Apple's Latest Ad Takes Aim at Microsoft's 'Laptop Hunters' Campaign

[marbles]

One of the best things about the mac community is the message board on the main apple site.

whenever i have had a problem or didn't lnow how to do things - someone sorted me out really quick.

It's a mark of a confident company that lets its users discuss its products so extensively.

But then i suppose mac users have less to moan about.

Rubbish, many threads have been deleted OR there is suddenly a lot of folk against the [insert problem/complaint here] which dumbs it down .

It is totally and utterly controlled Apple discussions- no free speech allowed!

That's the one thing that's spoiled my apple experience the most , I think the machines are pretty good and I have two but the way they run the discussions and how they put down so much on people speaking against the products is awful, obviously company's will need to protect there product but come on Apple ,I could go on a lot more and am having to restrain my self ................

a little more honesty would seal the deal and make Apple a truly excellent company ....unless of course there really is something you don't want the public[ie mac buyers ] to know!.

 

[Journojulz]

It is totally and utterly controlled Apple discussions- no free speech allowed!

Now obviously apple wants to protect itself, especially on its own site, but the many complaints threads do seem to suggest that they do allow free speech.

As I say - on the first page of the apple PB 17" discussion thread there are 2 threads discussing the problem your link was moaning about - with 400 posts and 30,000 views.

Now, if you are going to make that transition from 'complainer' to 'horse's a$$', expect to get booted off.

I am sure there are people out there paid to post maliciously against rival companies, so total free speech is never going to work.

.unless of course there really is something you don't want the public[ie mac buyers ] to know!

Can you name me some specific complaints that are 'suspiciously' absent on the app forums?

 

[brop52]

The rules are pretty openly stated on the AD forums. You can't complain about Apple for good reason because it is a user-user forum and complaining there won't do any good. You can talk about your problem with your product and try to get it fixed but what is the point of complaining? If you have a complaint call customer relations.

 

[dejo]

It is totally and utterly controlled Apple discussions- no free speech allowed!

It is their private discussions. It is their right to control it. Just like MacRumors Forums are private and controlled. What makes you think you have a right to free speech under those circumstances?

 

[SACD02]

It is their private discussions. It is their right to control it. Just like MacRumors Forums are private and controlled. What makes you think you have a right to free speech under those circumstances?

Yeah seriously, what makes him think he has the right to complain and criticize Apple?
Doesnt he know that all negative comments and criticism are for Microsoft and Apple is only company that hasn't done anything wrong?

 

[polaris20]

Yeah seriously, what makes him think he has the right to complain and criticize Apple?
Doesnt he know that all negative comments and criticism are for Microsoft and Apple is only company that hasn't done anything wrong?

You can say whatever you want. Absolutely. But if you don't wish to follow whatever rules the board has, then start your own message board. There's no such thing as free speech on a privately owned message board. Don't be foolish.

 

[Journojulz]

Er, SACD02... the apple boards DO allow criticism and complaint.

Do you know any issues that are NOT allowed to be discussed?

 

[offwidafairies]

i'm surprised so many macrumors members found this ad funny. i thought it was a kind of lame come back and it didn't even address the price issue.

also:
screen size varies with mac also
there aren't really any 'slow' computers to buy new these days

the mac ad could have shown how much simpler it is to choose a mac (time wise) due to the lack of choice (or simpler choices i mean, with only one brand)

and i thought it was below mac to have a comeback at those pc ads....

i still think apple is overpriced. my 2 cents

 

[Journojulz]

i'm surprised so many macrumors members found this ad funny. i thought it was a kind of lame come back and it didn't even address the price issue.

I thought it echoed the apple line - 'Its no bargain if it doesn't do what you want it to.'

I thought it was a funny ad, reminds us why we like mac - they make using machines more fun with less annoyances.

The ads wars can be viewed like this:

M$: You can pay less if you want to
APC: You get what you pay for

"i still think apple is overpriced. my 2 cents"

I buy apple today so they can change the world tommorow. My £200

The imac on my desk I bought in 2007 paid for the development of the iphone 3g in my pocket

Throw money at some companies - and you get quite a lot in return.

 

[dejo]

Yeah seriously, what makes him think he has the right to complain and criticize Apple?

I think you have rights and privileges confused.

 

[alhedges]

I buy apple today so they can change the world tommorow. My £200

The imac on my desk I bought in 2007 paid for the development of the iphone 3g in my pocket

Throw money at some companies - and you get quite a lot in return.

Actually, I think it the iPod I bought in 2004...and the larger iPod I bought in 2006...and the nano I bought in 2007...and the iphone I bought in 2008...have all allowed Apple breathing room to concentrate on making OSX and its computers better. Including permitting it to take some risks and make some acquisitions that otherwise might be very risky or impossible, but which can only be beneficial to mac development.

 

[Journojulz]

I do own an apple share - just the one.

It's like jobs told a pepsi exec, 'do you want to sell sugar water all your life - or do you want to change the world?'


I honestly think that if MS stopped tomorrow - in 10 years we wouldn't miss it.
If apple stopped - we would feel we were missing something good.

 

[Mal]

Actually, I think it the iPod I bought in 2004...and the larger iPod I bought in 2006...and the nano I bought in 2007...and the iphone I bought in 2008...have all allowed Apple breathing room to concentrate on making OSX and its computers better. Including permitting it to take some risks and make some acquisitions that otherwise might be very risky or impossible, but which can only be beneficial to mac development.

Amen to that, and I think we've been seeing some payoff and will see even more in the near future.

jW

 

[Burning Radio]

Another good (but slightly subtle) part of this advert is the;
"Hi, I'm a Mac"
"I'm a Megan"
Exchange at the end. It sets a very different image to the "...and I'm a PC" at the end of the Laptop Hunter ads, as instead of portraying the owner of the laptop as "one of us now" is points out that the computer is responding to her...

Very subtle, but it helps to humanise the mac even further...

I realized that at the end. It's extremely subtle, but I love that part. It's pretty clever.

These ads are getting old, but this latest one is really good. I still think it's time for another ad campaign tho. Will be interesting to see what they come up with when SL comes out.

 

[SpitzerCR]

yah.. current ads are getting OLD...

We should have a "new ideas for mac ads" discussion....

 

[Frazzle]

Just hardware?

I think it's sad that MS is trying to sell you on the cost of the hardware. Seeing as they're a software company. There obviously wasn't anything to brag about in that department.

Also, it amazes me that people try to compare Macs and PCs as if it's all about the price and performance of the bucket of components sitting on your desk. Those components aren't really responsible for the user experience.

"It's the software, stupid" - and running iLife or FCP or whatever means running OS X, which means buying a Mac (if you want to do it legally). It's in that order. After all, you buy a drill because you want a hole in the wall. It seems to me as if that attitude is more common with Mac users. Many PC users just seem to want a drill to tinker with.

 

[Eric5h5]

i still think apple is overpriced. my 2 cents

Well, you're wrong. It's not that Macs are overpriced, it's that a lot of PCs are underpriced. Look at the margins Apple is getting on Macs...they can make money off them, but it's not an unreasonable amount. The margins on many PCs are slim to none. That's why there's so much paid shovelware loaded onto them, dodgy "service agreements", and so on. Because if companies can't make money on hardware, they have to try to get it some other way, which just makes things worse for the user. Think about it.

--Eric

 

[TennisandMusic]

Well, you're wrong. It's not that Macs are overpriced, it's that a lot of PCs are underpriced. Look at the margins Apple is getting on Macs...they can make money off them, but it's not an unreasonable amount. The margins on many PCs are slim to none. That's why there's so much paid shovelware loaded onto them, dodgy "service agreements", and so on. Because if companies can't make money on hardware, they have to try to get it some other way, which just makes things worse for the user. Think about it.

--Eric

Not necessarily. Putting together a parts PC from the absolute best components available is still waaaaay cheaper. I built a machine for my brother that would crush any of the single core mac pro's, for about 1300 dollars. That's simply the way it is.

 

[DoFoT9]

Not necessarily. Putting together a parts PC from the absolute best components available is still waaaaay cheaper. I built a machine for my brother that would crush any of the single core mac pro's, for about 1300 dollars. That's simply the way it is.

thats besides the point. there is more to a computer then raw speed.

 

[brop52]

How can you compare the price of building your own computer to a company that is trying to make money? If you want to build your own then do it as it is a lot cheaper and usually faster. I would hope so since there is no corporation between you and the parts trying to make money on the design of the computer and marketing.

 

[cheesymogul]

Not necessarily. Putting together a parts PC from the absolute best components available is still waaaaay cheaper. I built a machine for my brother that would crush any of the single core mac pro's, for about 1300 dollars. That's simply the way it is.

That's cool, but can I hire you for the same hourly rate as your brother? Probably not, because it was most likely next to 0.
To make your solution work for professionals in business (the people Mac Pros are made for...) we would have to bring back SLAVERY! I'll bet at $100 per hour your home built PC will no longer look like such a bargain...
For most people computers are simply working tools to bring bread on their table and not just a hobby to have fun tinkering with.

 

[TennisandMusic]

How can you compare the price of building your own computer to a company that is trying to make money? If you want to build your own then do it as it is a lot cheaper and usually faster. I would hope so since there is no corporation between you and the parts trying to make money on the design of the computer and marketing.

I'm pretty sure that there IS a corporation between me and the parts...the ones who make them, market them and sell them! Do you think there isn't a markup on things that you buy from newegg or frys? The stuff I am referring too are the top shelf parts that you see advertised on sites like Anandtech etc. These aren't cheap. The point was it's still cheaper than any kind of mac pro, though of course you don't get the really nice case. There are still good cases to be had however.

The simple fact of the matter is that Apple's have a fairly large price premium on them. There is just no way around that. I have two mac's myself and am planning on a current pro. This is simply because I want to use OSX (along with windows when needed) and it's the only way to get it. People who like to say "Apple hardware is superior!" though are just flat out wrong. It's the same stuff as in PC's if not worse. The designs are obviously the best however. But we gotta be real about it.

 

[inkswamp]

You're lucky if you see that screen. Being forced to hard reboot and having nothing logged about it is much more common.

I've seen plenty of Windows system failures where not an iota of info is logged. Macs actually log a lot more activity and information (including about crashes) than Windows does. In fact, it's sometimes a little overwhelming how much information you have to wade through on the Mac. Apple provides the tools to cut through it all or you can find open source alternatives. I've never had any problem troubleshooting with the logged information but then that requires experience and knowledge and I guess we're all only willing to go so far when it comes to learning new things.

I've seen you complain about this before and explained to you that you can either hold down Apple+V to see the verbose startup or access the system logs (via the bootup CD if you can't boot from the HD). This is fairly basic Mac troubleshooting and doesn't require much effort to master. Are you simply unwilling to learn this or are you trolling? I would be willing to help you understand it if you really want to.

 

[inkswamp]

Or maybe they bought a 360 knowing that MS was initially taking a loss on each unit sold

I've always wanted to know if Apple makes any profit from the XBox 360. Since the 360 uses PPC chips and Apple was one of the three companies that developed and owned (still owns?) the PPC chip, it stands to reason that Apple may be making a small amount off each XBox sold.

Not that I actually care much. I don't get into the MS-vs-Apple thing. I'm just big on the irony of it.

 

[TennisandMusic]

That's cool, but can I hire you for the same hourly rate as your brother? Probably not, because it was most likely next to 0.
To make your solution work for professionals in business (the people Mac Pros are made for...) we would have to bring back SLAVERY! I'll bet at $100 per hour your home built PC will no longer look like such a bargain...
For most people computers are simply working tools to bring bread on their table and not just a hobby to have fun tinkering with.

I put together machines, with a professional result, in about an hour, and I wouldn't charge anyone 100 bucks to do so. It's not a hard task.

And yes I agree, for the pro business Mac Pro's make sense. Totally agree. But it's hard to say that it's effective for home users, especially given the large price/performance differential. I know the topic is a dead horse, but they really need some sort of in between desktop. I guess the bad thing is that it would kill the lower end Mac Pro if they did so.