Microsoft to Respond to Apple's 'Get a Mac' Ads

[MacRumors]

Informationweek reports on comments made by Brad Brooks, Microsoft's VP of Windows Vista consumer marketing at their annual Worldwide Partner Conference. Brooks admits that they have made mistakes with the Vista launch but that they are ready to counter attacks from Apple and let customers know that Vista is "finally stable and ready."

"We've got a pretty noisy competitor out there," Brooks said of Apple whose "I'm a Mac... and I'm a PC," commercials criticize Windows Vista. "You know it. I know it. It's caused some impact. We're going to start countering it. They tell us it's the iWay or the highway. We think that's a sad message. Software out there is made to be compatible with your whole life."

Microsoft is planning to launch a massive advertising campaign worth hundreds of millions of dollars to promote Vista. Key features to be promoted include upgraded security and compatibility with both applications and devices.


Article Link

 

[Consultant]

Wow, that's money down the drain.

The more people who use vista = more people switch to OSX.

 

[LillieDesigns]

I love everything Apple, but I still root for Microsoft sometimes because I know competition = better products. If Vista is selling, OSX has to improve and I like that.

 

[Mykbibby]

iWay or the highway. That's creative.

Can't wait to see these ads. Will they bash OS X? For its stability and security?

 

[bperboy]

Umm, too little too late?

Doesn't Microsoft realize that these ads have been airing for years now?

WinBlows forever!

 

[TuffLuffJimmy]

upgraded security? you mean that little guy who yells at me every time I launch an app in Vista? (Seriously I get warnings when I open the control panel and the updater)

 

[ebrunn]

Hey, Its kinda cool to be a target for spyware and viruses.

 

[kkat69]

And the commercials will be...

"Hi, I'm a PC, and I'm a Mac"

 

[hyroboarder]

wow, a little late? I thought this capaign might have come out when the apple ads first started like 2 YEARS AGO. Ms is just so hilarious these days.

 

[HymerSchmidt]

How pathetic that their only defense for crapware is, "we are a legacy."

 

[Macsterguy]

They have awoken...

They have awoken... "The sleeping GIANT"

I like Mac's and use them but...
I have wondered why MS hasn't responded to these campaigns...

We shall see what happens...

 

[macfan881]

. Key features to be promoted include upgraded security and compatibility with both applications and devices.

Ok now this just had me Lmao

 

[wrldwzrd89]

I love everything Apple, but I still root for Microsoft sometimes because I know competition = better products. If Vista is selling, OSX has to improve and I like that.

Couldn't agree more, LillieDesigns. Microsoft's ad campaign, if it proves to be successful, will get Apple to make Snow Leopard that much better - even if it doesn't include (many) new features, it'll have to be that much more polished to continue to attract new users.

That said, what'll Microsoft do should their ad campaign fail? If I was Microsoft, and I saw that a massive ad campaign I launched was not getting the expected results, I'd give up on it and focus my efforts on Windows 7 - if I can make it shine, maybe I'll convince some of those stubborn folks still on Windows 98 to upgrade

 

[tomozj]

I love everything Apple, but I still root for Microsoft sometimes because I know competition = better products. If Vista is selling, OSX has to improve and I like that.

Aye. Apple monopolizing the market would mean we'd start getting ripped off or such.. Competition == the requirement to stay competitive.

 

[SAMTATSICPRO]

I wish Microsoft good luck with that...

No matter how much they do... Apple is the smarter one.

 

[4God]

Vista? Ha!

 

[gcmexico]

let the war begin!!! leads to better Apple products I hope!

 

[decimortis]

Hello I'm a Vista, and I'm a Leopard.

 

[~Shard~]

Too little too late I say.

Plus, won't this type of advertising have a nagetive effect? In other words, if the ads are a success and cause more people to move to Vista, won't this then result in those people realizing how horrible it is upon upgrading and thus they will switch to OS X, thereby reducing Windows' marketshare?

Also, I am curious as to what exactly Microsoft will focus on as being better than OS X. Bragging about better protection against viruses, spyware etc. for instance isn't really something to be proud about since those aren't even issues on OS X.

That being said, I always believe that competition is a good thing, and if Microsoft can force Mac to stay competitive and ahead of the curve with repsect to their offerings then it's win-win.

 

[Makosuke]

I kinda like "iWay or the highway", but if the MS guy actually used any words even close to "finally stable and ready" (article didn't phrase it as a quote, and I'm not sure it was even paraphrasing rather than commentary) that's a pretty tragic admission given how long Vista has been in development and on the market and the amount of money MS has spent on it.

Either way, MS pretty much built this buzz-saw and then walked into it, although they're STILL making plenty of money off Vista. Just not as much as they want, which would be the obscene heaps only a monopoly can provide (seriously, look at the profit to development cost ratio of their Office division--it's like 10:1).

Competition is very good. But I really, really hate MS and their business practices. Products are of arguable quality at best, but nowhere near as insulting as the company.

 

[AD05]

"Vista is finally stable and ready".. Microsoft is on something really good because its still not very stable or ready. I installed it last week because the Service Pack was out for it so i thought maybe it will be better but it felt the same

 

[BigD58]

I know this is kind of selfish but I actually want people to use vista more than mac os x. Because truly I like to be able to say that I use a mac...i like my exclusivity

 

[phil83]

Lets Rumble

Oh, this should be so much fun watching Microsoft counter-act there adds.

Have you ever seen a good Microsoft comercial?

I haven't

Lets get ready to Rumble!

I predict Microsoft goes down in Marketing area.

 

[SAMTATSICPRO]

it's gonna be like the Zune Vs the iPod LOL

we know who's the winner!!!

 

[MrCrowbar]

...What Feature?

"PCs" (here: computers with Windows running) are great for games and all but I must say, nothing beats Macs for private use. Too bad you can't usually choose what you get at the office. I already bring my own mouse and keyboard so I don't get angry at the low cost stuff at the office.

If I could, I'd use an iMac with a decent mouse and VMware fusion to keep compatibility with the rest of the office.