Microsoft Releases New Anti-iPad Ad Highlighting Surface Accessories

[blitzer09x87]

haha...nice one, i have to say the surface accessories are really very useful.

 

[HenryDJP]

The ad's are fine enough. In comparison to Samsung they dont poke fun of apple users.

And lets remember that Apple made more than SIXTY I'm A PC ad's, wherein they also made fun of Microsoft and their flaws. This is all good natured advertising. As Apple udsers/fanboys we cant really be offended by this style of campaigning.

As I see it the iPad and Surface are two very different products, they both have forces and weaknesses.

There's a major difference between the Apple Mac vs. PC ads and the Microsoft Surface vs. iPad ads. Apple doesn't shamelessly advertise price when comparing to a competitor, nor do they nitpick such as the USB port or show accessories for their products in the ads that are actually sold separately but mislead customers into thinking they come with them. Another thing, (and if you need to be sure of this please go and check) the Mac vs. PC ads never really said much about the greatness of the Mac, not really. They would only point out that it came with iLife. Apple pointed out the actual problems real users have always had with Windows.
They could've easily got petty like this ad is and had the Mac say stuff like, "PC, I don't have a messy Registry to deal with", "I don't need a reformat every 6 months or so", "My Safari browser is more stable than yours", and Apple never used any Windows machines in those ads.

 

[Renzatic]

Another thing, (and if you need to be sure of this please go and check) the Mac vs. PC ads never really said much about the greatness of the Mac, not really. They would only point out that it came with iLife. Apple pointed out the actual problems real users have always had with Windows.

Sure they did. The jabs and comparisons were only slightly more subtle than these Surface ads we're seeing here. "Oh, I have these problems", "Oh, but I never do", "Well, I guess you're the better choice then". That's the way those old commercials usually went. It's not exactly like Apple were being humble there.

Quit splitting hairs trying to spin Apple in a positive light for doing the same thing MS is doing now.

See, the only difference between these two ads is that MS is being far more specific. You remember the stoned girl Apple ads, talking about how her PC crashed and deleted her entire term paper? Then she got a Mac, and never had that problem again?

So how is that any different than what MS is doing now, people? Explain it to me.

"Oh, they show the iPad, so that makes it...like...100x more evil".

Really?

It's like if ole Henry and I both owned bakeries, and we have advertisements pitted against each other, trying to get more people to buy more cakes from our stores. His adverts show a picture of his cake next to mine while talking about his is better is while I just have some girl staring at the screen talking about how bad Henry's cakes suck, but mine changed her life forever.

Is one somehow more moral than the other? More...proper and fair?

I know how all of you talk about laughing and rolling your eyes, but really, all the sad excuses and pointing fingers make you look more defensive than usual.

 

[lewismayell]

Definitely

 

[samcraig]

That could be the case for some folks here but they certainly don't need someone judging them. This is an APPLE site after all and fans of Apple should be able to enjoy this site without dealing with other tech fanboys judging/ridiculing. I'm sure there are plenty of Microsoft/Surface forums to go participate in although they are probably not very active.

This is an Apple and tech site. And many people here have Apple AND other tech. This site isn't private. Anyone can join as long as they adhere to the rules. Bottom line - some people (not saying you) need to get over the mentality that this is an Apple only forum and/or that anyone that doesn't agree with their opinion doesn't make them a troll or anti-Apple.

Have a great weekend.

 

[Radiating]

Hmmm lets see. Microsoft is taking a jab at the iPAD's accessories...
...
...
...

Let's just see if that passes the basic math test:

Keyboard covers:

- Surface: 2
- iPad: 1,000+

Expandability through ports:

- Surface: 1 USB (full sized)
- iPad: 5+ Lightning to USB (full sized,mini, micro), lightning to SD, Lightning to mini USB, lightning to 30 pin, Lightning accessories.

Kickstand:

- Surface: 9 (built in + cases)
- iPAD: 75,000+ (cases, stick on, etc)


Possible combinations of Kickstand, ports, and keyboard cover:

- Surface: 18
- iPAD: 375 Million+


Can anyone here tell me which of these devices has accessory support? I can't really tell you guys.

 

[bobborries]

2 can play at that game

they chose the iOS4 stock image for the ipad's background, tweaked in black & white, on a white ipad.

this makes the surface look more vivid, and the travelling glare in the beginning more evident.

check it out

Make the background dark and look what happens.

 

[PeterQVenkman]

I've used Toon Boom and zBrush on the non-RT suface.

It's awesome. It basically those modbooks that some company used to make.

 

[spinedoc77]

Not only that, but the second you mention a competitor in an ad, you already admitting your product is inferior. When you are the best, you only talk about yourself and your product. You don't talk about 2nd, 3rd or last place.

So all the ads Apple did mentioning PCs and Windows mean what within your logic construct? Is say Apple is by far the company that most pushed the entire your product is inferior so buy mine marketing strategy.

----------

I also tried Win 8 on a desktop. That was even worse. All the time I ended up in apps and there was no*way*out. It was a disaster to find anything on that desktop. It was not intuitive, nor from my XP experience, nor from my Mac experience.

You should have just swiped down to close the program or hit the start button, it's not rocket science.

 

[phpmaven]

I have been to Apple. No possibility of dealing with the issue there due to the noise level. The store is high energy and I do enjoy that. The Genius Bar really can't try to work on this one unfortunately.

Originally I wrote Siri off as a novelty feature to be further refined on future updates. A friend with an iPhone uses hers for everything. First smartphone for her and Siri works well. She asks me questions constantly about how to use her iPhone. That's when I realized there is some issue and went to Apple.

I have tried many times. "what is the current temperature?" that was yesterday. The response was "I don't know what you mean, Susan"

Just one example. I ruled out hardware by using a voice recording app and there is not problem with that. Very clear and easy to understand.

A poster in the Apple Support Communities suggested that I reset all setting. That was effective if I was in a completely quiet room (home alone) for a day or so. By the time I got the setting back as I prefer Siri was back with the "I don't know what you mean, Susan".

I particularly do not appreciate the snarky remarks that program makes when it is unable to perform.

My most recent post on the Apple Support Community is asking how to disable. It is annoying to hear the how may I help you if I touch the home button a nanosecond to long.

Sometimes things just don't work.

There is definitely something wrong with your phone then. Mine does occasionally time out or not hear me right, but what you are describing is not normal. I would make a genius appt again and insist that they take you to a back room that is quiet so that they can see that there is a problem. In fact, I would bring in your friend who has Siri working fine and show the Genius that hers works and yours doesn't.

 

[PeterQVenkman]

Hmmm lets see. Microsoft is taking a jab at the iPAD's accessories...
...
...
...

Let's just see if that passes the basic math test:

Keyboard covers:

- Surface: 2
- iPad: 1,000+

Expandability through ports:

- Surface: 1 USB (full sized)
- iPad: 5+ Lightning to USB (full sized,mini, micro), lightning to SD, Lightning to mini USB, lightning to 30 pin, Lightning accessories.

Kickstand:

- Surface: 9 (built in + cases)
- iPAD: 75,000+ (cases, stick on, etc)


Possible combinations of Kickstand, ports, and keyboard cover:

- Surface: 18
- iPAD: 375 Million+


Can anyone here tell me which of these devices has accessory support? I can't really tell you guys.

It sounds like the ipad is for you, then. Congrats!

 

[spinedoc77]

There's a major difference between the Apple Mac vs. PC ads and the Microsoft Surface vs. iPad ads. Apple doesn't shamelessly advertise price when comparing to a competitor, nor do they nitpick such as the USB port or show accessories for their products in the ads that are actually sold separately but mislead customers into thinking they come with them. Another thing, (and if you need to be sure of this please go and check) the Mac vs. PC ads never really said much about the greatness of the Mac, not really. They would only point out that it came with iLife. Apple pointed out the actual problems real users have always had with Windows.
They could've easily got petty like this ad is and had the Mac say stuff like, "PC, I don't have a messy Registry to deal with", "I don't need a reformat every 6 months or so", "My Safari browser is more stable than yours", and Apple never used any Windows machines in those ads.

Stop it, using words like shamelessly and nitpicking. First off I've got a business secret for you, no one is shameful in business. You can apply those words to any of the mac versus whatever else ads, this smacks of severe selectivity complete with blinders. You are simply trying to capitalize on semantics and it looks very weak, they are both doing shameless marketing, it's what businesses who compete with each other do.

 

[Black Magic]

So all the ads Apple did mentioning PCs and Windows mean what within your logic construct? Is say Apple is by far the company that most pushed the entire your product is inferior so buy mine marketing strategy.

----------



You should have just swiped down to close the program or hit the start button, it's not rocket science.

When Apple did those commercials, they were and still are in the same boat that MS is in today in the mobile market. They are looking up at the competition in those respective markets. No big deal. That is how the game is played sometimes.

Let's be clear though. I don't give a damn about these commercials one way or another and some are downright funny (referring to the wedding commercial). I don't see either company as right or wrong as they are doing what they feel or felt they needed to do at the time. Me personally, I would never mention another competitor in any ad because that just means you are playing catch up and you are giving your competitor free media coverage.

 

[spinedoc77]

Hmmm lets see. Microsoft is taking a jab at the iPAD's accessories...
...
...
...

Let's just see if that passes the basic math test:

Keyboard covers:

- Surface: 2
- iPad: 1,000+

Expandability through ports:

- Surface: 1 USB (full sized)
- iPad: 5+ Lightning to USB (full sized,mini, micro), lightning to SD, Lightning to mini USB, lightning to 30 pin, Lightning accessories.

Kickstand:

- Surface: 9 (built in + cases)
- iPAD: 75,000+ (cases, stick on, etc)


Possible combinations of Kickstand, ports, and keyboard cover:

- Surface: 18
- iPAD: 375 Million+


Can anyone here tell me which of these devices has accessory support? I can't really tell you guys.

Yeah but that stuff is built in, no need to buy it, externally charge it, worry about losing it or leaving it at home, etc. IMO that 18 beats that 375 million quite handily.

----------

When Apple did those commercials, they were and still are in the same boat that MS is in today in the mobile market. They are looking up at the competition in those respective markets. No big deal. That is how the game is played sometimes.

Let's be clear though. I don't give a damn about these commercials one way or another and some are downright funny (referring to the wedding commercial). I don't see either company as right or wrong as they are doing what they feel or felt they needed to do at the time. Me personally, I would never mention another competitor in any ad because that just means you are playing catch up and you are giving your competitor free media coverage.

So we agree, they were doing the same exact thing. I just didn't think Apple was "already admitting your product is inferior. When you are the best, you only talk about yourself and your product".

 

[spinedoc77]

There is definitely something wrong with your phone then. Mine does occasionally time out or not hear me right, but what you are describing is not normal. I would make a genius appt again and insist that they take you to a back room that is quiet so that they can see that there is a problem. In fact, I would bring in your friend who has Siri working fine and show the Genius that hers works and yours doesn't.

Nah, Siri is sometimes decent, sometimes awful. I like Siri quite a bit and use it a lot, but it can be hit or miss.

----------

I've used Toon Boom and zBrush on the non-RT suface.

It's awesome. It basically those modbooks that some company used to make.

Yep, and Photoshop, and CorelDraw, and ColorEfexPro, and Corel Sketchpad, and Sketchbook Express, all goodies I have installed on my windows tablet which make graphics and art quite a lot of fun.

 

[Xiroteus]

Yeah but that stuff is built in, no need to buy it, externally charge it, worry about losing it or leaving it at home, etc. IMO that 18 beats that 375 million quite handily.

It does seem numbers in some cases don't mean much. Even with apps once you hit some crazy number that things just start getting redundant.

 

[Johnchapin]

I don't get it. My iPad has a keyboard. It's wireless and it didn't cost much.

 

[SusanK]

There is definitely something wrong with your phone then. Mine does occasionally time out or not hear me right, but what you are describing is not normal. I would make a genius appt again and insist that they take you to a back room that is quiet so that they can see that there is a problem. In fact, I would bring in your friend who has Siri working fine and show the Genius that hers works and yours doesn't.

Thanks. I disabled Siri. Problem solved. Unfortunately I have no way to deal with the flaky WiFi on that iPad mini. Given a choice I would prefer good wireless.

This iPad mini is the one they gave me when I returned the first one in the 14 day return period. The first one had connectivity issues.

I give up.

 

[phpmaven]

Nah, Siri is sometimes decent, sometimes awful. I like Siri quite a bit and use it a lot, but it can be hit or miss.

The poster I was responding to said that it NEVER works for her.

 

[Michael Scrip]

According to this commercial... USB ports are a very important feature.

So why is Microsoft stuck with 6 million Surface RT tablets that they cannot sell?

Meanwhile... the iPad has never had a USB port... and they've sold over 100 million.

Maybe Microsoft should re-evaluate the USB port as a selling point...

 

[Nickmcpnick]

These ads are funny, but...

They're starting to get as bad as PM Stephen Harper's "Action Plan" ads

 

[AppleMark]

LOL, just as you feel that I am misjudging you, you are misjudging me and most everyone else here. I hardly think most people here are upset at this ad. If anything, most people here are laughing at it. It's a sad ad because it's a desperate attempt to recoup the last bit of customers that still care that the Surface even exists. If anything Microsoft helped Apple with this ad.

Henry"strawman tactics"DJP, let's be clear here.

You commented on my stand alone post. The part where I commented "I like these Ad's. They will not make me go out and buy a Surface, but still funny."

In your posted reply comments you tried to tell me what I should think of the Ad.

I think you like these ads because of the comical vocals from Siri, there's really nothing in the ad enjoyable about the way MS advertises the Surface, IMO.

It is bizarre that you say that I am misjudging you..., when you initially and wrongly assumed what it is I am thinking and then get upset when I correct you. However you seem to do this sort of "strawman-thing" in your posts.

Why is it such a bother that not everybody on this site is an "Apple sheep" like you? And yes you are..., I have read your posts before. And no, I am not an Apple troll, I just have my own mind which sometimes has an opinion not moulded by unhealthy unrequited love of any corporation.

 

[thefourthpope]

I do love that keyboard though. I have one of the bluetooth clamshell styles for my iPad and it's pretty slick. But a smart cover keyboard would top it all.

 

[spinedoc77]

The poster I was responding to said that it NEVER works for her.

Ahh, yeah that's hard to believe. Even though Siri is far from perfect, that's one of the main reasons I went back to my iphone after having android.

 

[Tech198]

"Oh dear,, Microsoft slashed the price. because of poor sales."

Lol

Microsoft seems to be desperate running allot of new Ad's as of late... Do i detest Microsoft is in a hole, thy can't get out off.

*waits for the next Ad*

I like Microsoft products, but this just stupid... apples laughing in the background, while they look as MS trying to change the world..