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Apple's Latest Ad Takes Aim at Microsoft's 'Laptop Hunters' Campaign
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Snow Leopard is really just Leopard 1.5 IMO
Win 7 has some pretty ground breaking UI (the "superbar") and is much more than just vista 2.0
Well see what Apple might be cooking up for Snow Leopard other than offloading processes to the GPU's.
The thing is though, Microsoft has its new XP. A good stable and fast OS that is getting good press. Apple is going to need more than just an OS to to continue. I think one could argue that Apple recent success has really been mostly to do with microsofts blunders.
If apple wants to go they can't just keep trying to woo PC owners with deep pockets they need to actually ... GASP ... make affordable macs.
I didn't join only to post pro-Windows stuff and I'm not a fanboy. I'm only interested in the advertising angle, since that's what I do for a living.
I haven't posted before because I don't care about arguing the ridiculous Apple vs. PC debate. I just thought people who would argue about the ads for hundreds and hundreds of pages throughout several threads MIGHT be interested in seeing whether these MS ads were actually effective, which the data backs up.
Like I said, I work in advertising, which is almost all Mac, so I'm hardly an MS fanboy. I own a 13" unibody Macbook, work on a Mac G4 at the office and I'm holding out for the next generation of iPhone. I also have a Dell at home, used mainly as a storage server.
Apparently that counts as fanboy spam around here and it's even worse if you don't have the join date to back it up.
Thanks for the information on the effectiveness on the ads in a thread about said ads instead of a newbie witch hunt.
I don't think the data does back it up though. Or at least I haven't seen enough to come to that conclusion. That's why I posted the chart that shows Global - Value but these ads don't air abroad.
Doesn't matter really - MS, and its cohorts, will gladly take credit, regardless of this seemingly insignificant detail. Firesale PCs bearing Windows will always win in the realm of "Value Deception," especially whilst the percentage of pirated copies of Windows begins to approach that of the current OEM sales base, as greater value is sought worldwide.
Excellent point - if someone posts pro-Windows stuff, he must be a troll since everyone knows Windows is bad and being for it is the wrong opinion to have.
Instead of religiously considering him an enemy that simply hasn't been convinced yet, you could, I don't know, actually try to accept his point of view and check out the info he provided? It's actually from a reputable source, not just random "I heard somewhere" stuff.
They have been working on their image a lot, there were the ads where people were given Vista without being told it's Vista, the Seinfeld ads, Laptop Hunters and many more. Windows 7 has been getting some positive feedback as well.
I agree that there is no way it's just the recent ads that helped Microsoft's image, but there's no denying that they are a part of a larger campaign that has proven to be successful.
Last I checked, MS didn't make laptops (although to be fair they do make money from preinstalled Windows on those laptops). But you are still wrong on the "we pay you to buy MS" part. Nobody forces them into anything, they have the option to pick Apple, they just don't because they find a product with more value from another company.
I didn't say anyone "forced" them into anything - I said Microsoft pays for the customer's laptop if it's Windows-based. What kind of underlying message does that send about your brand? And you really think they have the option to pick an Apple?
They never say they will only pay if it's Windows-based, they only ask them to find the best offer. The actors themselves freewillingly come to the realisation they will probably buy something else than Apple, and only AFTER they analyse the offers.
Do you believe all the FUD they put in Get A Mac advertisments?
Yeah, I'm sure if they ended up picking a Mac that they'd run the ad.
And I'm sure they "freewillingly" come to the correct conclusion with a Microsoft camera following them around the store and a guy waving a stack of cash in their face.
The naivete here is frightening.
Being a Windows user since 1993, I know it's not FUD. And so do the Windows-using masses.
Why do so many die-hard Mac-users think it's impossible to like your Mac but still being able to think Apple as a company sucks from time to time?
Just look at how many 'boo-hoo'ed about Mr. Jobs not making it for WWDC? What? You only like Steve? It's not a one man deal...
It's just too friggin' tiresome as a fellow Mac-user to see as soon as someone mentions Windows doing something better or complains about some stuff not working with his Mac he or she gets a truckload of being 'partial to Windows', 'MS fanboy' and so on.
If anything, blame Apple for making us normal Mac-users look like we always knows best and being laid-back wiseguys, at least according to their ads! It's almost like some people don't seem to think they're 'Mac' enough unless they live up to the image.
I have to use Windows at times since some of the software I use don't exist for Mac's. I don't mind doing it either, it's just another OS with other quirks. What I don't like is the whole "Apple is impervious to computer problems" or their blindfolded, cultish follower's embarrassing us other, normal users.
As with most things it's a personal choice but while Mac hardware crashes less, they still do crash at times. They ARE expensive in doing it and Apple can behave in a seriously bad way at times when you need service, making you very eager to find something else once your lovely Mac breaks.
Just look at how many 'boo-hoo'ed about Mr. Jobs not making it for WWDC? What? You only like Steve? It's not a one man deal...
It's just too friggin' tiresome as a fellow Mac-user to see as soon as someone mentions Windows doing something better or complains about some stuff not working with his Mac he or she gets a truckload of being 'partial to Windows', 'MS fanboy' and so on.
If anything, blame Apple for making us normal Mac-users look like we always knows best and being laid-back wiseguys, at least according to their ads! It's almost like some people don't seem to think they're 'Mac' enough unless they live up to the image.
I have to use Windows at times since some of the software I use don't exist for Mac's. I don't mind doing it either, it's just another OS with other quirks. What I don't like is the whole "Apple is impervious to computer problems" or their blindfolded, cultish follower's embarrassing us other, normal users.
As with most things it's a personal choice but while Mac hardware crashes less, they still do crash at times. They ARE expensive in doing it and Apple can behave in a seriously bad way at times when you need service, making you very eager to find something else once your lovely Mac breaks.
Well still other than Best Buy there is no place to buy Mac's around where i am in NY (LI)
so an ads where they go to BEst Buy makes it look like Macs are everywhere, plus the money in the face they get to keep what is ever left of what they dont use
People have very little of a choice when they go comnputer shopping because they arent in every computer store, whether large or small dont sell macs, so saying that "nobody forces them" is wrong
Yeah, it is very naive to think that a person that is told that this is a ms windows representative that will give you money back.......Yeah, I'm sure if they ended up picking a Mac that they'd run the ad.
And I'm sure they "freewillingly" come to the correct conclusion with a Microsoft camera following them around the store and a guy waving a stack of cash in their face.
The naivete here is frightening.
Being a Windows user since 1993, I know it's not FUD. And so do the Windows-using masses.
1) people arent going to buy Apple, they might not get any money ( i would think if i was a "laptophunter"
2)MS knows that if you give a personsay $1300 to buy a computer, you will get a bottom of the line iMac or macbook, but have 30 other choices in pc's (desktops and notebooks) The odds are in MS's favor
I think that people that claim to be neutral sound actually pro-PC to the point that they are antiMacs
I am a new mac user ( a couple of months)I had used PC's from 1984 till Jan of this year, actually my first computer that i used in Kindergarten was a Apple IIE in 1983)
I know that Macs have issues, just like PC's , but the point you make is a correct one that macs "do break less than PC's",
1)but then you give a that compliement a backhand when you say "making you eager to find something else once your lovely mac breaks", just seems that sarcasm is a jab saying that they are "lovely".
2)Also this makes it sound like they break more or just as much as PC's do and that "lovely" PC's dont break more often...the way you said it, almost conradicts what you admited to say that they break less
3)you also sound like you are using arguments that countless PC trolls i am sure of have used like "Mac......image" "they are more expensive" (which is the most obvious thing to say on a MAc forum because especially here people now that they are expensive) and that people that are more more pro Apple are the fan boys because if we are automatically fanboys when you say that pro Mac people can't "to think Apple as a company sucks from time to time?"
when i have never read here anybody that is more pro Mac say here......
it is a stereotype that really exists rarely if never but you have to act like the vast Majority of Mac users on this forum are like that. (which is ironic because you mention that supposedly say something pro MS you are an MS fanboy, then you use the same method to accuse anybody that isnt 50/50 or pro MS to be a Apple fanboy to the extreme)
People would be more respected (i think) if they just came out and said that they are pro MS, because there arguments are very slanted one way.
Yeah, I'm sure if they ended up picking a Mac that they'd run the ad.
And I'm sure they "freewillingly" come to the correct conclusion with a Microsoft camera following them around the store and a guy waving a stack of cash in their face.
The naivete here is frightening.
Being a Windows user since 1993, I know it's not FUD. And so do the Windows-using masses.
For the love of God, it IS NOT 1993 ANYMORE. Windows Vista does not crash as they claim in the Apple ads.. EVERY example from people here is some Mac guy going.. "Oh my uncle's PC is full of viruses and I have to go and fix it".. Its all ridiculous.
I use 10 different machines all running Vista / Vista 64 bit. I have only had to restart a machine ONCE in the last year due to crashing.. Is it luck?
Are you honestly trying to say that 90% of the world spend all day crashing and trying to beat viruses?? Its actually monumentally embarrassing when you say that out loud. GET A GRIP.. Vista is not perfect, I like OS X too.. but the Apple ads LIE about the current status of Vista.. Yes, it HAD problems.. but Apple are flogging this horse way too much - show me more cool features like iPhoto.. make me WANT your OS and not despise you for having a go at "PC".
Even if the "customers" were allowed to pick Macs, do you think MS would go ahead and turn that into a commercial? Really, are you that dense? If the customers can pick a Mac (which they can't because you'd be foolish to think they weren't hired by MS) every other customer could be saying, "oh hell yeah, I'll take this Macbook for free!" You'll never know that though because that would not be beneficial to MS marketing. Use your head.
The old Mac vs PC argument gets lame after a while.
I use a Macbok because it's:
a) Beautiful.
b) Solid in terms of construction.
c) OS X is solid in terms of operation.
d) The multitouch trackpad is awesome.
e) It's extremely reliable and quick when waking from hibernation.
f) Does everythng I want from a casual browsing/media machine with a minimum of fuss. It just works.
I use a Vista x64 desktop because:
a) The power vs price ratio is unbeatable.
b) It's solid in construction (gotta love Antec cases!)
c) Vista x64 is rock solid in operation.
d) It's a great games machine, media server and productivity workhorse with a software range that Apple or Linux cannot match.
e) It's extremely reliable and quick to wake from hibernation.
f) The level of fuss is minimal - UAC long ago learned what I want to use and the Norton utility does the rest. The AV software is free, has a light footprint in terms of resource and is discrete. It just works.
I also have an Ubuntu box but that's more my wife's plaything than mine.
So two tools for two very different functions and both of them bloody good at what they do.
This is why I believe people who come out with the 'MS/Apple are crap' line should just be met with a sad shake of the head. You use what's best for you and for me sometimes that's a Mac sometimes a PC.
Go figure.
I use a Macbok because it's:
a) Beautiful.
b) Solid in terms of construction.
c) OS X is solid in terms of operation.
d) The multitouch trackpad is awesome.
e) It's extremely reliable and quick when waking from hibernation.
f) Does everythng I want from a casual browsing/media machine with a minimum of fuss. It just works.
I use a Vista x64 desktop because:
a) The power vs price ratio is unbeatable.
b) It's solid in construction (gotta love Antec cases!)
c) Vista x64 is rock solid in operation.
d) It's a great games machine, media server and productivity workhorse with a software range that Apple or Linux cannot match.
e) It's extremely reliable and quick to wake from hibernation.
f) The level of fuss is minimal - UAC long ago learned what I want to use and the Norton utility does the rest. The AV software is free, has a light footprint in terms of resource and is discrete. It just works.
I also have an Ubuntu box but that's more my wife's plaything than mine.
So two tools for two very different functions and both of them bloody good at what they do.
This is why I believe people who come out with the 'MS/Apple are crap' line should just be met with a sad shake of the head. You use what's best for you and for me sometimes that's a Mac sometimes a PC.
Go figure.
Great post!
I was beginning to think nobody had managed to run Vista successfully
Very balanced and accurate.
I agree. The Mac vs. PC ads suck. They were neat to begin with, but people have to actually SEE the OS. Show us iPhoto or iMovie, that'll get someone into an apple store. This ad campaign is over, it's gone on for too long. The new MS ads are very effective and convincing, especially in these times.
I've used Windows 7 and it's pretty slick. The taskbar (dock) is better than apple's (not appearance, but functionality is better BY FAR) And the windows explorer is a nice alternative to the finder. However, it's still windows and I'll never switch, although their UI is getting pretty slick the mac OS is still by far superior. I think Windows 7 will be a hit and Apple needs to step their game up with advertising.
Hello
I have Windows 7 on my Mac and the 2 times after i used it the prog crashed. The time before that before 7 had to shut down Roxio Creator 2009 becuase it didnt reconize it.
Windows 7 is nothing more than Vista with a new sheen.
and when you say you run 10 machines with Vista, you are using it as and IT professional, you are not an average user. Why does that matter? Because you probably, check them for viruses all the time, udate it form time to time plus look for patched to Vista and the programs that actually work on it) Do you think your average personn that uses a PC or a MAc has time for all that stuff every day, week and month??? Atleast with a mac the updates do most of that in one swoop, without constant rebooting (of a PC).
Lying about windows in thise mac ads? I have been around computers for 2.5 decades and i know with pretty much certainty that even PC's with Vista or XP or 7 or 2000 that are constantly updated, like you do, even have problems. And to deny that you are the one LYING
Your points about Vista mentions the companies shell that the computer comes in which has 0% to do with windows
you also mentioned "rock solid" wihich is a extreme viewpoint compared to every person i know that uses Vista, from the Noobs all the way up to most expert users. Software range? Id rather personally use iMovie instead of 2 seperate Sony programs that costs over $200 togther (but thats my opinion-to each his own i guess) That whole thing about hibernation is just the same with my iMac it is very quick waking up (and anyways does it matter THAT much???)
Getting back to the whole gaming isue if peoples 360's didnt always break then they would have no need for a "gaming machine"
To make it sound like it is so easy to do and that its so easy then the whole PC repair industry would collapse, and we all know that will never happen
PC's arent bad, just most run Windows and windows still needs a loty of effort to work as good as Ubuntu and Mac
Great post!
I was beginning to think nobody had managed to run Vista successfully
Very balanced and accurate.
well balanced comparing Macs hardware and software to just a PC's software......(does that not make any sense to more people, hopefully i am not the only one)
I have to disagree with you - I run both Vista and Mac OS X. Vista is a rock solid OS, provided all you do is e-mail, surf, compose a document from time to time, and gaze at a few photos. However, this changes dramatically while running several memory intensive applications simultaneously and while copying and moving large files. I am much happier just allowing Vista to run idle - it is problem free, and does not need to be restarted due to memory fragmentation. Rock solid, indeed.Hello
I have Windows 7 on my Mac and the 2 times after i used it the prog crashed. The time before that before 7 had to shut down Roxio Creator 2009 becuase it didnt reconize it.
Windows 7 is nothing more than Vista with a new sheen.
and when you say you run 10 machines with Vista, you are using it as and IT professional, you are not an average user. Why does that matter? Because you probably, check them for viruses all the time, udate it form time to time plus look for patched to Vista and the programs that actually work on it) Do you think your average personn that uses a PC or a MAc has time for all that stuff every day, week and month??? Atleast with a mac the updates do most of that in one swoop, without constant rebooting (of a PC).
Lying about windows in thise mac ads? I have been around computers for 2.5 decades and i know with pretty much certainty that even PC's with Vista or XP or 7 or 2000 that are constantly updated, like you do, even have problems. And to deny that you are the one LYING
Your points about Vista mentions the companies shell that the computer comes in which has 0% to do with windows
you also mentioned "rock solid" wihich is a extreme viewpoint compared to every person i know that uses Vista, from the Noobs all the way up to most expert users. Software range? Id rather personally use iMovie instead of 2 seperate Sony programs that costs over $200 togther (but thats my opinion-to each his own i guess) That whole thing about hibernation is just the same with my iMac it is very quick waking up (and anyways does it matter THAT much???)
Getting back to the whole gaming isue if peoples 360's didnt always break then they would have no need for a "gaming machine"
To make it sound like it is so easy to do and that its so easy then the whole PC repair industry would collapse, and we all know that will never happen
PC's arent bad, just most run Windows and windows still needs a loty of effort to work as good as Ubuntu and Mac
well balanced comparing Macs hardware and software to just a PC's software......(does that not make any sense to more people, hopefully i am not the only one)
And your point is...? Apple don't make their RAM, HDDs and other integral components yet it's branded as a Macbook.
Good for you. Like I said, YMMV.
Fair enough. Windows PCs still have far more software and applications available to them than Macs though.
Not reallly. It's a nice feature though. Windows XP was horrible at it.
Getting back to the whole gaming isue if peoples 360's didnt always break then they would have no need for a "gaming machine"
I doubt it. There are far more PC gamers out there than console gamers. People keep telling us that it's dying but that doesn't seem to be the case.
I don't think the Apple Genius bar is exactly in danger of going out of business either, no?
No, they don't. A Mac is easier to set up but the difference in time is expressed in minutes.
I think I'l leave it there - I have no wish to be drawn into another tiresome Mac vs PC argument. All I can say is that I enjoy using OS X and Vista.
and when you say you run 10 machines with Vista, you are using it as and IT professional, you are not an average user. Why does that matter? Because you probably, check them for viruses all the time, udate it form time to time plus look for patched to Vista and the programs that actually work on it) Do you think your average personn that uses a PC or a MAc has time for all that stuff every day, week and month??? Atleast with a mac the updates do most of that in one swoop, without constant rebooting (of a PC).
Lying about windows in thise mac ads? I have been around computers for 2.5 decades and i know with pretty much certainty that even PC's with Vista or XP or 7 or 2000 that are constantly updated, like you do, even have problems. And to deny that you are the one LYING
One thing that I find incredibly annoying about Vista is that it seems like every time I log in there's some sort of update (often for security, go figure) that needs to be installed and the computer needs to be restarted. Leopard needs to be updated far far less than Windows which is always a plus.
Geez, Pnut13... Take a breath and relax a bit, ok?
Yes, I was speaking to you and the other fanboys. The rest of the normal, sensible part of the group was excluded from my post. My bad for not being clearer.
I am pro mac most of the time, when they're applicable for the task. I use the computer environment that suits my task or budget at the time. I'm just not very pro-Apple any more. Mostly because every time I had a problem with any of my Macs breaking down throughout the years Apple have been behaving like it was my damn fault when it was obvious it wasn't. In a "you-have-to-push-the-power-button-in-a-right-way" mentality, condescending if you will. I won't go into detail here because that isn't any of your business. But still, the point is even though I've been burnt several times from Apple I'm still here using their products so back the hell off!!
If anything, you only prove my point. Oh, and by the way if you want to go down on Windows 7, as it isn't officially released and in beta, compare it with something of an equal stage, say Snow Leopard. Oh, that's right we can't even try that officially, wonder why? Bugs maybe?
What I've seen of Windows 7 so far impresses me to some degree. Apple is going to get some competition and they know it too. And that's good for any Mac-user, whether they like it or not. Windows that is.
I'm pro-competition and pro-evolution but you, you need to open your eyes! You could always start by looking up the "AppleCare on ebay" thread here at MacRumors and see how the good-minded folks at Apple help to fight the fraudulent cause by revoking AppleCare when they've already given their customers a certificate. You have to be able to trust a contract... Oh, what the hell. Read the thread yourself.
Yeah, I'm sure if they ended up picking a Mac that they'd run the ad.
And I'm sure they "freewillingly" come to the correct conclusion with a Microsoft camera following them around the store and a guy waving a stack of cash in their face.
The naivete here is frightening.
Being a Windows user since 1993, I know it's not FUD. And so do the Windows-using masses.
Anyone who honestly thinks the laptop hunter ads are "real" is an idiot -- they are ADVERTISEMENTS. Do people think that the PC guy and Mac guy are actually the human incarnations of computer hardware and software? That said, the laptop hunter ads DO present a realistic scenario -- I have X dollars to spend, and I'm looking for a computer with A, B, and C features. Nine times out of ten, it's going to be a PC. More for your money.
And yeah, seriously, it's not 1993 any more. Maybe you need to upgrade past Windows 3.1, or maybe your company's IT department just sucks and overloads everyone's system with bloated anti-virus and firewall software, or maybe after 16 years you still don't know how use the control panel or something. I don't know, but the majority of the "Windows-using masses" have their computers up and running smoothly 99.9% of the time. Here, let me look around the office real quick.... Nope, no one's PC is BSODed, nor crippled by a virus, nor on fire with Ballmer-headed demons flying out of it.
Come on -- if Macs were honestly that much better than PCs to warrant their price, they'd have more than 7% of the market. The reality is that there are a lot of drawbacks to owning a Mac, and the price isn't justified for the most part (at least not for 93% of people). You know, I didn't think Mac people actually were cultish and annoyingly smug until I started coming here.
I'm curious. Do these Laptop Hunter ads even air outside the U.S.?
I don't think so either, because there's another dimension to this as well:
if the Ads are actually being effective, shouldn't there be a Real World HALO EFFECT visible on HP's sales, since they were the brand being sold in several of the spots?
The point here is that HP is currently reporting that their real world sales have tanked.
Humorously, we can point out that $200,000,000 was spent on this advertising campaign, and less than $10,000 was spent to buy Windows Laptops. Gosh, that means that $199,990,000 was spent by consumers who chose Mac that won't ever be aired on TV.
If anyone did actually select a Mac ... as well as if no one ever did ... will invariably come out in time - - those Non-Disclosure statements can't have a 'never' expiration date on them.
Besides, the "Blu-Ray" kid was legally too young to sign one, and even if his parents signed, IIRC, it becomes null & void when he becomes of legal age.
-hh