New Microsoft Ad Campaign Targets Mac Prices

[Drag'nGT]

Yes, everyone knows Macs generally have a higher price tag. What's new here?

And a $699 17" Notebook? Has anyone seen how horrifically bad the screen on those notebooks are?

I don't like it but Microsoft is right with their cost comparison. Granted it's skewed, and not a computer for the money comparison BUT many of us have been saying this for years.

Apple shorts customers on ram and hdd size (we have all said it). The $999 Macbook isn't even the swank aluminum and has specs to match a $500/600 PC. The MBP is the worst and best all in one shot. Best because how great it is but worst because of all the people who walk out on it because it's a little bit of overkill on the specs for what it will sit next to in a Best Buy not to mention the price. $2k to start. Apple isn't giving anyone a 15" version of the MacBook to buy.

What happened to: "It does more. It costs less. It's that Simple." ????

Computer users surf the net, email, keep themselves organized, do school work or business work and some games.... They can be done on any computer and at any price. Sure we wanna do it quickly and such. I know there is a lot in a Mac that we don't see in a PC.

I do agree that I like that it costs $$$ to own a Mac. It's what makes owning things of value... valuable. Like owning a bimmer and benz. It also keeps the computer safer since no one bothers to hack a Mac; not enough to bother with. But I do want to see more adopters... can't have it all I guess.

PS - I still want an answer to my question.

 

[cloudnine]

Redheads are the work of the devil. She is most definitely not cool enough to own a mac.

 

[Lesser Evets]

She wants a keyboard (º-º; ...uhhh...), speed (we assume the drug), and a 17" screen.

For what? What is she running on this thing? (Aside from MS) AIM? Email? She doesn't seem very precise as to what she wants to do, she just WANTS. Fail.

 

[FF_productions]

I'll brush that off the shoulder, but still...Do we forget to realize what we are paying for and that hardware is not the only reason?

Did they ever stop to think, maybe a Mac is less of a nuisance to deal with?

It's a real sting to Apple, because they do charge a lot, we know this, please stop making comparisons. Nobody wants to hear it, nobody cares.

Live your life, you know what's better, no point of crying over a company that has to attack pricing because their OS is nothing good to talk about.

 

[AlexisV]

PATHETIC.

Cheesy as fu*k.

What next? A consumer wanting a car for £10,000, walking out of a BMW dealership and going to the Kia garage down the road?

I'm not saying Apple could do with knocking the prices back to where they were, but the whole premise of this ad smacks of desperation.

Edit - just noticed this from earlier:

That's like giving people $10,000 to buy a car and then saying that since they got a Kia, it must mean that Audis and BMWs are overpriced

Great minds think alike!!

 

[Balin64]

Redheads are the work of the devil. She is most definitely not cool enough to own a mac.

I still want to love her long time. In my Bimmer. While looking at the pulsating glow of my MacBook Pro sleepin'.

Oh God I just went there.

Ban me now.

 

[AlexisV]

Another aspect of Microsoft's new campaign is web banner ads that have begun appearing today on a number of sites, including The New York Times. The ads feature two "slot machines", each showing either a Mac or a PC and two other items meant to illustrate how much extra spending money a PC purchaser would have left over to spend on other items when compared to a Mac purchaser. The ads are interactive, allowing users to click to "spin again" and see different combinations of items.

I think the MacBook looks really cool on these. Better than the generic PC.

As soon as you show a nice Mac in your ad, you've lost the plot.

 

[solaris7]

i regret it..........

buying a mac was such a huge mistake.............(the stupid hype and "its an experience" bs!)

 

[Goona]

Suffice it to say, the comparisons are fair. For years us Mac users have argued that the difference between a $600 HP and a $2000 Mac can be likened to that of cars, where that $600 HP is a Hyundai and that $2000 Mac is a Lexus. If you read auto reviews much these days, you'll find that Hyundai is getting very good reviews, even stacked up against Lexus. The same thing is happening here.

Another factor to consider is that with the move to Intel, Macs have only one thing truly unique going for them anymore, and that's their clever use of industrial design. Without that, there really is not much of a difference. So I also think the "I guess I'm not cool enough to own a Mac" line rings true with this reality. I also can't help but mention this mod I've read about (and YouTube videos I've seen) where people are installing 10.5 on a $300 Dell Netbook that runs circles around the MacBook Air. Either Apple is getting as cocky as they were in the early '90s, or they just don't care about Macs anymore, their R&D is obviously going to other areas. iPhone anyone?

Don't tell me you were serious with that statement.

 

[RHDJapan]

Ive got 9 macs in my office to prove im cool. My next computer running OSX is coming from Psystar.

 

[lamina]

In what way? Apart from price, the machines are pretty similar.

Both have dual core processors, both have 4GB RAM, both have a 17" screen, both have a 320GB hard drive, both have a DVD-RW drive, both have built in webcams, both have a one year warranty.

The only area where the MacBook Pro will likely outperform the HP is in battery life, but then, I don't want to be one to fall for Apple's marketing garbage on that. I'm promised 5 hours on my MacBook, I get closer to 2 and a half.

AMD Turion processor. I worked at Best Buy in 2005 or so, and they were using those then, and still are now. Compare that to the processor found in the MBP

As for the screen, take a walk down to the nearest Best Buy and check out any 17" laptop screen for under $1000. Then look at a 17" MBP.

Anyway, Microsoft made a pretty smart move to release an ad like this during the tough economic times. I think it will influence a lot of people (especially parents of kids who are now receiving their acceptance letters to college) who were thinking of going Mac.

All I know is, both companies aren't going anywhere, and I'm glad I'll always have my choice. And we all know what that is.

BTW I do run Windows 7 on boot camp sometimes because it's fun to tinker with.

 

[VoR]

What happened to: "It does more. It costs less. It's that Simple." ????

PS - I still want an answer to my question.

Assuming that's your question, I'll take a guess

I'm sure apple could drop the premium on all their products to match the likes of dell etc. Increase their sales to ofset the lower profit and take a large chunk/majority of the home desktop os share - For the average user I think it's a better OS, slightly more feature full out of the box, and more importantly, quite (more than windows) resilient to uneducated users.

However, I'm sure apple's marketing gurus and accountants have got together and decided that they might as well stick with what works (currently), and remain as a (the?) highly profitable, high end, niche brand.

 

[Goona]

For all of Microsoft's tries at advertising, I'd say this was their best and will likely work. You can talk all you want about ease of use, no virus/malware, iLife etc., how would the average consumer know anything about this?

Certainly not from Apple. All their ads have is some smart ass making fun of an overweight guy. And now they are focused on 'green laptops', like the average consumer even gives a *****.

Total cost of ownership? Most can't even figure out how to calculate it nor would they even know what factors to consider.

To many consumers, cheaper is better. Simple as that. I bet Microsoft has a winner here.

Dude not everyone buys the cheapest crap available.

 

[Goona]

Because Windows doesn't require as much tinkering around as Linux does. I think it's a good compromise between support, ease-of-use and affordability.

Dude we are talking strictly on price, after all isn't that what Microsoft is basing this ad on, so their option is definetly not the cheapest, Linux is a cheaper option. I'm sure they could have removed Windows from it and got a cheaper price.

 

[rish]

An Ad for A Knuckle Head

Man, I see people all the time running out of PC World thinking they got an awesome deal on a PC and then a little later on experience the sheer frustration when it either stops working or slows right down.

My observation of people who have gone for the cheap option are the ones who end up with the most aggravation. Cheap is not quality. I really hope people realise this.

Sure I'm biased but hey I was a PC owner once prior to being a Mac owner and I've been stung way too many times when problems have emerged. A knowing grin is obligatory when viewing the ad. She'll end up at a Tech Support store near her sometime very soon.

 

[The Barron]

"I Got Exactly What I Wanted!"

Yep, Lauren did get what she paid for, a huge piece of C***! We all know that's what PC actually means in the end. Sure, inexpensive up front, but then all the problems begin once you get it home and start the setup process.

"What? Sorry, but we don't do that here at the store where you bought it! You need to call Tech Support for that issue." Oh, don't like being put on hold until you next birthday?

What, you actually thought you'd be able to understand the Tech Support person through the thick accent?! Come on, now, Lauren. You get what you pay for!

What's that, a virus you're experiencing? Too bad. Now you need to completely re-format your hard drive due to contamination.

Better call Tech Support back. What's that you say? "Infinite loop starting to run here?!

You get what you pay for!

 

[Goona]

the BMW/Toyota comparison is flawed, cars get better and more reliable when made in bigger numbers. The toyota corolla is probably the most reliable car ever.

What the heck are you talking about, most people dream to own expensive cars, not friggin toyota corollas.

 

[VoR]

Dude we are talking strictly on price, after all isn't that what Microsoft is basing this ad on, so their option is definetly not the cheapest, Linux is a cheaper option. I'm sure they could have removed Windows from it and got a cheaper price.

Windows costs money to buy and linux distros are free. Apart from the first netbooks that came out, I've never seen a linux machine sold cheaper than a windows machine.

Paying more for a product does not always mean it is better.

Hopefully these two comments will fry your brain and stop you from posting any more irritating, uninformed, biased, random adjective nonsense

 

[Lesser Evets]

What's that, a virus you're experiencing? Too bad. Now you need to completely re-format your hard drive due to contamination.

And she could have spent that time re-dying her roots.

 

[Analog Kid]

Funny... I saw the NYT ad and the first thing I thought was "Yep, betting on Microsoft and Dell is always a gamble..."

They're getting closer to an effective ad though. 'Nother few years and they might get it right.

 

[Goona]

This is kind of ironic because Lexus is known for extremely high maintenance costs.

Yeah but I would take a Lexus anyday over the cheap Hyundai.

 

[Drag'nGT]

Also, she'll drop another five hundred on programs, repairs and hairplugs to replace the ones she's pulled out and the computer will be useless in two years.

Lastly, if Microsoft is running ads like this they're nervous and know something. Apple is simply a better product.

Because I feel like stirring the pot.

Windows 95 wasn't as good as Win 98. Everyone hated Windows ME/2000 because it had very similar issues as Vista. Then XP came out and everyone is in love again. Vista sucks and the predecessor is Windows 7 which, although an even more blatant copy of OS X, reviewers are liking this even better. Is Microsoft's plan to make a crap OS that forces upgrades and new equipment only to release a better one a few years later that 1) doesn't suck as bad as the last one so it gets better reviews and therefore customers like it better and 2) it uses that forced upgrade in equipment run better with the new OS over the previous and therefore makes owners even happier?

i.e. - Windows 7 will be a success for Microsoft if it's reviewed as well after release as it has been with current beta testing.

Just a pattern I see that I'm not sure others see.

 

[Nukemkb]

And she could have spent that time re-dying her roots.

LOL! Hitting the nail on the head!

 

[Goona]

Well, there is also the fact that one runs Windows and the other runs Leopard. How about the trackpads? Do the PC laptops support multi finger zooming and such?

She an also install Windows easily on the Mac if she wants, let her go try and install Leopard on that HP brick.

 

[LanPhantom]

I totally agree with you....

I am very glad to hear you can run XP for your photography: I have actually seen more pros switch to PC so they can invest more on photo gear.

For me, it's part of my workflow: I started using Photoshop in College on a Mac, at the same time I started my theater career with lighting software that only ran on Macs... Now, I design theater productions using a program called QLab, which will never be available for Windows. It also has to do with software licensing: VectorWorks is a cornerstone of my work, as much as the Adobe CS 3 Premium package.

It all comes down to familiarity, and quality for me. Yes, I have had hardware issues with my Macs over the years, but compared to the headaches I have seen my friends go through, it is minimal.

Now, about the BMW... wow. Okay, I do not want to offend any 3-Series owners, but a 3-series is basically the iBook of BMW's: it is NOT their best product just like the iBook was not Apple's best product. I would never buy one. For me, the 5 series has always been the quintessential BMW: the 7 series are for old farts, the roadsters are for old dudes who lust after younger women, and the X5 is for people who really should have bought an American SUV or a Honda.

I own an e39 540i/6 M-Sport. Jet Black. BMW's best car was really the 1997-2003 5 series. After 2003, the design went horribly wrong. Some lesser-educated BMW owners feel that because they own an expensive car, they can drive it without maintenance: big mistake: if you properly maintain a BMW it will run for many years without costly repairs...

Kind of like my Macs over the years: if you see your Mac as a finely-crafted machine (like a BMW) which needs upkeep, you will be rewarded with a positive experience.

The point is to take care of your investments: I have seen friends hose their Macs through negligence: physical and software-wise... and have fixed some of them. I have also had a girlfriend kill one of my BMW's by putting diesel in it. Everything is relative.

Okay, this is long-winded. I guess I'm a Mac and BMW e39 snob that takes care of his stuff.

The Microsoft ad is irrelevant to me. People who buy PC's will continue to do so. I will continue to buy Apple computers and one the right opportunity arises I will pick up a 2003 M5. Done.

You hit the nail on the head in a very easy to understand manor. One exception, no self-respecting photographer would use PC's to manage his collection. Photoshop running on a MAC is the ONLY way to go.

Have a good weekend...

LanPhantom