Microsoft Releases Second 'Laptop Hunters' Commercial

[wildintheory]

Honestly I think that ads will be effective within the group they're trying to reach - the average consumer that has never used a mac before and is kinda tempted by the Apple mac vs. pc ads they were seeing for years.

As someone who has purchased two new macs in less than two year I don't think the ads are totally wrong. For the average person I think it is a hard sell to justify the price of Apple products. Macs are a niche product. What's wrong with that? Does Apple have to have 50% market share? Should that even be a goal? I adore my mac but I don't think that means that most people should shun the PC.

BUT I have to say, that 7.1lb PC would never fit my life (to heavy, too thick, too ugly) and is therefore a waste of that $1099. Money isn't money saved if it isn't buying what meets your needs.

 

[KnightWRX]

what are you talking about? adding a video card does not add $2300 to any product, the fastest video cad right now is a nVidia GTX295 and it only costs $500-$600

Sir, I would like to introduce you to the FireGL V8650 2GB Dual DUAL-LINK DVI-I PCI-E Video Card :

http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=28346&vpn=100-505509&manufacture=ATI

Sure, that 3,350.84$ is in Canadian currency, and it's only worth 2680$ in your US dollar, but that is still above the 2300$ price point you cite.

Have a good day.

 

[AidenShaw]

Well, I just went to Dell's web page to configure that very same Dell Precision T3500 64 bit, and the price I got is $2,299.

Please list the items you added and their prices.

...against the $2,499.00 from a MAC Pro, it's real price, not $2,748.00...

The Dell comes with 3 year on-site next day support, do you not think that it's reasonable to add $249 to the Apple?

I could't make any network configuration on it to compare with the two independent 10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet (RJ-45) interfaces with support for jumbo frames.

The Dell has a BCM5761 NIC - I couldn't find out if it has jumbo frame support - although it does have a lot of TCP offload features.

If you actually need two jumbo-frame capable NICs, then you'd need to add a card (looks like $75 at Newegg, or $50 from Dell).

...like the four FireWire 800 ports , Five USB 2.0 ports, headphone minijack, optical digital audio input and output TOSLINK ports and analog stereo line-level input and output minijacks that come with the MacPro.

If you're still using 1394 (you know that Apple is phasing that out, right?) there's a 400mbps option. For 800 you'd need a card. You do get 11 USB ports - so I'd better add a couple of PCIe cards to the Mac Pro to bring it to parity . The XiFi sound card has digital, if you need those ports.
_________________

But, I bet that you really don't need any of that...

So, I'll pass on adding PS/2 ports, eSATA ports, a serial port and a parallel port!

 

[BenRoethig]

Well, I just went to Dell's web page to configure that very same Dell Precision T3500 64 bit, and the price I got is $2,299, against the $2,499.00 from a MAC Pro, it's real price, not $2,748.00.

Dell includes a 3-year warranty as standard with these systems. Apple charges an additional $249 for a 3-year warranty.

Prices I got:
Dell precision T3500
64-Bit Win Vista Ultimate
2.66ghz xeon 3500
3GB 1066mhz ECC DDR3
256mb Quadro NVS 295 with dual display port (Mac Pro is the only workstation using consumer video cards, so its rather hard to gauge here)
750GB Hard drive.
16x DVD Burner
Standard 3-year warranty
$1920
Standard 3-year warranty 512mb Quadro FX580
$2040
Pro-support Warranty
$2029
Pro-support Warranty 512mb Quadro FX580
$2149

MacPro Quad
Mac OS X tgier
2.66ghz Xeon 3500
3GB ECC DDR3
512mb GeForce GT120
640GB hard drive
18x DVD burner
1 year warranty with 90-day phone support
$2499
3 year Applecare warranty
$2748

 

[BenRoethig]

That 5400 rpm drive is now larger (120 GB vs 80). That 1 GB of RAM is now faster (1066MHz DDR3 vs. PC2-5300 DDR2). That 2.0 GHz CPU is now higher performance (P7350 vs. T5600). Whey2 ignore the parts of the specs that do differ.

Edit: Ah, and I see the 2.0 GHz was upgraded from the previous 1.83 GHz.

120GB is still half has much as every other system on the market and pitifully small for the era. Not that it would matter to you

 

[KnightWRX]

120GB is still half has much as every other system on the market and pitifully small for the era. Not that it would matter to you

Not in the SFF segment. Compare Apples to Oranges.

 

[dejo]

120GB is still half has much as every other system on the market and pitifully small for the era. Not that it would matter to you

Did I say it doesn't matter to me? Don't put words in my mouth.

All I was doing was showing that the new Mac Mini does have better specs than the previous Mac mini. That was the crux of Anuba's argument.

 

[planethitsradio]

if (VAIO can run MACOS) {

                                it's a good laptop

                                     }
else {

      put it in recycle bin

       }

Here's my reply to that.

if (VAIO = MACOS) {

                                echo "Your ok"

                                     }

else {

      echo "CMD: format c: /q/y

       }

 

[BenRoethig]

Not in the SFF segment. Compare Apples to Oranges.

Studio Hybrid comes standard with 160 BTO. The Retail configuration my parents bought (mostly because apple didn't bother to update the Mini for two years) comes with 250GB.

Did I say it doesn't matter to me? Don't put words in my mouth.

All I was doing was showing that the new Mac Mini does have better specs than the previous Mac mini. That was the crux of Anuba's argument.

Just because it was better than a machine that was so out of date it was a joke, doesn't mean its where it should be 160GB should have been the minimum, 250GB preferred. The $799 model also should have gotten the 2.26ghz CPU standard.

 

[polaris20]

Dell includes a 3-year warranty as standard with these systems. Apple charges an additional $249 for a 3-year warranty.

Prices I got:
Dell precision T3500
64-Bit Win Vista Ultimate
2.66ghz xeon 3500
3GB 1066mhz ECC DDR3
256mb Quadro NVS 295 with dual display port (Mac Pro is the only workstation using consumer video cards, so its rather hard to gauge here)
750GB Hard drive.
16x DVD Burner
Standard 3-year warranty
$1920
Standard 3-year warranty 512mb Quadro FX580
$2040
Pro-support Warranty
$2029
Pro-support Warranty 512mb Quadro FX580
$2149

MacPro Quad
Mac OS X tgier
2.66ghz Xeon 3500
3GB ECC DDR3
512mb GeForce GT120
640GB hard drive
18x DVD burner
1 year warranty with 90-day phone support
$2499
3 year Applecare warranty
$2748

Yup, definitely have to add the $250. I wouldn't get any comp without a 3 year warranty these days.

 

[LagunaSol]

For the trolls

OK, for all the "We Hate Apple!" trolls that have infested this thread, I went to the Dell website and configured an XPS One equivalent to the new iMac I just ordered. Here's how the two compare:

Processor: iMac 2.93 dual core, Dell 2.33 quad core. Faster duo vs. slower quad? Probably a toss up for most real-world applications. But we'll give this one to Dell.

Video card: iMac ATI Radeon 4850 512 MB, Dell Nvidia 9600M GT 512 MB. iMac wins.

RAM: iMac 4 GB 1066 mhz DDR3, Dell 800 mhz DDR2 4 GB. iMac wins.

Hard drive: iMac 1 TB, Dell 750 GB. Both 7200 RPM iMac wins.

Digital TV tuner: iMac - none. Dell - included. I don't watch TV on my computer (go figure!) but Dell wins this non-important (to me) category.

OS: iMac - OS X Leopard, Dell Windows Home Premium. iMac wins.

Software: the iLife-equivalent crap provided by Vista isn't in the same league as iLife. Period. iMac wins.

Warranty: iMac 1 year, Dell 1 year. Tie.

Both machines have gigabit Ethernet and built-in wireless & Bluetooth and the same optical drive.

Price: iMac $2,099, Dell $1,999. Dell wins, by $100.

So the iMac costs me $100 more, but I'm getting faster RAM, a bigger hard drive, a better OS and bundled software. For what, a puny 5% premium???

So where is this huge "Apple tax" you love to scream about, haters?

Yeah, I know, you can build some frankenbox yourself for less, or a Dell tower is more affordable, but I want an AIO computer. And the Mac is indeed a pretty good deal.

So go build your own Ferrari out of a Pontiac Fiero and some fiberglass kit pieces. I'll pay extra for the real deal, thanks. In this case, only 5% extra.

Hey Microsoft, put me in one of your ads!

 

[KnightWRX]

Studio Hybrid comes standard with 160 BTO. The Retail configuration my parents bought (mostly because apple didn't bother to update the Mini for two years) comes with 250GB.

The retail version is more expensive than the BTO. 160 GB is not double 120 GB. Both are pretty comparable and thus it's not so much out of date, considering everything else the mini offers that the Studio Hybrid doesn't.

 

[skovac123]

why use bootcamp or Parralles

Apple should advertise bootcamp but not parallels and VM. Use sun Virtualbox it is free and works great so it matches Bootcamp in price.

First thing I did after transferring all my info over to my new iMac was to install Vitrualbox and XP. No Vista here. Of course that means I had to install virus protection as well.

this is why i think apple needs to advertise the bootcamp and parralles and VM more i have my fastest XP on my mac

 

[dejo]

Just because it was better than a machine that was so out of date it was a joke, doesn't mean its where it should be 160GB should have been the minimum, 250GB preferred. The $799 model also should have gotten the 2.26ghz CPU standard.

And that invalidates the "it doesn't have better specs" argument how?

 

[BongoBanger]

OK, for all the "We Hate Apple!" trolls that have infested this thread, I went to the Dell website and configured an XPS One equivalent to the new iMac I just ordered.

S'funny... the base iMac (the 20") comes in at $1,199. The base 20" XPS One comes in at $799.

 

[LagunaSol]

S'funny... the base iMac (the 20") comes in at $1,199. The base 20" XPS One comes in at $799.

S'funny - I don't want a 20" computer. I want a 24". The one I ordered, in fact.

Try again.

 

[BongoBanger]

S'funny - I don't want a 20" computer. I want a 24". The one I ordered, in fact.

Try again.

Oh I know: I think the iMac is the better prospect at 24" but that's not the point they're making.

 

[MH01]

OK, for all the "We Hate Apple!" trolls that have infested this thread, I went to the Dell website and configured an XPS One equivalent to the new iMac I just ordered. Here's how the two compare:

Processor: iMac 2.93 dual core, Dell 2.33 quad core. Faster duo vs. slower quad? Probably a toss up for most real-world applications. But we'll give this one to Dell.

Video card: iMac ATI Radeon 4850 512 MB, Dell Nvidia 9600M GT 512 MB. iMac wins.

RAM: iMac 4 GB 1066 mhz DDR3, Dell 800 mhz DDR2 4 GB. iMac wins.

Hard drive: iMac 1 TB, Dell 750 GB. Both 7200 RPM iMac wins.

Digital TV tuner: iMac - none. Dell - included. I don't watch TV on my computer (go figure!) but Dell wins this non-important (to me) category.

OS: iMac - OS X Leopard, Dell Windows Home Premium. iMac wins.

Software: the iLife-equivalent crap provided by Vista isn't in the same league as iLife. Period. iMac wins.

Warranty: iMac 1 year, Dell 1 year. Tie.

Both machines have gigabit Ethernet and built-in wireless & Bluetooth and the same optical drive.

Price: iMac $2,099, Dell $1,999. Dell wins, by $100.

So the iMac costs me $100 more, but I'm getting faster RAM, a bigger hard drive, a better OS and bundled software. For what, a puny 5% premium???

So where is this huge "Apple tax" you love to scream about, haters?

Yeah, I know, you can build some frankenbox yourself for less, or a Dell tower is more affordable, but I want an AIO computer. And the Mac is indeed a pretty good deal.

So go build your own Ferrari out of a Pontiac Fiero and some fiberglass kit pieces. I'll pay extra for the real deal, thanks. In this case, only 5% extra.

Hey Microsoft, put me in one of your ads!

Stick to laptops.

The Imac gets completely own'd by an i7 system with a 24" monitor. Dunno would would buy an XPS one..... get an xps730x. Or build your own and save more. Its unfortunate that apple does not have a real desktop system. An imac is just a laptop in a 24" screen and the mac pro is too expansive for the average user.

 

[miggitymac]

haha...so many arguments about something that's pretty obvious...

You pay more for Apple, and often get less (in terms of hardware/specs)...partly because of the OS and partly because of Apple's "greener" attitude and innovative designs...and even tho ppl complain on this site to no end about how Apple doesn't drop prices, they'll still go out and buy them (which really doesn't give Apple a reason to drop their prices...)

With PCs, you'll save money for the same configuration as a Mac (is there really an argument against that? Really!?) but you have to deal with MS' OS and antivirus programs and bulk/aesthetic issues (in the case of laptops).

So people look at these factors and decide what they like...

I've got both, and even tho I prefer my Mac, the PC is still good to have. I've owned my PC for 4 years and don't have any antivirus programs installed and have yet to get a virus on it. I attribute this to not using limewire, not opening unknown mail attachments and not visiting sites that require you to install software (i.e. porn sites)...

I don't get the ppl who "preach" Apple so blindly...it's fine if you love Apples for yourself, but other people don't. It's that simple.

These commercials bring up the valid point that PC's suit the needs of a lot of ppl out there, and for considerably less money.

 

[AidenShaw]

Aaaaaaaand... the MP quad 2.66 just disappeared off my shopping list so fast it created a tiny black hole. They should've consulted me instead of building that large hadron collider outside Geneva.

You should call your Dell store, and find out what price they will give you.

I got a quote from our corporate account rep, and the price is very good.

 

[Anuba]

to be fair, acura/honda does make some kick ass cars

Oh, there's nothing wrong with Honda. Or Acura. I just think it's a bit of an insult to the European premium car brands that always get dragged into these Mac/PC analogies that they're being compared to mass produced Chinese PCs (the level of insult becomes apparent if you watch any Chinese crash test video, where those cars crumble like soda cans). There's a reason why most of the coveted car brands happen to be German (Audi, Mercedes, BMW, Porsche), not Chinese or American. German engineering rocks. German auto workers are among the highest paid in the world (they're way more expensive than those GM folk). The people who manufacture Macs are among the lowest paid in the world. And that's just one of the many levels where the comparison makes no sense. Macs may be priced like German goods, but they're Chinese, as anyone who is on his fifth replacement MacBook Pro will have discovered. If Macs underwent even half of the tests that these German computers are subjected to, maybe the Genius bars would be able to concern themselves less with returns and repairs.

 

[LagunaSol]

Or build your own and save more. Its unfortunate that apple does not have a real desktop system.

No, it's unfortunate that Apple has a gaping hole in its product line where the low-end Power Macs used to reside. Apple desperately need a consumer-priced tower. I don't know why Apple continues to ignore this market. I miss the days of the $1,299 Power Mac.

As for building my own, I've been there and done that. After all the up-front research I do (Which mobo? Which RAM? Which video card? Which PS? Which fans? Which case?) I spend far more time on the thing to justify the money saved, to be quite honest. And then when all is said and done, I have a ghetto looking box that is always noisier than I had hoped, and I'm at the mercy of a dozen manufacturer's warranties. And ultimately, I'm stuck with Windows. And having used Windows 40+ hours a week for the past 15 years, there's no way in Hell I'm going to make Windows my primary OS for personal use.

The Hackintosh project sounds interesting, but I don't have the time or patience to deal with potential hardware conflicts.

 

[Anuba]

You should call your Dell store, and find out what price they will give you.

I got a quote from our corporate account rep, and the price is very good.

Yeah, I discovered that by mere accident the last time I bought work machines. Those online rebates are a mere appetizer to what the flesh & blood sales reps can offer. I got something like 10% on the hardware, but with the 3Y CompleteCare and accidental coverage they threw in for free it was more like 20%.

I'm still keeping an opening for the MBP 17", though, I need a 17" laptop, but not the hernia I would get from carrying a Precision m6400 around.

 

[Goona]

Yes, MS is building brand-loyalty for a product it doesn't even make (HP computers), which is the oddest thing I've seen in advertising from a big company. I realize MS gets a cut if someone buys an HP computer over a Mac, but, they are still advertising another company's product that could run other OSes like Linux. Is MS so embarrassed by their own product? I think so. And this ad subtly reinforces that perception.

I think Microsoft is trying to take HP out of the equation, they want to brand PC's as computers running windows computers, sort of like what Apple does with Macs, when you pick up a mac you know its from Apple, from the software to the hardware. Microsoft wants people to began associating PC's with Windows more than lets say HP. So instead of a consumer saying I want the latest Dell or HP, they would say I should be getting the latest Windows PC. That's the kind of image they are presenting, and that there are different kinds of Windows PC ranging from netbooks all the way to powerful workstations.

 

[LagunaSol]

German engineering rocks. German auto workers are among the highest paid in the world (they're way more expensive than those GM folk).

I agree. Yet German automobiles are regularly trounced in the reliability department by their cheaper Japanese rivals.

Looks like automobile analogies fall apart in multiple ways.