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New Microsoft Ad Campaign Targets Mac Prices

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no comparison

That is like running a car ad, saying "find a 4 door car for under 7 grand." So she first goes to Mercedes and says "I would have to spend way too much for that here. I guess im not cool enough." Then proceeds to purchase some bottom of the line, no features POS from a Saturn dealership. "YaY! its just what I wanted!!"
 
This Is A Very Good Strategy For MS

You don't even have to watch the ads to know this is a good strategy for the PC industry. They simply MUST prevent traditional PC users from trying a Mac otherwise they may not get that person back again. PC vendors must stem the bleeding of their customers to other platforms and the whole price thing was what stopped people from trying Macs years ago.

And the PC industry is bleeding. After many years people who use to mock me for being a Mac person have now switched to the Mac for one reason or another and they are becoming, if not already, Mac fans like most people in this forum.

The problem for MS and PC hardware vendors is that they can not compete from a premium position, they are relegated to competing on price thus reducing their products to commodities. They can enjoy slimmer profit margins while they get the volume.
 
Apple Commercial Response

Mac: Hello, I a Mac. :cool:

PC: And I'm a PC. :(

Mac: I saw your new commercial that shows a girl purchasing a 17" laptop for $699! :D

PC: Yes, it's the universally understood feature Windows computers have over Macs -- value. ;)

Mac: Really? Did you know Apple sells a computer for $599? :)

PC: You mean that little square thing with no keyboard or display? :rolleyes:

Mac: Yes, the Mac mini. But now you can also buy an iPhone for the same price. So there is a selection. :eek:

PC: Do you recall that she bought a 17" laptop that includes display and keyboard? :D

Mac: I recall she wasn't cool enough to buy a Mac! :cool:

PC: It doesn't take a Genius to see that. :p
 
tMac85 said:
the OS is the luxury. not the hardware. the build of the computer ( aluminum enclosure. design)

we all have an engine
we all have 4 wheels


then please tell me what separates a BMW from a Kia?
Click to expand...

Because the argument should be BMW vs Toyota.

Yes, Mac's are BMW's because they are all the same like that. But PC's have cheap ones and then there are expensive PC's for the higher end users.
 
Small White Car said:
Good move, leaving out specs that makes the Macbook look good. It's sure easy to "prove" your case when you only state the facts that are in your favor.

Or does it not matter to you that:

The Dell weighs 42% more

The Mac system bus is 33% faster (meaning the processor will get work done quicker)

Likewise, the Macbook has 50% more memory in the processor's cache

The Dell's 15" screen is the same resolution as the Mac's 13", meaning it's not as sharp

The Macbook has a 256 MB NVIDIA GeForce 9400M video card while the Dell has integrated graphics using shared memory

I would consider a faster machine with better graphics and a sharper screen to be worth $300 more.
Click to expand...

I think he was talking about the white Macbooks that are $999, not the newer aluminum Macbooks that start at $1,299. There still are some options that were left out that make the Macbook better, but not as bad.
 
BeanieRobert200 said:
No shes not cool enough. Lets see if she wants to DO anything with her computer. After getting virus protection, software that will let her edit videos, pictures and all the repairs shes gonna have to get she will pay well over a thousand. :apple:
Click to expand...

You know Windows Live offers photo, video editing and management for free right?
 
Tallest Skil said:
Incorrect. Se7en runs on hundreds of computers that Vista cannot.

Seven runs easily on everything XP did, I believe.
Click to expand...

Windows 7 is so much better than Vista!! :D I was tinkering with a friend's beta the other day...in fact, he has it on a little Acer netbook with an Atom processor (Vista would melt it I'm pretty sure.) ;) However it's still Windows, so after a bit I just think "Mehhhh." :D

I mean after all, look how much credibility they're losing, especially with these ridiculous stupid ads. Apparently even after 20+ years of Macs being more expensive than IBM PC boxes, nobody in Redmond got the memo that APPLE DOES NOT CATER TO THE SAME DEMOGRAPHIC (i.e. Wal-Mart shoppers) THAT MI¢RO$OFT DOES! They never have and never will! Get the f**k over it, Redmond! :rolleyes:
 
funny... at the end she says, "I got exactly what I wanted!"

didn't she go into the Mac store first? so technically, she didn't get exactly what she wanted if the Mac was the first thing on her mind.
 
Good idea, but...

I think MS has a good idea here. But like others have said, they only present a part of the picture. When (not if) her PC breaks, who does she deal with? Does she talk to Best Buy, HP, or MS? Most likely, each company would tell you to talk to the other. Since I have a Mac, I only have one company to deal with when my computer breaks...oh wait...my computer doesn't...:cool:
 
Bigdaddyguido said:
The ad is cute, and kinda almost makes a point, assuming it was made by HP or Dell.

Too bad MS doesn't build computers or their hardware, they make OS and other software suites. Too bad the cheapest version of their own OS is $199 and highly crippled and $319 to get something that rivals Apple's own OS which costs you just $129.

At least you can get the software suite for cheaper than apple... oh wait its $149 just for the crippled version productivity apps (Word, Excel, Powerpoint and One Note) and $399(!?!) for the whole thing ($99 for iWork, in case you forgot) and you can't even get a comparable iLife package. Hell you can get both iWork and iLife for less than just the productivity apps.

If apple cares too, they could make quite a catchy commercial showing off just what I pointed out up there.
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Speak Brotha!!!

oh and btw, of course Lauren isn't cool enough to be a Mac person, she's a ginger :p
 
Bah, I hate these negative campaigns of Mac vs PC, on both sides. Though the Mac ones are generally more amusing, and point to some of the Mac's strengths, whereas Microsoft's campaign seems to be focusing on everything but Windows, while still displaying the logo.
 
Bigdaddyguido said:
The ad is cute, and kinda almost makes a point, assuming it was made by HP or Dell.

Too bad MS doesn't build computers or there hardware....
Click to expand...

This is exactly the point. Apple is selling SW and HW. When MS steps up and starts making machines...then they can run the ad. I think they're crazy putting an ad into the hands of companies like HP and DELL who are struggling to begin with.
 
dwd3885 said:
You know the MacBook's graphics are integrated too, right?
Click to expand...

If you're talking "integrated" as in "it's built in and you can't remove it" then yes. But when talking about computers most people use "integrated" to mean a video system that shares other resources, like taking up part of the system RAM.

In that sense, the Dell does that and the Mac does not.

(And in the other sense that you mean, of course it's built in that way...they're laptops!)
 
dwd3885 said:
Because the argument should be BMW vs Toyota.

Yes, Mac's are BMW's because they are all the same like that. But PC's have cheap ones and then there are expensive PC's for the higher end users.
Click to expand...
You're getting into a messy gray area there. Please elaborate more.

It's tough for the majority of users that I know to consider a computer for more than a $1,000. Even then you're getting a Core i7 + 4870 1 GB/GTX 260 55nm.

You're talking about a "real" workstation right?
 
Marlor said:
The Apple ads were terrible.

They just made you want to hug the PC guy and punch the Apple guy in the face.
Click to expand...

Pretty much. Sad thing is, they made Apple look bad (in my opinion), and using Justin Long to portray this young, hip, smug mac user, isn't what the mac community needs.
 
Yes, the recession matters.

HLdan said:
It doesn't make any difference if the economy is in a recession, people are still buying expensive goods, cars, going to the movies, going on trips so not everybody is a "cheapskate ".
Click to expand...

People are still buying cars? Try again. February 2009 auto sales were down 41% from the same month 1 year earlier. Sales of big-ticket items and consumer durables (like computers) have collapsed. Advertising low prices isn't just chasing after cheapskates, it's reading the national mood. People are being careful, and any company would be foolish not to respond.
 
She pretty much sums it all up when she says... "I'm just not cool enough to be a Mac person". LOLOLOLOL I can't believe they left that line in the commercial. It is so true. Just because someone can't afford the best doesnt mean they don't really want it. I know many people that want Macs and only have a PC not because of choice, but because they can't afford a Mac. Macs are a much better value overall than PCs with all the software included, the hardware, reliability and customer service, and resale value!

Too bad for them I guess! :p

P.S. Microsoft is absolutely pathetic.
 
dwd3885 said:
Because the argument should be BMW vs Toyota.

Yes, Mac's are BMW's because they are all the same like that. But PC's have cheap ones and then there are expensive PC's for the higher end users.
Click to expand...

the 699 17" laptop she bought would be a kia.

a 17" with nicer specs would be a toyota.

however. toyotas are VERY nice cars.

please stop splitting hairs, you get my point.
 
It's a good ad and gets across the positives of going down the PC route.

Sure they miss out some key parts but the majority of people cannot justify the extra price premium you pay to get a mac, regardless of how it works out in the long term or the experience you have.

I have been a PC user since a kid, I know windows inside out and I love the custom aspect of it, building custom rigs, getting it running smooth as silk and all the rest ( even if a large part of the software I used wasn't legal... even windows for that matter ).....

.....To keep it running good it takes a lot of effort and knowledge otherwise they become bloated, resource hogs. Unstable, messy and ultimate come to a grinding halt.

If you have the time to take care of one they are great machines but how many people know how to do that? It's a very VERY small percentage with the majority of PC's becoming the above. People don't know any better, because that's what a "PC" is. It doesn't enter their minds about how bad they become so they carry on down the same road, time and time again without a thought of how enjoyable using a well set up PC can be..... or a Mac can be.

As a few have said, you get what you pay for.
 
BrockW15 said:
I think MS has a good idea here. But like others have said, they only present a part of the picture. When (not if) her PC breaks, who does she deal with? Does she talk to Best Buy, HP, or MS? Most likely, each company would tell you to talk to the other. Since I have a Mac, I only have one company to deal with when my computer breaks...oh wait...my computer doesn't...:cool:
Click to expand...

ANd Apple presents the FULL picture in its ads?

And with more companies to deal with, you also have more fluctuation of the price it costs to fix something. Apple will charge you what they want and you can do nothing about it.
 
people also need to learn that quality comes with a price.

bmws cost 65k+ for a reason too. sure your focus may get you from a to b also, but there is more than price that goes into something.
 
tMac85 said:
the OS is the luxury. not the hardware. the build of the computer ( aluminum enclosure. design)

we all have an engine
we all have 4 wheels


then please tell me what separates a BMW from a Kia?
Click to expand...

Absolutely nothing, if you just need it to get to work. If you want to shell out 3 times as much for a status symbol, go ahead Rockefeller. And when she says "I'm not cool enough" she's being sarcastic and you guys are stepping in your own poop. Yeah, Mac people are so "cool" that they couldn't figure out how to use a PC so they spend $1000 more to get an OS designed for a pre-schooler.
 
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