Microsoft Launches New Ad Comparing MacBook Air to Lenovo's Convertible Yoga 3 Pro Laptop

[darcyf]

One could argue that some of the "physical" attributes are indeed comparisons. What you really mean to say is that for you, they don't mean anything. For others, it's entirely possible that these physical capability mean all the difference in the world.

Even if the ad only showed one computer coming in red and the other in blue - it's a comparison. And for some - enough to make their purchase decision.

For sure. My original statement, upon which everything else I said hinged, was regarding the implicit difference between what you do to something and what you can do with it. This ad is all about the doing to and none about the doing with.

"You can turn it into a tablet" is very different from "Here are some things you can do with it as a tablet" and even more different again from "Here is why the things you can do with it as a tablet are better than the things you can with a MacBook Air as a laptop".

 

[poppy10]

The Yoga can fold over and you can touch the screen. That tells me nothing of how it compares to the Air, which is supposedly what they are doing with this ad. Comparing.

Didn't they spell it out for you? The Yoga can fold into new form factors, and has a touchscreen. The MacBook Air, in comparison, doesn't. That's what they showed on the ad.

 

[samcraig]

For sure. My original statement, upon which everything else I said hinged, was regarding the implicit difference between what you do to something and what you can do with it. This ad is all about the doing to and none about the doing with.

"You can turn it into a tablet" is very different from "Here are some things you can do with it as a tablet" and even more different again from "Here is why the things you can do with it as a tablet are better than the things you can with a MacBook Air as a laptop".

To be fair - you started the original post with "A device is defined not by what you can do *to* it but rather what you can do *with* it. "

Your definition. That's not necc THE definition.

That aside, you said as a tag that, "It's a great ad, very well presented and carefully crafted to distract you from realizing that it never mentions anything about the actual experience of using either product."

I agree that it's an interesting ad. Something some want to deny. However, isn't it possible that there was no intention to mention anything about the experience using both? That's not necc a "smokescreen" or a distraction. Why can't it just be an ad that points out physical differences?

 

[poppy10]

"You can turn it into a tablet" is very different from "Here are some things you can do with it as a tablet" and even more different again from "Here is why the things you can do with it as a tablet are better than the things you can with a MacBook Air as a laptop".

This isn't 2011. We all know what we can do with tablets, and why tablets are better suited to some tasks than laptops. The ad doesn't have to sell you on the concept of tablets. It just shows you that you can have the convenience of a tablet and a laptop in one package.

 

[deputy_doofy]

We stopped trying to argue that ten years ago. You really think OS X and iOS, two of the most used operating systems are not targeted?

http://www.cvedetails.com/vulnerabi...remin-2/cvssscoremax-2.99/Apple-Mac-Os-X.html

Free: http://www.sophos.com/en-us/products/free-tools/sophos-antivirus-for-mac-home-edition.aspx

A vulnerability list is the equivalent to a Windows box "spec sheet." It doesn't mean anything in the real world. I don't use the internet "safely" all the time and I don't use antivirus. I also don't install things because some site tells me I don't have the proper software. I also don't install pirated software.

No "real world" problems with Mac malware using even the smallest amount of common sense. Just connecting Windows to the internet exposes it to Ebola.

 

[ee4life]

Did you actually watch the ad? I didn't see any specs in it (unless you count the thinness, and we all know Apple is the chief trumpeter n of the thinness wars).

This was actually a pretty good ad, showing off the design advantages of the Yoga. Don't kid yourself, if/when Apple eventially equips the MacBook with a touchscreen and makes it convertible (or releases the iPad Pro with a keyboard) we'll all be raving about it.

Well, half will rave, the other half will complain about screen unevenness, vibration from the speakers, bendability, etc...

Being serious, there are some legitimate ergonomic compromises with many (all?) of the hybrid devices released thus far. If Apple delivers a device that satisfies my needs compared with what's out there now, I'm not going to scoff because I didn't like what came before it. If it's more of the same, I'm not going to buy it just because it has an Apple logo on it.

 

[samcraig]

Well, half will rave, the other half will complain about screen unevenness, vibration from the speakers, bendability, etc...

Being serious, there are some legitimate ergonomic compromises with many (all?) of the hybrid devices released thus far. If Apple delivers a device that satisfies my needs compared with what's out there now, I'm not going to scoff because I didn't like what came before it. If it's more of the same, I'm not going to buy it just because it has an Apple logo on it.

I don't care who is first or really what company has their name on the label. Ultimately, if it's a device that is of use and benefit to me (re: it's a tool to get a job done) that's all that matter to me.

 

[darcyf]

This isn't 2011. We all know what we can do with tablets, and why tablets are better suited to some tasks than laptops. The ad doesn't have to sell you on the concept of tablets. It just shows you that you can have the convenience of a tablet and a laptop in one package.

Are you saying that all tablets are the same? I'm pretty sure you know that's not remotely true. So then how is saying "it can be a tablet if you want it to be a tablet" in any way informative?

 

[samcraig]

Are you saying that all tablets are the same? I'm pretty sure you know that's not remotely true. So then how is saying "it can be a tablet if you want it to be a tablet" in any way informative?

He didn't say that. But even if he did - all tablets can do pretty much the same thing - they just have a different way of doing it. Like OS vs Windows. They can pretty much do the same things - their experience and how they do it might be different.

 

[darcyf]

To be fair - you started the original post with "A device is defined not by what you can do *to* it but rather what you can do *with* it. "

Your definition. That's not necc THE definition.

That aside, you said as a tag that, "It's a great ad, very well presented and carefully crafted to distract you from realizing that it never mentions anything about the actual experience of using either product."

I agree that it's an interesting ad. Something some want to deny. However, isn't it possible that there was no intention to mention anything about the experience using both? That's not necc a "smokescreen" or a distraction. Why can't it just be an ad that points out physical differences?

It can be. And it totally is. I'm saying that this was a deliberate and inevitable choice given that they can't actually compare the usage of the two products without outshining themselves in the process.

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He didn't say that. But even if he did - all tablets can do pretty much the same thing - they just have a different way of doing it. Like OS vs Windows. They can pretty much do the same things - their experience and how they do it might be different.

Yes. This is the difference I am getting at. It's not enough to say "it can be a tablet" when the experience of using a tablet is going to be so totally different from one tablet brand to the next.

 

[spektrality]

Microsoft would have some killer products on their hands if they focused on build quality and their software didn't SUCK. I think the Surface is a great concept, but Windows is just so horrible that I can't even consider wanting one.

I foresee being an Apple fan for a long time

 

[samcraig]

Yes. This is the difference I am getting at. It's not enough to say "it can be a tablet" when the experience of using a tablet is going to be so totally different from one tablet brand to the next.

So you would likely agree that the Google Now/Cortana vs Siri Ads are effective because they show the same process but competing tech?

 

[nsayer]

Counter-ad

All Apple would have to do in reply is say, "The mac doesn't come with Windows installed."

That right there is enough for the win.

 

[darcyf]

So you would likely agree that the Google Now/Cortana vs Siri Ads are effective because they show the same process but competing tech?

Yes. The Cortana vs Siri ads are great in that they show what you can do with the product (or feature, I guess) and how they differ in what you can (and can't do), not just what it looks like.

Like if all the ad showed was that with Siri you press a circular button at the bottom of the device but with Cortana you snap your finger to activate it (not true, but to illustrate my point), then the ads would be about as useful as the Yoga ad seen here today.

 

[RedBanana]

A vulnerability list is the equivalent to a Windows box "spec sheet." It doesn't mean anything in the real world. I don't use the internet "safely" all the time and I don't use antivirus. I also don't install things because some site tells me I don't have the proper software. I also don't install pirated software.

No "real world" problems with Mac malware using even the smallest amount of common sense. Just connecting Windows to the internet exposes it to Ebola.

It really does mean quite a lot. You know all those security updates you keep getting?

Here is a more readable blog to read (with a pinch of salt - some of this is hyped up here too):
http://www.intego.com/mac-security-blog/

Glad you are one of the more careful bods who know what they are doing. However there plenty of computer users without the knowledge or expertise. If you know what you are doing, no need to do a thing other than the system updates.

 

[leenak]

So, I don't understand the deal with touchscreen computers. Maybe this makes me sound old but I don't want fingerprints on my laptop screen. An iPad, sure, I can wipe those but don't touch my laptop screen. Also, the fact that it folds back all the way and is a tablet... a 2.6 lb tablet... and then your keyboard is on the other side? Yeah no, if apple came out with a similar design, I'd say the same.

 

[wikiverse]

This is just MS missing the boat yet again.

Surface Vs. iPad? Apple built a tablet, designed to function as a tablet. Microsoft gets the whole thing wrong and compares some half-assed hybrid that neither functions well as a tablet or a computer to Apple's tablet. Fail.

Yoga Vs. MBA? Apple built a computer, designed to function as a computer. Microsoft gets the whole thing wrong and compares some half-assed hybrid that doesn't function well as a computer to Apple's computer. Fail.

Will MS ever get it? Their software seems to turn more and more to garbage to boot with ever release.

iPad sales are in decline. MS has doubled their sales of the surface.

There are more computers running a version of windows today than every apple device ever made.

There are more than three times as many computers running windows 8 than every version of OSX combined.

You're entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts.

 

[Tech198]

Hey, that's not fair..

Apple doesn't make convertible anythings, and MS comes out with an ad like this ?

How the hell can we Apple fans compete with this ?

The best 30 sec music i liked at least... I'll give 'em credit and maybe the brand...

Lenovo laptops are good.., just as long MS stays in their own court..

No one can help themselves...

This is a more direct approach.... jab... jab.... jab, jab jab.. by MS

 

[Ubuntu]

When is Microsoft going to realise it's not just about the specs... it's about certain details; details like not-crap software on beautifully crafted machines. Giving you the impression someone actually cared about your happiness.

(edit, added "just" for clarification)

The only specs I saw mentioned in that advert were of the kind that Apple always focuses on.

Anyway, I thought it was a pretty decent advert. Reminded me of the Mac vs PC adverts.

 

[SvP]

The only specs I saw mentioned in that advert were of the kind that Apple always focuses on.



Anyway, I thought it was a pretty decent advert. Reminded me of the Mac vs PC adverts.

It wasn't all bad, you're right.

 

[Tech198]

(Its like comparing a roles Royce to a Ferrari)

 

[alexgowers]

Yoga 3 pro = dreadful laptop and even worse tablet
MacBook air = great laptop and not a tablet.

MS, please can you stop shooting yourselves in the foot. It's embarrassing to see such a large company making fools of themselves.

Win8 is a failure move into 10 and concentrate on your own products.

 

[ani4ani]

Granted, i'm only a couple pages in so far... but the majority of posts so far have actually been saying that it is a good ad. Most of the negative ads i've seen so far have been negative on Apple. But keep selling it...

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Indeed.
I so dread seeing the old "i'm a mac, i'm a pc" ads getting brought up. Just elicits such pointless dribble.
Much better if we could have actual discussion of the specs of the machine, and what it's pro's and cons are.

Interesting thing is that when folks try and compare the specs and merits we end up with the same other "dribble" namely:

".....it comes with Windows...fail....."
".....why are they comparing a hybrid/tablet with a laptop...."
"......it isn't about the specs, it's about the experience...."
"......why are they comparing a 4 year old product with something just released..."

 

[ProfessorHenry]

17 mm thick vs 13 mm thin - good one!

 

[Tech198]

Yoga 3 pro = dreadful laptop and even worse tablet
MacBook air = great laptop and not a tablet.

MS, please can you stop shooting yourselves in the foot. It's embarrassing to see such a large company making fools of themselves.

Win8 is a failure move into 10 and concentrate on your own products.

I agree... MS just embarrassed itself by saying "Tablet" but showing a MBA there.

That was classic ..

Yoga 3 may be dreadful, but Lenovo products are good. One thing I could probably say, is i bet components last longer then Apple..

But the OS is solid