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New Microsoft Ad Campaign Targets Mac Prices
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Reading this, one really has to wonder how many people have actually used Vista, and how many learned everything they know about it from the "I'm a Mac" ads... Having worked quite a bit in both systems, OS X is not nearly as immune to freezing and crashing as the ads would have you believe, and Vista isn't nearly as prone to them. I don't see how one comes out vastly better than the other once you have them both set up to your liking.
Lets face it, the hardware line between Macs and PCs is just about non-existent at this point. Comparing a "bottom-of-the-line" $699 17" PC notebook to a 17" mac book pro that starts at $2799 (!!!) and claiming a hardware victory is just silly. Apple just doesnt offer a comparable product (17", low end hardware), so its a smart market segment for Microsoft to exploit in their ads, it perfectly exemplifies price as the major factor in which PCs claim a clear win.
Last year I was shopping for a new personal laptop. Would I have bought a Mac if I could've afforded it? Definitely, they have great build quality, and great physical design. But I ended up with a 17 inch Dell laptop with all the same components as the top of the line MBP (at the time), for less than half the price. In this increasingly Web/Network-based world, operating systems just don't make the difference they once did, especially for anyone with any kind of skill level in using them both. And if all you plan to do is watch movies, write papers, browse the internet, and sync your iPod, they're certainly both capable of doing that with ease.
It boils down to price vs better design and build quality, and its kinda surprising it took them this long to realize the price aspect is a battle PCs win easily. Lets face it, Internet/Word/Movie/Ipod people don't give a crap about alluminium unibodies or cutting edge batteries (even if they are so, so sweet), and for the most part, aren't gonna pay such a huge premium for them.
Lets face it, the hardware line between Macs and PCs is just about non-existent at this point. Comparing a "bottom-of-the-line" $699 17" PC notebook to a 17" mac book pro that starts at $2799 (!!!) and claiming a hardware victory is just silly. Apple just doesnt offer a comparable product (17", low end hardware), so its a smart market segment for Microsoft to exploit in their ads, it perfectly exemplifies price as the major factor in which PCs claim a clear win.
Last year I was shopping for a new personal laptop. Would I have bought a Mac if I could've afforded it? Definitely, they have great build quality, and great physical design. But I ended up with a 17 inch Dell laptop with all the same components as the top of the line MBP (at the time), for less than half the price. In this increasingly Web/Network-based world, operating systems just don't make the difference they once did, especially for anyone with any kind of skill level in using them both. And if all you plan to do is watch movies, write papers, browse the internet, and sync your iPod, they're certainly both capable of doing that with ease.
It boils down to price vs better design and build quality, and its kinda surprising it took them this long to realize the price aspect is a battle PCs win easily. Lets face it, Internet/Word/Movie/Ipod people don't give a crap about alluminium unibodies or cutting edge batteries (even if they are so, so sweet), and for the most part, aren't gonna pay such a huge premium for them.
I like how Micro$oft attack the price of the apple hardware, considering that they don't actually manufacture any. Should we compare cost of operating system????!
On the opposite side, I believe that this campaign could be very damaging to Apple.
In the US at least, people with good jobs are now really watching the pennies that they spend on discretionary items.
Positioning (and rightfully so) Apple as a luxury brand is brilliant for Microsoft. Showing that PCs have more choice at lower prices is superb for them.
Economic stories are common that say that Walmart and MacDonalds are doing well - but high end stores are closing their doors.
These ads are brilliant.
One of the best posts of the thread, IMO.
The simple fact is that most of the claimed "advantages" of Apples are of little or no value to most consumers. Machining the laptop body from a block of aluminum adds a lot of cost, but adds very little value.
No.
I think "out of the box experience" is also one of the reason make mac user keep buying mac, I can only use less than 5 mins to set it up and get to work in Mac or even Xserve(I do say 10 mins);
Theres already 902 replys but im bored
Alright, so, obviously there are two sides to everything... but, here is my current situation and stance on Mac Vs. PC
I've owned PC's my whole life, Started out with a Dell Dimension 5400 or something like that. I ran that sucker for over 5 years, but that is with a complete reformat every year maybe more. The computer was originally so bad that Dell needed to replace everything except the mouse and keyboard... I still have both, I know thats a dell thing and the components that they use, about a year ago I finally got some money to build my own machine. I decided, for a similar reason all these PC advocates are talking about, to go PC, becuase of the cost. I built a pretty dang good PC: 780I, Q6600, two 500g drives, 4 g's of ram and a 512m video card. In my situation I am stuck because the software I use most, Pro-Tools, only works with 32 bit Windows OS's even with the HD software I cannot exceed 3.75 gigs of ram with the level of production I do... I am at a loss... with PC I cannot get done what I need to because of this limitation. I do not have this limitation with Mac.
for me that is a good enough reason to save the extra grand to buy a certified Apple product one where everything was built specifically for an Operating system not just parts that are cost effective, even when you put the best part in a PC a mac will still operate better, I have used both. I did some tests a while back with my 2.4g P4 dell and an 800mhz G4 and the mac out perfomred my PC... in my situation the choice is obvious... if I want to stay put with what I can do, I stay with PC. If I want to excell in what I do I NEED a Mac.
IN MY SITUATION - Mac completely destroys PC in all ways.
thank you for reading my jibberish.
-Christian
Alright, so, obviously there are two sides to everything... but, here is my current situation and stance on Mac Vs. PC
I've owned PC's my whole life, Started out with a Dell Dimension 5400 or something like that. I ran that sucker for over 5 years, but that is with a complete reformat every year maybe more. The computer was originally so bad that Dell needed to replace everything except the mouse and keyboard... I still have both, I know thats a dell thing and the components that they use, about a year ago I finally got some money to build my own machine. I decided, for a similar reason all these PC advocates are talking about, to go PC, becuase of the cost. I built a pretty dang good PC: 780I, Q6600, two 500g drives, 4 g's of ram and a 512m video card. In my situation I am stuck because the software I use most, Pro-Tools, only works with 32 bit Windows OS's even with the HD software I cannot exceed 3.75 gigs of ram with the level of production I do... I am at a loss... with PC I cannot get done what I need to because of this limitation. I do not have this limitation with Mac.
for me that is a good enough reason to save the extra grand to buy a certified Apple product one where everything was built specifically for an Operating system not just parts that are cost effective, even when you put the best part in a PC a mac will still operate better, I have used both. I did some tests a while back with my 2.4g P4 dell and an 800mhz G4 and the mac out perfomred my PC... in my situation the choice is obvious... if I want to stay put with what I can do, I stay with PC. If I want to excell in what I do I NEED a Mac.
IN MY SITUATION - Mac completely destroys PC in all ways.
thank you for reading my jibberish.
-Christian
See that's something I missed and I think you are correct. Her first thought was an Apple, not a PC. The fact that she can't afford a Mac is a secondary issue but it just says the consumer is going to Apple first before even looking at PCs.
Exactly! Most people are utilitarian and are never going to pay so much just to use OS X even though they would most likely love it. Free OSX from its aluminum chains!
Yes, because without these ads people would not be able to simply walk into any Best Buy and see that there are a lot more PCs at a variety of price points
- These ads have definitely pointed out something that was not apparent before now!I'm just not cool enough to be a Mac person
i saw this during the games tonight too. what do you guys think? of course macs are cooler...
i've been a mac and pc user for years and a quick look at the apple fanboys and fangirls really drives this article home. hell, it is true. if you know what you are doing...using a mac or pc doesn't matter.
Is the hardware inside a mac that much different than a PC?
Having worked in an Intel plant we mae chips, we didn't make Dell chips one day and apple chips the next day, we made chips, same chemicals, same processing, same lithography. So the engine is the same.
Chipsets are the same way ome jsut have additional functionality that are tranparrent to the end user.
Video cards, macs and pcs is there a difference other than pc drivers are updated much more frequently.
RAM-same grade of ram is available for both as are HDD/SSD.
when shopping for a new laptop the hardware between the dells and apple was comparable.
if I am missing something regarding Apple using a superior grade of mardware please let me know.
Not sure how well the ad will work. In the current ecomonic times, I do not think price is an issue, people are just not spending full stop so $600 is still too much.
As for die hard mac users, does not matter if the prices were doubled yet again, they would still buy the product.
As for the car comparrisons, its not Hyundai V BMW or Acura or anything else,
Its a Hyundai V Hyundai in everything but the Body. Macs are PCs, they use the same internals, Apple does not use higher quality PC parts then Dell or HP etc. Their cases are awesome.
If it was not for OS X, a significant amount of us would not buy a Mac, simply the hardware is overpriced.
As for die hard mac users, does not matter if the prices were doubled yet again, they would still buy the product.
As for the car comparrisons, its not Hyundai V BMW or Acura or anything else,
Its a Hyundai V Hyundai in everything but the Body. Macs are PCs, they use the same internals, Apple does not use higher quality PC parts then Dell or HP etc. Their cases are awesome.
If it was not for OS X, a significant amount of us would not buy a Mac, simply the hardware is overpriced.
Mama always told me, "you get what you pay for".
That's just something that the old and the poor say
Tell her she's wrong, this is the '90s
And I still have a problem with the BUILD QUALITY of my $2k+ MBP. It looks nice, doesn't mean its built well, the stupid gray seal around my aluminum body is popping up, my power button is sinking in, any little pressure on the top shell can touch the screen, it dents easily. In fact most people I know that have owned macs have all had a problem with the build quality or its quality components on the inside.
Good news is apple care fixes most of this stuff. That's a win, though its still expensive.
I think it is a good ad if it was selling similar generic product without major differentiation. (Like Dell PC vs HP PC) But Mac and PC runs different OS. And to people who buy the mac, the difference is big enough to pay the premium.
If Mac and PC were indeed pretty much the same thing like the ad implies, then yes Apple will go out of business. But the fact that Apple is doing well in the market proves that there are enough differentiation between Mac and PC in consumers eyes to justify the higher price. (And enough people willing to buy)
If Mac and PC were indeed pretty much the same thing like the ad implies, then yes Apple will go out of business. But the fact that Apple is doing well in the market proves that there are enough differentiation between Mac and PC in consumers eyes to justify the higher price. (And enough people willing to buy)
I'm just not cool enough to be a Mac person
i saw this during the games tonight too. what do you guys think? of course macs are cooler...
I hope the ad works and really bite into Apple's profits...maybe that will get Apple to lower their irrational prices....
I guess she should join forces with the Zune Tatoo Guy
(who eventually got sick of the poor usability of his Zune and got rid of the zune tatoo)
Geez!
What was he thinking! Guess that Zune didn't really work out after all...
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Yes, because without these ads people would not be able to simply walk into any Best Buy and see that there are a lot more PCs at a variety of price points
Yeah, without Apple's Ads I would have never realised that vista sucked when it was realised.
With that statement you have buried nearly every ad on TV right now. They All state the bleeding obvious. What this ad highlights to people is that we are in a recession, and that is why it may work.
It is not irrational because there are people who want the product and able to buy. (Demand) And Apple willing to make the product and capability to produce. (Supply) This is free market, if people stop buying the apple product at current price, then the price will go down. But obviously that is not the case. Enough people are willing to pay to justify the current price. (From Apple's view)
Bravo! this is by far one of the best post I have ever seen on MR , the Apple $500 - $800 tax just to run OS X will not last forever! as noted in the post above you do not have to spend thousands of dollars to surf, chat and check your facebook account.
and the funny part is...most people in modern society knows that Macs are priced around $1000 and above!
most people have no idea about macs. If you went out on the street and asked 100 people how much they think a mac laptop costs, they would have no idea. Ipod yes, Laptop no idea, most people in modern society have no idea that macs run OS X or what it is. Most people would not even know what version of the OS they are running.
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