. Empty the recycle bin and remove unnecessary programs once every three months. Back up all your files once a year. Please see instruction manual for more details. Failure to perform these functions may result in the following: freezes, viruses, slow performance, and/or error messages. If problems persist after routine maintenance is performed, please contact your local IT professional who may or may not refer you to your software or hardware manager depending on where the problem originated. Important information about easy to use PCs: PCs may become more difficult to use if the following occurs: sluggish operating system, viruses, and error messages, crashing, and freezing. Unfortunately, freezing and/or crashing are sometimes unavoidable. To avoid sluggish operating systems, crashing and freezing, it is recommended that you clean up your system registry, defragment your hard drive, free up your disk space, and perform other routine maintenance tasks. To clean out your system registry, first backup your data, backup your registry, purchase, download, and install Registry Repair program, then quit all programs, scan registry, determine safe registry items to repair/delete/remove, select ok, and repeat if necessary. To defragment your hard drive, click start, and go to all programs>accessories>system tools>and open disk defragmenter, then select C: drive, select defragment and wait. To free up disk space on your PC, click start, go to all programs>accessories>system tools>and open disk cleanup. Scan will automatically start. From scan results, select files to be removed, select ok. Restarting your PC may then be necessary upon completion of system registry clean up, hard drive defragmentation, and disk space clean out. Please note: trying to remove registry items on your own is not recommended. It is often difficult to determine which items correspond to which applications, and by attempting to remove items yourself, you might accidentally remove a valid registry item, causing software crashes and errors. If a system registry becomes corrupt because you made a mistake when cleaning out the registry, follow these steps: back up data, back up registry, purchase, download, and install Registry Repair program, quit all programs, scan registry, determine safe registry items to repair/delete/remove, then select ok and repeat if necessary. Also, easy to use PCs can experience difficulty if malware, viruses, or spyware infect your PC’s system. There are 1.5 million signature-based malware detections with 20,000 new ones discovered everyday (based on 2008 reporting). Although some viruses are unavoidable, there are some preventative measures that you can take. When you first get your PC, configure your security settings (including things like Internet firewall, automatic updating, anti-virus, anti-spyware and other malware protection, other Internet security settings, and user account control). Eventually you may have to download and install security patches for your operating system and then as security updates become available download and install again. If your PC does get infected with malware talk with your IT professional first about the risks and benefits of treating the problem as your own. Do not try to remove a virus unless your IT professional has taught you and you understand everything. Ask them if you have any questions. Please see accompanying important information about virus protection on your hardware and software manufacturer’s website. Anyone can sit down and edit photos on their PC as long as their computer is running properly. Please note that proper maintenance, specifically disk defragmentation can take anywhere from minutes to hours to run depending on the size of your hard drive and how fragmented it is. Therefore, editing photos might be postponed if you choose to run maintenance on your computer prior to this act. Please note: your camera driver must be installed on your PC in order to review and edit your photos. Your camera will not work with your PC if the software/drivers are not downloaded first. Editing photos on a PC may be difficult for children under a certain age, or for people who are unfamiliar with how a PC works and how to download camera software and drivers. Also, no PC connected to the Internet is one hundred percent immune to viruses, spyware, adware, or other forms of malware. Once a year, PC users should back up a year’s worth of photos and files to a CD or DVD. Power PC users should start fresh and back up all their files and applications on an external hard drive, then use your original system installer disks to erase, rebuild, and reinstall your operating system from scratch. Therefore, if your PC is not one hundred percent trouble free at least you won’t lose all of your files. PC does not claim ownership of problems that occur from materials or software that you downloaded off the Internet. If your warranty has expired, and your PC is not one hundred percent trouble free, you are not eligible for a refund or replacement under the terms of the warranty. In addition, we cannot help you with software or hardware obtained without a warranty, such as software provided “as is” or for free.” Again, if problems persist, please contact your IT professional.

 

[tubbymac]

Just because I don't go doting on Apple like a mindless idiot doesn't mean I'm a Windows Fanboy. I'm neither a Windows Fanboy, a Mac Fanboy or a Linux Fanboy. I use the tool that gets the job done, whether it be a Windows machine, a Mac machine or a Linux machine. I don't care, I'm proficient in either of them (at least enough to do what I need to do).

Heh, I'm glad I'm not the only one. We're quite a rare breed. There's not many of us that use OSX, Windows, and Linux at the same time on a day to day basis. I agree with pretty much everything you said except for iPhoto and Garageband being junk. I think the iLife suite is great for beginners and newbies. It's one of the best selling features of a Mac. You get a lot of fun software to play with out of the box.

Obviously once you do some more serious stuff you'll quickly uninstall those introductory apps for some more powerful stuff like Aperture/Lightroom and Logic Studio.

It came before, but not by years more like months. With windows 7 more consumers will be aware of this, and those that use windows live messenger probably have this program too when they updated.

If you have a PC you should give it a try, some of the stuff is pretty good.

I already have a good workflow with Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom on my PC, so getting the Windows Live Photo stuff would actually be a downgrade for me. Thanks for the info though. It'll be good information for PC friends when they ask about introductory photo management programs.

 

[Nero3000]

Transcription of "Legal Copy". From 9to5Mac.

How much of that applies to Mac aswell....on second thoughts when reading that they say one thing, then reword it multiple times after that.

And half of that is just good computer sense which i hope everyone does whether on a mac or PC, ie:
1) check for software updates
2) check for driver updates
4) defrag your hard drive
3) back up their stuff

also

Please note: your camera driver must be installed on your PC in order to review and edit your photos. Your camera will not work with your PC if the software/drivers are not downloaded first.

Thats just plain wrong, most....if not all camera drivers are just plug and play.

 

[tubbymac]

Transcription of "Legal Copy".

Alright the commercials I found boring but that transcription had me laughing in a few places, I'll admit. Half of it was inaccurate or wrong, but I still found it a funny read - especially the part about making sure to backup your files once a year, LOL.

 

[coolfactor]

I've never really found the Mac ads really tasteful. I thought the recent PC ads were a lot better. I almost didn't get a Mac because of the comercials. It really is tiring to hear the same repetitive FUD. I've always felt the Mac commercials were good at saying nothing.

How can they be repeating Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt when they tell the truth? Sure, not every Windows PC will have problems, some are more reliable than others, but generally across-the-board, there are valid concerns that all Windows users need to be aware of in order to keep their machines running effectively. Those that take the steps earn the right to brag their machine is problem-free, but how much time-currency are they spending taking those steps? That's where the value of computers come into play.

I think these ads are great. Apple needs to keep using the same advertising tactic while it's working. Just look at how Microsoft has been all over the map with their ad campaign, and they basically start over with each major change. Apple's ads are simple, consistent, and entertaining. Make a person chuckle, and you just got their attention. Keep doing that and you may get a customer.

 

[coolfactor]

How much of that applies to Mac aswell....on second thoughts when reading that they say one thing, then reword it multiple times after that.

And half of that is just good computer sense which i hope everyone does whether on a mac or PC, ie:
1) check for software updates
2) check for driver updates
4) defrag your hard drive
3) back up their stuff

also

Thats just plain wrong, most....if not all camera drivers are just plug and play.

1. Software Updates on a Mac are much simpler and less intrusive than on Windows.
2. Driver updates -- please list some.
3. Mac OS X auto-defrags the drive, no need for users to do anything.
4. Mac OS X comes with two built-in backup applications... Backup and Time Machine. What does every Windows computer come with that's easy to use and automatic?

 

[MadeTheSwitch]

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.

But don't all companies' ad campaigns show their products in the best light and make them sound flawless??? And the real truth of the matter is that your average computer user is NOT smart about how to avoid getting viruses.

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

Perhaps BSOD are rare, but surely you have expereinced situations with windows where a program, like say IE or Firefox for instance, has gone wonky and it affected other parts of your computer forcing a reboot, have you not? I've had that issue on every windows machine I have ever used no matter what flavor of Windows it was running. On my Mac, it's a much different story. If something crashes, that problem is limited to just that problem. I don't have to reboot all the time. And since I tend to have a lot of projects open that I am working between, this is important to me. In fact, it's the biggest reason I made the switch....for more stability. And I got it.

Hm... I've never had a computer freeze in the past or so years... Again, just more FUD from Apple's FUD department.

No, that's not true either. Congratulations on not having a Windows machine freeze on you recently, however just because you haven't doesn't mean that others aren't or that Apple is spreading viscous rumors. In fact, they are spot on. The reasons are many (A single hardware vendor, Unix, a different thought process in the making of software that MS, etc.) but the bottom line is that Apple computers ARE more stable than their Windows counterparts. It's just a fact. Will Windows 7 (and then 8...etc.) change that? Maybe. We shall see. But they will always have the multiple hardware vendor albatross hanging around their neck and I don't see how you can mitigate all of that away. It's both the best thing and the worst thing about the Windows platform.

As for the commercials, I am ready to see something different from Apple as well. I'd prefer they pit the real life computer screens against each other. Show an actual Windows machine locking up, acting weird or having to have Windows reinstalled to clean up all the crap loading it down and making every Windows machine I have ever seen run slow eventually. Contrast that with a Mac not having those issues. And show the software that comes with it better. And promote iWork for crying out loud. Pages is a wonderful program. I use it everyday and couldn't be happier.

Whatever they end up doing, I think it should focus on the actual hardware/software more and not rely on these people mascots so much, if at all.

 

[gathart]

I totally agree with you.

Mate, you don't know what you are talking about. I came from the PC, and now with my perhaps over the top expensive macbook pro, life is soo much more easier. I actually enjoy using it. No more viruses/crashes/software just... working. It costs more, but it saves me all the agro.

On the subject of th adds: i think they are more for the apple users. Personally i think they are silly repetative and ... boring!. LOve my apple though....

 

[snowleopard48]

Time to fight back! lol

ya! lol,

i love the future pc one!

 

[coolfactor]

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.

Dude, they are two top computer industry competitors across the entire world. Put yourself in their shoes. Apple needs to educate consumers that there is a difference between Macs and Windows PCs. Too many still think Macs are costly alien devices that don't do what they want. That is wrong, and it ends up costing a lot of people a lot of time.

 

[Nero3000]

1. Software Updates on a Mac are much simpler and less intrusive than on Windows.
2. Driver updates -- please list some.
3. Mac OS X auto-defrags the drive, no need for users to do anything.
4. Mac OS X comes with two built-in backup applications... Backup and Time Machine. What does every Windows computer come with that's easy to use and automatic?

1. Software update come through windows update
2. Drivers also come through windows update
3. Windows auto defrags your hard drive too
4. Windows provides back up with its inbuilt back up functionality as well as its previous versions function

All of the above is easy to use and automatic (back up needs to be set up first though but not previous versions).

 

[skwoytek]

It came before, but not by years more like months. With windows 7 more consumers will be aware of this, and those that use windows live messenger probably have this program too when they updated.

If you have a PC you should give it a try, some of the stuff is pretty good.

Windows Live Photo Gallery only recognizes that it is indeed a face - which you could then tag with a name.

iPhoto recognizes the face, who it belongs to and automatically puts that photo in the proper person's folder. If iPhoto ends up being wrong you reject it, but for he most part (after I tagged the first dozen faces of each person) iPhoto does all the work.

The face recognition feature is the feature that the ad is touting, not simply saying "there is a face in this photo." Windows Live Photo Gallery does not auto-tag faces nor does it compare to iPhoto in most regards... I have both.

 

[macmike22]

Hahah loved legal copy

 

[isoMorpheus]

"Future PC just froze". Classic.

 

[Lock51]

These ads are booorrrrinnggg. And they don't really fight back. The PC buyer ads have really brought the point of buying the PC - price. No Seinfeld needed for that.
And what about the points which are brought up in these ads anyway? PC froze - I use lots of PC, none of them freeze. May be it was the case with Windows 95, but these days are over. And the fact that there are many viruses for PC doesn't mean that I am always scared to get one. And the single feature of face recognition doesn't justify buying a Mac.

 

[Veri]

I guess I should congratulate Apple that their software engineering effort makes me still use Macs despite their advertising.

I was hoping that the time traveller would go 8 years back to OS 9 vs XP, or maybe just to Leopard 10.5.0 or 10.5.1. But then some genius in marketing obviously decided that a simple "You need to restart your computer" would be better than a BSOD that honestly tells the user that there's something wrong with the computer's hardware/software. Hey, it even reads like it might be the user's fault! Just like the scant notes in their bugfixes, never give the impression that anything went wrong. (Except MobileMe, but that's because Apple finally realised they were being laughed at for ignoring the Godzilla rampaging through their plastic Eden.)

The legal copy one reminded me of all the iPhone adverts with, "This is a simulation. Performance may vary - downwards!" footnotes. I was going to paste the whole OS X EULA here before typing "Now welcome to Mac", but, unlike the Apple marketing machine, I know what's annoying.

The biohazard suit - oh lolol another "PCs have viruses!" ad. But, sorry, how many thousands of new viruses per day? I'd like to see the creative accounting that produced that number. In other news, THE AIR IS FULL OF VIRUSES WHICH SPREAD IN A DENSE POPULATION, STAY INDOORS! So, while you do have the option of switching to a rarer species, you could just take basic precautions.

In conclusion, the year-on-year win by PC vs Mac is great evidence that, even if intelligent design did occur, it would be thrashed by organic evolution. Which sort of says that evolution is the most intelligent form of design.

(Irregardless, as our dear recently departed would say, Vista still sucks.)

 

[gathart]

1. Software update come through windows update
2. Drivers also come through windows update
3. Windows auto defrags your hard drive too
4. Windows provides back up with its inbuilt back up functionality as well as its previous versions function

All of the above is easy to use and automatic (back up needs to be set up first though but not previous versions).

Mate, have you tried a MAC? You notice the difference - it is so eay and nice.

 

[Rob0711]

LOL. Loved 'Legal Copy'!! At least Apple hires actors for their commercials that we all know are actors. While M$ is still trying to make everyone believe their "Laptop Hunters" aren't actors.

well they might have worse actors and the camera work is made too look amateur like (to get that testimonial type of look) still both are just movies with more or less well scripted content. i hardly believe anyone still believes ads to be real life situations... it´s just advertising. as goes with the mac vs. pc ads. they are made to push a certain thought. and do that pretty well. but those ads aren´t made for us. but for the people who havn´t seen a mac so far. ( how fast the laptop farmer spots grow boring is another topic )

 

[opeter]

I've never understood criticisms like this. I mean... they're ads, fer @#$%& sake, not high art. Since when are ads tasteful?

About a century ago... or even 50-60 years ago.

 

[Evangelion]

I gotta say, it's a pretty weak response to the Windows ads.

It's not a "response", it's just continuation of the ads that they have been running for a long time now.

 

[richard.mac]

"PC's are now 100% trouble free" made me snort red wine out of my nose!

Apple have a sense of humour and know their product while Microsoft are all about marketing.