Intel's Latest PC vs. Mac Ad Involves a 'Social Experiment' With Apple Fans

[BC2009]

Early on, I loved Apple. I had an Apple IIc and I helped admin our first mac computer lab at school. Then macs went downhill and I started using PC's running Windows. When I came back to Apple with a 2009 iMac and an iPhone 3Gs and a couple if AirPort routers, I was shocked at how well everything worked together with no issues. No more WiFi connection problems. My phone could share stuff with my computer. I still had Windows running on VMWare because I was nervous to switch back, but I loved OS-X so much that I hated the few times I booted into Windows to open an old file.

Eventually I stopped paying to upgrade VMWare Fusion and removed Windows from my iMac to recover hard drive space -- my wife followed suit soon after.

I work with a guy who has been a Windows guys for years -- he's probably 10 years older than me. We've worked together for nearly 20 years now and recently he switched to macOS. He loves it. At first he would call me to ask how to do certain things on macOS that he used to do on Windows. Almost always his reaction was "wow, that is so easy -- I thought it was going to be complicated".

Now he's figuring out tons of tech tricks on his own. He's going to go nuts once Shortcuts comes to macOS.

I've never met a single person who has switched from PC to macOS who has looked back and yearned for Windows -- just people "under the spell" of Microsoft believing that they cannot switch or else they would be betraying some loyalty they've sworn to Windows.

It does not matter how interesting the hardware is for any of these PC's (and a touch keyboard is something I do not want on a laptop). It does not matter because the software and hardware are disjoint and there is no ecosystem to connect them. Way back in 2009 my iMac, iPhone and AirPort worked well enough together to impress me. Today Apple's iPhones and macs and iPads and watches are all far more integrated and seamless. And today, Windows is still disjoint -- you have to run a Microsoft-skinned Android phone to integrate with a Surface laptop -- and you have to deal with Intel chips that cannot simultaneously achieve low power usage and high performance.

That commercial smells of the desperation of Intel trying to convince PC loyalists that they should not switch or else they will be "stupid" like these people who are under Apple's spell. Intel is completely desperate. It is so sad.

 

[Digital Dude]

This brings back memories from 1989 around the time when the Berlin wall came crashing down on my ‘79 Pinto. Kidding aside (sorta) my coworkers would always mock me for using a toy as a computer a.k.a. Mac. Now the rolls are reversed. 🤷‍♂️

 

[grizzlified]

Maybe they should try experimenting with people who aren't complete fanboys and/or technologically retarded people. Been a Windows users for the past 20 years of my life and haven't regretted transitioning to Mac M1 this January. Battery life kills Intel for sure. Also the weird thing MacOS does Microsoft Remote Desktop so well that I'd rather RDP on a mac than on an intel powered Windows machine.

 

[Pmperry]

They’re not wrong in that fanboy-ism will cause consumers, and especially a subset of Apple customers, to dismiss other brands out of sheer loyalty or perceived superiority of their ecosystem. But c’mon, Intel, this is a bad look for you.

Actually they’re very wrong. I can’t even come close to creating the Apple ecosystem on a simple Windows laptop.

 

[Drisin]

Intel today shared a new ad titled Breaking the Spell: Social Experiment. In the four-minute video, Intel invites 12 supposed Apple fans to a focus group showcasing features of "upcoming devices" that were, in fact, PCs that are already on the market. The ad was spotted earlier by French website MacGeneration.

The video starts out by saying that many Apple fans only care about Apple products, and Intel attempts to change that viewpoint. The supposed Apple fans are ushered into a room that looks similar to an Apple Store, creating the impression that they are being shown new Apple products, but the devices are actually PCs powered by Intel processors.

According to Intel's Ryan Shrout, the ad features each participant's "real" reactions instead of scripted ones. "It's surprising to see how many people that utilize tech still don't know the capabilities of the PC," he said in a tweet.

The ad is part of Intel's #GoPC marketing campaign that it launched last year after Apple started transitioning to custom Apple Silicon chips in Macs. Intel even recruited former "I'm a Mac" actor Justin Long for some of the ads.

Article Link: Intel's Latest PC vs. Mac Ad Involves a 'Social Experiment' With Apple Fans

Apple has been sitting on their hands! Ohhh Ahh look at the new upgrade it's got different colors and "New Colors" "Just slightly better cameras", No innovation. Nothing! ios15 zzzzzzzzz! How about using the pencil on apple phone, how about integrating Siri with commands on TVos with "I noticed you went on a trip, should I organize your photos and help you sort, then throws up the images on your screen and sorts the duplicates for you!" That's a nice upgrade, but instead we have technology to spy on us so incase we have our baby pictures we can get turned into the FEDS! I'm waiting for a MBPro that won't come out so that I can have more ports on it?! WTF APPLE!? I don't want to buy a high end laptop that needs a dongle because you were too ignorant to add features that people actually use and need! How about that FACE ID during a pandemic?! What a brilliant idea! Now instead of just my thumb print it has to see my face in the store, but my hands are full and my thumb won't work and so now I have to take off my face mask to have my payment system because you thought it would be better than a thumb print! I hate to say this But it's Time for Tim to go! He is sitting on a monopoly that will fall, probably when the chips that are Chinese Controlled production stop being made in China! Should happen in the next 6 months when China invades Taiwan. But Microsoft has been producing better more innovative products. I'm looking at the new slate laptop and honestly beautiful touch screen very functional! The duo 2!? I'm gonna get my hands on it to test it out because I have 4-5 zoom calls that I have to use my iPhone and my iPad. Not one device but two. Apple could have built a dual screen iPad mini but NOPE! (The only company to not have developed a dual screen device.) Or how about the glasses? Well Tim says he's waiting another decade after the build the $500Billion dollar apple car! Yeah, it's gonna cost $200,000 and go 290 miles while it tells you how to be politically correct in San Francisco! Right now, I use One Note, can switch to Outlook... there is not a lot that is keeping me with Apple except the possibility that they are actually doing something there..... (Not likely) Yeah Yeah I know the M1 Chip set screams but when you have software that is falling behind and OS that doesn't leverage the power or make life easier why bother? Unlike Most of you here my first mac was the Lisa, then the 128k Macintosh.It had all the signatures on the inside of the computer from all the developers. (Yep wish I would have kept it.) My All time favorite was the mac SE30. 30MB HD Wooo Hoo it was pretty cool! But lately Apple is more about forcing vendors to sell through their monopoly platform that needs an update and they need a CEO who is more in touch with the evolving technology rather than what's politically correct! Yeah they are making money but they aren't challenging technology, they are stagnating it! If you don't believe it then show me some proof! (Drop the mic.)

 

[sillycyber]

PC is PC, Mac is Mac, and some people do not understand where to efficiently use each device which is not very surprising nowadays.

Mac is a nice front end for remote development.

 

[TheRoadRunner]

x86 is dead, long live ARM

 

[Neirin]

This ad is so tragic it genuinely makes me feel bad for intel

 

[wigby]

inferiority complex due to using samsung, or for other reasons?

I wouldn’t know. I usually just agree with them or change the subject because I don’t like to judge people based on their tech preferences.

 

[sillycyber]

Maybe they should try experimenting with people who aren't complete fanboys and/or technologically retarded people. Been a Windows users for the past 20 years of my life and haven't regretted transitioning to Mac M1 this January. Battery life kills Intel for sure. Also the weird thing MacOS does Microsoft Remote Desktop so well that I'd rather RDP on a mac than on an intel powered Windows machine.

Exactly. Microsoft RDP app on Mac for working on PCs, and XQuartz (X Windows emulator) on macOS over X-enabled ssh sessions (and/or VNC) to work on Linux boxes. Most of the tools and utilities on macOS tend to look better and higher-end and are nicer to configure on macOS compared to Windows.

 

[travelsheep]

Big cringe from start to finish. They should leave acting to actors.

 

[Scoob Redux]

According to Intel's Ryan Shrout, "It's surprising to see how many people that utilize tech still don't know the capabilities of the PC," he said in a tweet.

But there really are no "capabilities of" a PC, because there is no such thing as a PC spec - it's just a box running an Intel chip and Windows. So, depending on the manufacturer, it could have any capabilities. OTOH, a Mac can be said to have certain features and capabilities, since Apple controls the hardware and software. The "capabilities" of a chip are virtually limitless - what matters is what a manufacturer builds around the chip.

 

[pbasmadj]

Ninety percent of the world's PCs run Intel and Windows. That isn't going to change any time soon. Apple Silicon is a blip.

Businesses around the world rely on Intel based virtualized servers running on things like vmware and Intel. That isn't going away either.

While I like the concept of Mx (running iPad apps on Macs is fascinating to me), the world isn't going to suddenly run to Macs on Mx's.

No. While there is some truth to your statement, calling apple silicon a blip, is misleading, sure Mac may be 7-10% market share, fair, but that is global market share, huge.

 

[arvinsim]

The thing is, “Apple fans” are value buyers. They wait until the right machine comes out, they buy it, and they keeep it for years. By upgrade time, the boost from the latest & greatest is mind blowing. The people in the ad are not those people. Why? Because they are not knowledgeable.

LMAO what ******** is this? If this was true, then Apple would not have record numbers every year.

 

[avz]

Don't most Apple fans know that Apple will never invite you into their office and ask you your personal opinion about features in a laptop that they have already determined are not desirable in a laptop?

As one who has a Mac and a Lenovo on his desk side-by-side, I would have fun if they invited me in there:

Them: What are you missing in a laptop?
Me: An M1 processor.
Them: What about a touch screen?
Me: I have a laptop with a touch screen, but I barely ever user it.
Them: It could replace your iPad!
Me: I don't have or need and iPad. I have two laptops.
Them: What about two screens?
Me: I have two screens. One of them is a nice 32" display.
Them: Wouldn't you like to have one of these?
Me: Sure, if it's a gift. Can I get that with a Rysen processor? 😁

I'm sure they would have edited me out of the commercial.

With all due respect, you are trying to pull a very cheap manipulation here.
Only because Apple does things a certain way (otherwise it would not be Apple), does not mean Apple fans are ignored. In the end you vote with your money.

 

[kutenai]

All of those devices have a few things in common:
- They run the worlds crappiest (and most common.. go figure) Operating system
- Their trackpads all suck..
- They don't know the concept of "sleep" mode.

I literally sleep and unsleep my mac laptop dozens of time a day.. seamlessly. I literally don't give it a second of thought. I do this for weeks or months at a time.. and I literally give it NO thought. Get a Windows *anything*, and say hello to the worlds worst implementation of that feature..

Oh, and don't get my started on how windows has to flipping reboot 2 times a week *minimum* to just install some minor update. I dread having to do a "mac" upgrade, but, when I'm done, the OS comes back to just about where I was when I stopped. Windows, on ANY piece of hardware, can't touch that.

I have a Macbook pro that can drive 4 QHD monitors. I also have a "work" laptop that is a Thinkpad P52. It has the worlds WORST keyboard for feel and touch, I literally refuse to use it beyond "typing my password" when windows force-reboots me. The trackpad?? OMG --- I can't imaging a way to make it *WORSE*. It's useless garbage. The thing is a 1" think BRICK, weights a ton, and generally is one os the biggest pieces of **** I've used. I'm sure there is "better" PC hardware out there, but, generally, I've not seen it, NOT in a powerhouse system like my 2017MBP..

Now, I could use Linux with any of that kit.. but, dammit -- the linux community is too darn fractured.. makes me cry sometimes. MacOS is literally the best game in town, in spite of some downsides...

Oh, sure, I'd love to be able to add more ram or bigger disk.. I'll give it that.APPL *could* make an effort to support "hardware" modifications, even if it required iFixit like skills.... it would be "possible". Soldering the ram to the MB is, kind of a **** you move.. I'd tolerate an extra mm of height to accomodate even a basic RAM slot type thing.. nVME??

 

[TCLim]

I like this ad because it is a great reminder of what we should be able to do with such high priced devices and machines. I have a MacBook that feels severely handicapped and can only use it for browsing and coding. YouTube and twitch videos are causing my fans to go nuts while using big sur.

And yeah, i second this, and the answer to this, because its still running "Intel Inside".
Upgraded to M1, and Apple totally eliminated this problem by not putting a fan in it. M1MBA, im talking about. Still running better than any computer i used before regardless of OS.

 

[nicolhac]

I’m actually still laughing at this. I don’t think you could classify these people as fanboy. Maybe you could classify them as paid actors.
sorry intel looks like you ripped off the Dodge Ram truck “we are not actors “ commercials

 

[Christopher Winker]

Have to work on both systems, my heavy using machine and I‘m so glad is an apple computer. It is by far much more comfortable to work with and I love the ecosystem… using airdrop almost everyday. Windows is such a horrible os to work with … its like walking on eggshells

 

[stinkdieren]

I have one intel box, which is stuck in my dark gasmeter room on a wall.. it runs Linux and transcode all my plex stuff. And even this piece of plastic has a chance to be wiped with a M1. Hardware ain’t worth s*hit without the optimized OS running the system. Also.. upgrade? You released a crappy system which needs an upgrade?

 

[Analog Kid]

Intel does sell computers. In fact they may have more computer models (desktop and laptop) in their NUC line than Apple. They do sell processors but mostly to other companies not people. Companies do not watch commercials. Intel has always spent part of their advertising budget on sponsoring computer advertising for their major customers (Dell, HP etc.) So they always advertised computers not processors.

How many computers shown in the Social Experiment were Intel branded?

The revenue for adjacent products in the Client Computing Group last quarter which includes many things of which the NUC line is one, totaled $712M. Of the fraction of that attributable to NUC, I would assume a large share of that revenue is actually for processors as their one of the highest cost component in the NUCs.

Apple's Mac line brought in over $9B in revenue.

Intel is not a computer company, they are a processor company with some hobbies.


If you bother to watch that video I shared of Intel ads over the years, you'll hear the word "processor" over and over and over again. Intel has always advertised processors and what their processors do for your computer. They had process engineers dancing in bunny suits for a while to advertise their processor manufacturing. They tried to build a brand around their chips that drove their partners to put "Intel Inside" on their hardware so you knew you were getting the best. I have never seen Intel advertise hinges and touch screens before.

That has changed. It signals that Intel no longer has faith in their technical dominance, and need to rely on generating interest in their customers to distract from the fact that they're becoming a technical liability to those companies. Intel is failing at both process and architecture, and even if you consider x86 to be the second best processor architecture, Intel is arguably the second best x86 vendor at the moment.

This advertising strategy of attacking a non-competitor on behalf of their customers makes it obvious that Intel is very aware of all the above. They aren't advertising anything about Intel because they have nothing to show. They are a processor company that is too ashamed to advertise their processors. No dancing bunny suits because Intel is increasingly outsourcing their production to TSMC.

 

[400]

Been using Windows since 3.0 for work, it got the job done but it is the reason I never invested in a home Windows machine (except once for course work that would not run on a Mac back in 2002 or something, it went soon after course was over).
Personal choice and all that.

 

[ifrit05]

Not gonna lie, that's the coolest sounding transition from music to the intel jingle I've ever heard.

 

[pacalis]

If they really wanted to show the Intel laptop experience they should have cooked some eggs.

 

[R3k]

*nods* at graphics of wafers flying around.
😂