That's not always true anymore, but it's something you have grown accustomed to. It's the mindset that, "Well this is $2,000 more, so it MUST be better!" But what if it isn't?
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New Microsoft Ad Campaign Targets Mac Prices
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That's not always true anymore, but it's something you have grown accustomed to. It's the mindset that, "Well this is $2,000 more, so it MUST be better!" But what if it isn't?
Unspeaked
macrumors 68020
Exactly.
A PC is a perfectly suitable computer for the vast majority of the people who purchase one. Really, what can't you do on a PC that you can on a Mac? Yes, you can't run OS X (legally), you can't run iLife, etc - but there's a counterpart to nearly everything and - let's admit it, here - there's still plenty of stuff that only runs on a PC (thank you, virtualization).
To listen to some of the people here, the $700 PC is no more useful than a loaf of bread or a desk fan.
"What they heck is she going to do with that thing?!? It weighs a whole 5 lbs, only gets two hours of battery life and is totally ugly."
I don't know - maybe she'll take it outside for two hours and go online, work on a paper, listen to music, etc. All things that the laptop in the ad can do perfectly well.
No, she's not going to be editing the next Spielberg feature on it, but she wouldn't be doing that on a low-end MacBook, anyway.
-hh
macrumors 68030
And the upgrade to that flavor of Vista was free, right?
Years ago, I had that day's equivalent of a Geo Metro. Long story short, its NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness) was so horrible that I couldn't drive it for more than an hour without taking a ten minute break to de-buzz.
My subsequent cars have cost more ... but one of the ways that they compensate is with lower NVH such that I can drive longer without needing to take a break.
And since I'm typically getting a rental car on travel around 10x/year, I get to spend a couple of days with a variety of manufacturers' products ... and I find that these elements of "you get what you pay for" still apply.
But if all you want is raw lifespan, I had a coworker who took a K-Car to 500,000 miles ... and by the end, it was burning 4 quarts oil / 100 miles.
-hh
That would only fit if the Kia had the same engine and transmission as the BMW, same wheels and same tyres as the BMW.
Sure, the BMW might have a nicer trim, maybe a slightly better windshield, but if you're paying DOUBLE for it, is it really worth it?
Anyone interested in buying either of those cars would say, "heck no."
guitarman777
macrumors 6502
While I do wish the price tag on several Mac products were lower, there's a big difference between any old 17" laptop and a 17" laptop that can do what the MBP can do. You try to build a Windows-based 17" laptop, it'll come to the same price tag if not more than the MBP. The only reason she went to get the 17" is because they told her to.
D-Link routers? Garbage. Might as well use a couple of cans tied together with string to connect to the internet.
D-Link routers? Garbage. Might as well use a couple of cans tied together with string to connect to the internet.
LagunaSol
macrumors 601
What the 'ell are you talking about? A company who creates a premium product at a premium price point is "arrogant?" Sooo...anyone in the food business other than McDonalds is arrogant, and anyone in the retail business other than WalMart is arrogant, right?
Give us a friggen break.
No one ever said Apple made products for the thrifty masses. Get over it.
P.S. let's see Microsoft run an ad like this for the Zune. Oh wait, Zunes and iPods are equivalently priced. Fail.
Airforcekid
macrumors 68000
Only TIME!
YEAH you got what you wanted till two weeks later your back at the store saying its virus riddled while 10 years later im still using my mac after you went through how many pcs and that ones worth how much????
YEAH you got what you wanted till two weeks later your back at the store saying its virus riddled while 10 years later im still using my mac after you went through how many pcs and that ones worth how much????
"I guess I'm not cool enough" means "Mac people only think they're cool."
Hello? Is it really hard to tell that she's being sarcastic?
"I guess I'm not cool enough" means "Mac people only THINK they're cool."
the fact that Lauren admits that Mac people are just so much cooler than PC people makes my day🙂
Hello? Is it really hard to tell that she's being sarcastic?
"I guess I'm not cool enough" means "Mac people only THINK they're cool."
Eidorian
macrumors Penryn
You run into the fact that you can do real work even on a "non-workstation" machine. Their are plenty of single socket, non-ECC/registered systems out there lifting the weight.
It is a commercial. For all we know her name is Michelle. She makes six figures a year as an actor and she owns 3 Macbooks.
Ubuntu
macrumors 68020
PinkyMacGodess
Suspended
Also...
That HP from Worst Try is built FOR the Best Buys and their 'non-commercial' users. More plastic and cheaper parts...
Apple notebooks are built the same for everyone. I've had a hell of a time selling HP 'business' notebooks to non-commercial users because they cost more but are actually built better. More metal and more shock mounting and better components (usually). Heck, just using a metal sub-frame or chassis adds a lot of reliability (and weight) to a notebook thereby making it better... We can't sell most of that 'non-commercial' crap and I'm not unhappy we can't.
Oh, and anyone remember last x-mas and the Best Buy 'loss leader' notebooks? Yeah, you couldn't use 'quality' in the same sentence without smirking I'd wager...
That HP from Worst Try is built FOR the Best Buys and their 'non-commercial' users. More plastic and cheaper parts...
Apple notebooks are built the same for everyone. I've had a hell of a time selling HP 'business' notebooks to non-commercial users because they cost more but are actually built better. More metal and more shock mounting and better components (usually). Heck, just using a metal sub-frame or chassis adds a lot of reliability (and weight) to a notebook thereby making it better... We can't sell most of that 'non-commercial' crap and I'm not unhappy we can't.
Oh, and anyone remember last x-mas and the Best Buy 'loss leader' notebooks? Yeah, you couldn't use 'quality' in the same sentence without smirking I'd wager...
NT1440
macrumors P6
This is what i dont get, people use optional devices to state macs are overpriced. Cant you just stick to the actual computer? (yes he had the mini, but then stated what he thinks it should be priced at)
Overpriced is 100% an opinion.
Yep, I do real work on my $349 Dell Quad core.. Can anyone tell me a Mac quad core pc for less than $400? I didn't think so.
PeterQC
macrumors 6502a
Nice to lauren. her 17 screen, which might have a crappy resolution and crappy quality. I bet it's the one year old models, which are almost giving away because no one want them. What's the graphics on this? a Intel GMA 900 or X3100? So in short, just enough to run Vista itself, with nothing much else... I could go on and on... but hey, I don't punch people who are already down.
And, I just want to know why in the hell Microsoft are even making Ads? Aren't their crap already on any self-respecting (non netbook) PC? Where in the hell they are losing money? From Apple? Their software is preinstalled for god sake! They don't even sell computer! What's the point? Selling more OS copies?
And, I just want to know why in the hell Microsoft are even making Ads? Aren't their crap already on any self-respecting (non netbook) PC? Where in the hell they are losing money? From Apple? Their software is preinstalled for god sake! They don't even sell computer! What's the point? Selling more OS copies?
Concur
Apple have been prodding some time now with i'm a PC but somehow this is underhand and weaker. It shows MS are responding and losing marketshare otherwise why bother ? It's a pretty low dig if all they can find is cost as a problem. This is null & void as an argument as we all know what a mac purchase includes. MS are just squirming in their bargain basement bin.
Apple have been prodding some time now with i'm a PC but somehow this is underhand and weaker. It shows MS are responding and losing marketshare otherwise why bother ? It's a pretty low dig if all they can find is cost as a problem. This is null & void as an argument as we all know what a mac purchase includes. MS are just squirming in their bargain basement bin.
dukebound85
macrumors Core
Since i'm in the UK I just had to check, but an OEM Vista Home Premium is cheaper than Leopard.
Err, the "crippled" version still has everything iWork has and guess what, they're better apps! Does anyone really need iLife? The only "mass user" application in there is iPhoto and on Windows you can just use Picasa.
Congratulations looking like an Apple fanboy backed into a corner!
As for the ad, I think it makes a more interesting point than just price. Apple shoehorn you into very specific groups based on what you want. Want a 17" laptop? You HAVE to spend an insane amount on the 17" MacBook Pro! Want a desktop without a monitor (you already have a good one)? You HAVE to get a Mini.
If Apple just widened their existing product offerings you could get your perfect Mac better and it wouldn't be compromising quality (but Apples profits perhaps...). Just shove the MacBook line into one all-encompassing heading, and allow users to have a 15" MacBook with (current) 13" MacBook specs. Allow the Mini to be an absolute powerhouse, and so on. It would be better for the consumer, probably worse for Apple fleecing you of as much money as possible. Which is why they'll never do it and use the "it complicates it for users" line 🙄
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-hh
macrumors 68030
They're good for space heaters.
My cubicle at work gets chilly in the winter, and I have some old PC hardware that I crank up on cold says so as to warm up.
Sure, I'd prefer to use a real space heater, but the local fire inspector says that they aren't allowed, partly due to lousy cubicle wiring.
-hh
ddrueckhammer
macrumors 65816
This is the first time I have seen a "PC" ad that I think might be effective. Lets face it. In the consumer market, most people don't know what processor speed, RAM, or hard drive size mean. Much less, the benefits of OS X vs. Windows. For the most part, in this economy especially, the upfront cost is the only consideration besides size and if it is going to be "faster".
In fact, the upfront cost is the largest factor in driving most corporate buyers to support HP or Dell. (Yes, I know they take into account other factors like security, deployability, etc. but cost is the main factor) Sadly, they hardly ever take into account the maintenance costs of having someone defrag, clean the registry, make sure anti-virus software is up to date, troubleshoot software bugs etc. Windows.
If Apple wants to grow its market share without releasing OS X as OEM for other manufacturers, I think it needs to do a few things hardware wise:
1. Release at least a 15" version of the Macbook like the old 15" ibook. Since the general public doesn't really know what specs mean other than what their tech person tells them, the screen size is one of the obvious differentiators. Different screen-size options are for consumers too. Not just Pros.
2. Release a headless mid-range mac. Hello, this is obvious. Everyone says it. I have an iMac and the reason why having an integrated screen didn't bother me is that I realize I can sell it in a few years for much more than any PC with similar specs and put the price toward a new machine. Unfortunately, the resale value of Macs almost never enters anyones mind when deciding what to buy and Apple will have a hard time educating the public on this one. (Despite efforts in the past)
3. Release colored (Pink, Blue, Green, Silver, Black, Product(RED)) anodized aluminum Macbooks and iMacs, and add Black Anodized Aluminum for the Pro. When the new iPod Shuffle was released and I told friends and family about it, my Girlfriend, Mom, and Sister didn't really care about the missing controls, or the voice commands, but they did think it was a bad move to lose the colors. One of the big reasons why the iPod Minis, Nanos, Shuffles, etc. are big sellers are people love the colors. I guarantee that having a Pink Macbook would sell it to a few more girls out there.
4. Release the Netbook or 10" iPod Touch/Netbooks device already. Since, price is such a big factor having options in every price-range is important.
5. Differentiate the Mac Mini and AppleTV lines or merge them, and further integrate the Living Room media experience with OS X. The Mac Mini is too expensive to be competitive in the low-end desktop market and the AppleTV needs additional features to compete with the likes of Tivo and the Xbox 360/PS3. Also, it would be really a good idea to add Hulu support, ad-supported iTunes content, or TV subscriptions/rentals to the iTunes store as people are used to the paying less for TV content than DVD prices.
6. Expand the Time Capsule into a full home server product similar to the HP MediaSmart servers. As people's media libraries get larger and larger, they are going to need a place to store it all besides their desktop that has redundant backup. HP is really ahead here. Yes, it is a more complicated product but the idea of serving media or backing up continuously isn't really a mainstream consumer idea at the moment anyway.
I'm sure there are many other things they could do to appeal to more consumers with their hardware. I know they have spent the last few years consolidating their lines to save money but they really need to get out of that thinking if they want to expand their Macintosh business. Heck, they released the Macbook Air which is one of the biggest niche products I have seen... Having more sku's and product lines isn't a bad thing if there is a strategic plan and a cohesive vision for the line. Yes, this might cost them some money in the short term. But if it expands their user base significantly, it is probably worth it. Apple is sitting on billions of Dollars and if a few of the things (like colors) end up being too expensive to keep up, then they can go back to what they were doing without too much trouble...
In fact, the upfront cost is the largest factor in driving most corporate buyers to support HP or Dell. (Yes, I know they take into account other factors like security, deployability, etc. but cost is the main factor) Sadly, they hardly ever take into account the maintenance costs of having someone defrag, clean the registry, make sure anti-virus software is up to date, troubleshoot software bugs etc. Windows.
If Apple wants to grow its market share without releasing OS X as OEM for other manufacturers, I think it needs to do a few things hardware wise:
1. Release at least a 15" version of the Macbook like the old 15" ibook. Since the general public doesn't really know what specs mean other than what their tech person tells them, the screen size is one of the obvious differentiators. Different screen-size options are for consumers too. Not just Pros.
2. Release a headless mid-range mac. Hello, this is obvious. Everyone says it. I have an iMac and the reason why having an integrated screen didn't bother me is that I realize I can sell it in a few years for much more than any PC with similar specs and put the price toward a new machine. Unfortunately, the resale value of Macs almost never enters anyones mind when deciding what to buy and Apple will have a hard time educating the public on this one. (Despite efforts in the past)
3. Release colored (Pink, Blue, Green, Silver, Black, Product(RED)) anodized aluminum Macbooks and iMacs, and add Black Anodized Aluminum for the Pro. When the new iPod Shuffle was released and I told friends and family about it, my Girlfriend, Mom, and Sister didn't really care about the missing controls, or the voice commands, but they did think it was a bad move to lose the colors. One of the big reasons why the iPod Minis, Nanos, Shuffles, etc. are big sellers are people love the colors. I guarantee that having a Pink Macbook would sell it to a few more girls out there.
4. Release the Netbook or 10" iPod Touch/Netbooks device already. Since, price is such a big factor having options in every price-range is important.
5. Differentiate the Mac Mini and AppleTV lines or merge them, and further integrate the Living Room media experience with OS X. The Mac Mini is too expensive to be competitive in the low-end desktop market and the AppleTV needs additional features to compete with the likes of Tivo and the Xbox 360/PS3. Also, it would be really a good idea to add Hulu support, ad-supported iTunes content, or TV subscriptions/rentals to the iTunes store as people are used to the paying less for TV content than DVD prices.
6. Expand the Time Capsule into a full home server product similar to the HP MediaSmart servers. As people's media libraries get larger and larger, they are going to need a place to store it all besides their desktop that has redundant backup. HP is really ahead here. Yes, it is a more complicated product but the idea of serving media or backing up continuously isn't really a mainstream consumer idea at the moment anyway.
I'm sure there are many other things they could do to appeal to more consumers with their hardware. I know they have spent the last few years consolidating their lines to save money but they really need to get out of that thinking if they want to expand their Macintosh business. Heck, they released the Macbook Air which is one of the biggest niche products I have seen... Having more sku's and product lines isn't a bad thing if there is a strategic plan and a cohesive vision for the line. Yes, this might cost them some money in the short term. But if it expands their user base significantly, it is probably worth it. Apple is sitting on billions of Dollars and if a few of the things (like colors) end up being too expensive to keep up, then they can go back to what they were doing without too much trouble...
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