Dude you beat me to the punch...
I like the commercials but they are the same old ones...mostly about Windows' presumed-horrific security. zzzzzzzzzzz Why don't you tell me storing batteries in my fridge makes them last 800% longer.
Realistically, unless you visit porn sites or Warez sites or "free screensaver" sites on a weekly basis, your machine won't be attacked/hacked. Not to mention that you can buy McAfee or Norton antivirus software suites (as well as including firewall and other above-average security measures like ) for $29 that will COVER 3 MACHINES.
I'm sure some here will reply "well, why do you have to pay for that extra stuff?!"...and my response will be "if you can't afford $29 (realistically $10 per machine) for peace of mind, you're a fool". Most cars do NOT come with a security system. Ditto for homes. Security software has been around for over a decade for Windows...if you run Windows on the net 24x7 with absolutely no security measures, that's your own risk (and believe it or not, I do it quite a lot with testing I do at my job and have run security-free systems for months on the net without a single issue)...ditto for having a car without plunking down $100 for a basic security system...I'm sure it will be fine for a long time if you live in the burbs or always have it in your garage or whatever...but eventually, if you leave it outside and exposed 24x7, it will probably be attacked...AND LIKELY WHEN YOU ARE AT A SKETCHY SECTION OF TOWN.
If Windows security was so bad, why hasn't Mac or Linux or something else taken off like wildfire? If Windows' security is so bad, why hasn't MS been hit by a class-action suit? The reality is that unless you are a bozo and out surfing for nasty and pirated stuff, you're almost never going to be victim of spyware or viruses. I've owned Macs and pcs since 1991 (before that it was MS DOS and Apple //e with ProDos)...pre-internet-boom I got a few viruses on both Apple and PC platforms. Since 1995, mainly using Windows, I've had 2 spyware hits and 1 virus. That's 14 years folks...and out of all 3 time, NEVER did I need to format my drive and cry my eyes out like Fanboys claim. Yes, there are times when that happens...but far far from the norm. And ya know what?...even though I'm a techie and should have known better, all 3 were MY FAULT by purposely clicking on web link or running a .exe that I trusted...and ALL 3 came from the internet.
But back to the point...the Apple commercials are getting really old. Sure, they're a tad funny still, but all they do is knock Windows security or ATTEMPT to knock Windows' ease-of-use/efficiency. And my reply to that is...Windows has been very mainstream since 1995...90% mainstream I might add. Macs are nice...and maybe they are a BIT easier to use...but most people find the pcs just dandy. 90% of people I should add. When Apple starts to combat price, realistic ease-of-use, and basically reassuring the buyer that the Mac is not a system that .001% of the humans on this planet own, yes, Macs may start to break into some serious marketshare.
I like the Macs...don't get me wrong...and I've been an Apple fan (not a Fanboy) since the late 70s.
Apple did a fantastic job ripping Vista...but these commercials are out of gas. Find something new before John needs a walker.
-Eric
Not everyone can afford a Mac. Apple products (Macs, in this case) are the most desirable out there. MS' Laptop Hunters ads implied this (quite plainly), much to MS' chagrin in June and July. But they cost. Which is kind of a barrier to them "taking off" with the $600 Dell crowd.
Apple sells a closed system, with an OS that is
deliberately NOT licensed to everyone and their dog, and which is priced as a Premium product, effectively locking out a large portion of the market - not by accident.
Which explains why Apple has a lock on on the $1000+ notebook (from physical stores) share of the market.
The market isn't one big market. It has segments to it. It's a pyramid. You've got bottom-end, mid-level, and Premium, if those terms help you to understand the principle that the market is made up of divisions. Apple functions and makes an absolute killing at the Premium end. It doesn't want to compete at the low end, and shuns a good portion of the mid end as well.
Apple, as a matter of course and by design, will have lower market share overall. As stated by Jobs, Cook et al, they choose to lock themselves out of certain segments of the market. And this strategy has paid off big-time, both for Apple and its market. A Premium product manufacturer doesn't target certain income brackets - there will be consumers that will be absent from the target demographic. Which is perfectly normal.
The consumer that Apple targets approaches tech (and other products) from an entirely different perspective (often not on price), with different expectations (in terms of quality and User Experience) that Apple happens to cater to. Ideally, you WANT to rule the Premium end. It's
these customers that build your brand, that make it desirable, and that will pay top dollar for what you provide. This is what has Microsoft acting so defensive: Windows still has overwhelming unit sale market share, but it is now almost entirely at the low end of the market.
You're also advocating the use of a system that has had 100,000+ pieces of malware and viruses written for it, and which continues to be the target of attacks, over a system that in nearly nine years, despite over 50 million users today, has had only two dumb trojans thrown at it. And, even more ludicrous, you then advocate the use of security software, despite the fact that OS X requires none, and remains the absolute safest platform. You're actually advocating that the user not only should prefer a veritable bullseye, but should spend time and money securing it.
Doesn't quite gel with your whole "efficiency/ease of use" claim, which OS X still commands over every other consumer operating system out there.
And simply put, the commercials work. No reason to change them if they're achieving what is intended, namely, record Mac sales in a recession, and a historic increase in market share since 2006, outpacing the rest of industry several years running. We're at the point now, where folks with $1000+ to spend, are lining up to the counter to get a Mac.
They're just computers.
