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New Microsoft Ad Campaign Targets Mac Prices
- Thread starter donga
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The worst mistake a company can make is advertising about price only and NOT mentioning anything about the actual quality of the product.
And the girl is a total idiot. But then again she represents the PC demographic in general.
And the girl is a total idiot. But then again she represents the PC demographic in general.
The problem with that for MS is the slippery slope of trying to be the "everything for everyone".
If this somehow sounds oddly familiar...it should. It was GM's business plan.
-hh
Lack of dignity
The fact Microsoft focuses on the price only is a proof they know they sell worse products. As people in the IT business said, Microsoft doesn't put any culture in their third-rate stuff. I remember an old "I'm a Mac/I'm a PC" ad underlined that Microsoft prefers to spend on commercials than to software enhancements.
The fact Microsoft focuses on the price only is a proof they know they sell worse products. As people in the IT business said, Microsoft doesn't put any culture in their third-rate stuff. I remember an old "I'm a Mac/I'm a PC" ad underlined that Microsoft prefers to spend on commercials than to software enhancements.
1. Yes they did. And quite a few of us are talking about how misleading it can be. (compare specs, overall "cost of ownership"...)
2. Try running it on several computers for several months; then I'll bet that you will eventually get one...(XP is old tho, people have done all the "beta-testing" for microsoft by now...)
3. Yeah, probably. But then I won't expect more of a HP laptop or a Dell laptop... Those sometimes look like they're gonna fall apart on the spot
4. It's actually the iMac that is equivalent in price, the Mac Pro is one of the worst culprits for the "Apple Tax". Hence the rise of Hackint0sh and EFI-X
5. What other kinds of analogies should we use, then?
6. You're right on this one. But being mislead is not what we want, is it?
7. "Seemless" (or seamless) compatibility is debatable. I've had less trouble integrating an iMac into an XP-based network than a Vista computer.
8. The fact that it has 3 main models for each lineup makes it easier to choose this is comparable to when you "need a flowchart" to decide which choose your Mac (again, back in the early-mid 90s before Jobs came back)
9. Nor do I (and other Mac users) care about the weaknesses and the "cheapness" that a Windows computer bring us. I would have preferred Linux over Windows if you gave me a new computer.
11. You haven't counted in the intangible parts of the TCO yet..
For the umpteenth time, you do realize that I live in Sweden and not in Cupertino, right? Please, do call Apple Sweden and ask them for such a "prepaid box", and tape the conversation. If you end up talking to the same person I did, she will probably laugh for about 15 minutes.
What she told me, in no uncertain terms, was this:
1) Forget on-site repairs on iMacs.
2) Actually, forget on-site repairs period. My town (a place of some 100,000 people south of Stockholm) was supposedly a "blind spot on their map", so in case I do get a Mac Pro someday I should know that if it breaks down I have to bring it to Stockholm for repairs. She then added "maybe if you had lived on Gotland", which was a bizarre remark given that Gotland is a remote island off the coast of Sweden, only accessible by boat or helicopter. Oh, OK, good to know in case I want to become a Mac-based sheep farmer someday.
3) The only, I repeat *only* way to have the iMac repaired was that I transport it (or ship it *at my own expense*) to any service centre of my choosing.
4) I also asked if it was possible to drop it off for repairs but keep the hard disk, since there's material on there that relates to future products and should it be leaked somehow I'd have one hell of an NDA breach on my hands, and she said "no", I have to leave the whole kit'n'kaboodle.
So yeah, good for you with your "prepaid boxes" but the global implementation of this luxury appears to be very far off.
Brilliant ad by Microsoft.
I love apple, BUT the simple fact is that they don't make a sub thousand dollar laptop, and they force people to choose screen size based on other features and price, not screen size alone. The simple fact of the matter is I should be able to buy a macbook with the internal specs of the 13 inch model, but with a larger screen.. and I should be able to buy a 13 inch mackbook pro. Apple won't give me these choices. PC manufacturers do.
BTW if I see one more person claim that leopard only costs $129 I'm going to start tearing throats out. The Leopard UPGRADE is $129. Leopard is not for sale, though if you consider it part of the apple tax, I'd have to guess that its around $350-400.
I love apple, BUT the simple fact is that they don't make a sub thousand dollar laptop, and they force people to choose screen size based on other features and price, not screen size alone. The simple fact of the matter is I should be able to buy a macbook with the internal specs of the 13 inch model, but with a larger screen.. and I should be able to buy a 13 inch mackbook pro. Apple won't give me these choices. PC manufacturers do.
BTW if I see one more person claim that leopard only costs $129 I'm going to start tearing throats out. The Leopard UPGRADE is $129. Leopard is not for sale, though if you consider it part of the apple tax, I'd have to guess that its around $350-400.
Well first, it's gonna be a bit hard to cram all that into a 13-inch laptop, will it?
Then again, Leopard UPGRADE costs $129 just as a Vista Ultimate UPGRADE costs $319. The "Apple Tax" is the HARDWARE COSTS that you pay.
Do we have to go through this for every MS ad? They're not selling any "product" this time either, it's neither an ad for the computer in question, nor for Vista, it's a profile ad in the "Windows - Life Without Walls" series. They're just random snapshots (carefully chosen obviously, but you know what I mean) of the presence of Windows in daily life. Today it's a chick buying a laptop, tomorrow it can be about a guy who hooked a Windows smartphone up to a diving suit to make the world's weirdest sex doll. Well, no. But something less R-rated. Along the way, wrapped in these semi-random clips are various seeds they want to plant in people's heads. In this one they were more obvious than usual: Apple = too cool and aloof for the average Joe, bigass 17" laptop = not the pipe dream I thought it was. The message was not "buy this specific HP laptop for $699 and get Windows Vista, limited time only!".
Seriously, you go on a Mac forum thinking there's gonna be a lot of creative types with a little imagination and advertising business insights, yet you're all picking on the ad for not being a clear-cut infomercial with 1) This is the product, 2) This is the price, 3) 1-800-CALLTHISNUMBER...
True. I want apple to offer me a netbook with the specs of a 17" macbook pro, resolution, ports, optical drive and all the fixins'. I should be able to buy something like a mac mini that only occupies one by one square inch made out of glass. Apple sucks because they are not offering everybody everything that they want, yet they keep selling products
I keep hearing all this self entitlement stuff. Where is it coming from? Seriously, i've heard so much FUD. I've heard seemingly credible tech individuals say apple will fail as a company because they don't offer a netbook. People here say that a lack of a midrange customizable headless mac is the biggest mistake apple has made and will be their undoing. Proof? Links?
The only thing I see is that individuals are trying to blame apple for not being in their own particular market segment. Do you go to subway for computer parts? Do you go to a car dealership to get a nursing degree? If you are into midrange towers, vast (and sometimes troublesome) hardware configurations, netbooks, or neon led case mods, then apple does not cater to you. why is this difficult to understand?
Oh, and chequepoint, don't get me wrong. I bought a 12 inch powerbook used sometime in early 2008 and loved it. It seemed just as useful as my macbook pro but extremely mobile. However, they no longer offer such an option (especially with the elimination of firewire on the macbook) and thats just the way it is. Its a bit much to say that apple is more or less obligated to offer such an option when the general population is satisfied with the choices, isn't it? If there a viable, lucrative opprotunity for it Apple's highly paid product analysts would probably have such an option.
Yup. Given this attitude, she right: not cool enough to be an Apple person. LOL.
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17" MBP, 4 GB RAM, 30" Cinema display, 4 TB disk space, Fusion running Win 7 for MS Visio and MS Project
Poor Lauren ... she doesn't even know that her laptop will have to be replaced within the next two years because her computer is built with inferior components and loaded with an operating system that is infested with viruses in addition to being generally insufficient. I genuinely feel sorry for her. If she is a typical hp user, she will have gone through 3-4 laptops by the time my MBP kicks the bucket. Not to mention that my MBP will be running just as fast on its 5th year as her hp does brand new. Lauren may have saved money today, but in the long run ... lets just say I hope she bought the extended warranty ...
She did, the laptop had a "comfortable keyboard" and the "looks were drawing her too it"
those are key components in any machine
The next time that I'm in Stockholm, mind if I swing by in my rental car and personally transport you on this errand, just to get you to stop whining?
Then pay for the shipping yourself and be done with it! Afterall, the train ticket won't be free, nor is your time to go run such an errand.
So how much would this cost? Maybe the fine readers here will pass around the tin cup for you. I think I have a few Kroner to toss in, plus an original plank of wood from the Vasa that you can sell on eBay for a tidy sum.
If I had that problem, I'd go find the disassembly instructions on the internet and yank that HD out. Then, I could hook it up to another machine and clean out the data, etc. Of course, I don't waste my time wallowing helplessly in self-pity.
-hh
Ok, first rule of correcting people, make sure that you have it right. The person you were correcting had it right and you were dead wrong on this point. You are comparing Apples and oranges. The Mac Pro is not just a desktop tower, it is a workstation class tower and if you were to compare even a Dell "workstation" with Quad-core Xeon processors with ECC RAM against a comparable Mac Pro configuration, the Mac Pro would be either cheaper or competitive on hardware alone. The iMac is also price competitive against PCs in the all-in-one category. Those Hackintoshes use desktop processor with non-ECC ram. If you don't know what those things are, then you are better off going with an 24" iMac which is more than enough for even most gamers.
Besides the Nehalem processors of up to 8 cores and 1066MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM up to 32GB, mac pros also have double wide 16-lane PCI Express 2.0 slots with thumbscrew PCI brackets for tool free installation and Four 3.5-inch cable-free, direct-attach hard drive bays with built-in independent 3Gb/s Serial ATA channels. Comparing it to a regular desktop is idiotic.
http://www.apple.com/macpro/specs.html
It's a stupid commercial with no class that looks like it was put together by amateurs wanting to film something to stick up on YouTube.
Besides, it's fracking ages-long. Who would seriously sit there and watch a commercial that's that long?
It just goes to prove something Steve Jobs said years and years ago... Microsoft has no class.
Besides, it's fracking ages-long. Who would seriously sit there and watch a commercial that's that long?
It just goes to prove something Steve Jobs said years and years ago... Microsoft has no class.
And now for a word about the APPLE QUALITY MYTH from someone who knows
Here is my story...and I am 'a Mac'...
I made the religious conversion to Apple in 2008 after years of Windows 95 this, XP that and hasta la 'Vista', baby. My decision was based on the general feeling that Apple made a better hardware and OS product and, with Fusion, I could run my 3 remaining PC-only apps. It was worth the $1000 premium I paid for a comparable PC.
I began having hardware issues within 3 months of taking ownership of the 17" MBP. Apple had to replace the logic board and the hard drive.
I began to have video issues after the logic board was replaced. Apple had to replace the logic board...again.
I had to replace my 30" cinema display....twice.
I've had problems with my battery and power supply that required replacement of those as well.
I am tired of hearing the Apple Fanboys rant about PCs. My experience is mind boggling given the hype Apple spins about its platform. Now, to be fair, the one constant in all of this was OS X. A great OS..but please, Fanboys, cut the crap about Apple hardware. From my perspective, it is as weak as a Sony Vaio or HP laptop.
Oh...and thank god I had the extended warranty or I would have been out a few thousand bucks replacing my system. Fanboys. stop drinking the cool aid.
Here is my story...and I am 'a Mac'...
I made the religious conversion to Apple in 2008 after years of Windows 95 this, XP that and hasta la 'Vista', baby. My decision was based on the general feeling that Apple made a better hardware and OS product and, with Fusion, I could run my 3 remaining PC-only apps. It was worth the $1000 premium I paid for a comparable PC.
I began having hardware issues within 3 months of taking ownership of the 17" MBP. Apple had to replace the logic board and the hard drive.
I began to have video issues after the logic board was replaced. Apple had to replace the logic board...again.
I had to replace my 30" cinema display....twice.
I've had problems with my battery and power supply that required replacement of those as well.
I am tired of hearing the Apple Fanboys rant about PCs. My experience is mind boggling given the hype Apple spins about its platform. Now, to be fair, the one constant in all of this was OS X. A great OS..but please, Fanboys, cut the crap about Apple hardware. From my perspective, it is as weak as a Sony Vaio or HP laptop.
Oh...and thank god I had the extended warranty or I would have been out a few thousand bucks replacing my system. Fanboys. stop drinking the cool aid.
I don't think apple HAS to make these products, all I'm saying is that there are people who want these products, and will go somewhere else. Microsoft isn't wrong.
Cram "All That" into a 13 inch macbook? if by "All That" you mean dedicated graphics, and a firewire port.. yeah, I think engineering can figure it out.
I just hate this perception that everything apple makes is flawless. I say this having spent well close to 5K in apple products last year. Nothing makes me happier than seeing microsoft take a big swing at their flaws.
Cram "All That" into a 13 inch macbook? if by "All That" you mean dedicated graphics, and a firewire port.. yeah, I think engineering can figure it out.
I just hate this perception that everything apple makes is flawless. I say this having spent well close to 5K in apple products last year. Nothing makes me happier than seeing microsoft take a big swing at their flaws.
Argh! Self pity? Seriously, the only one I pity a little is my girlfriend since she's the one who uses the machine these days. I have 3 other fully functional machines, we can get to the pity part if they ALL break down.
The only reason why I had to go over the story again is that some dork accused me of making it up.
(PS - Pulling out the HDD was obviously my first thought, but the Dell dude who was here a while ago, and incidentally used to do Apple repairs back in the beige days", said that a lot of people who do that on alu iMacs damage the screen, so... no thanks)
not a slam the mac ad
Ya know, I've done a bunch of thinking about this ad in the past day or so, and I've come to the conclusion that this ad isn't about slamming apple or trying to get people to purchase a pc instead of a mac.
I think this ad is more about making people who have chosen to purchase a fairly inexpensive pc, or are making the decision to purchase a pc like that, feel good about doing so. Which is an important message in this economy of many people who can no longer afford a pricey computer.
Purchasing a mac has sort of become an "in" thing, like how buying an ipod was 5 years ago. I think this ad helps the opinions of people who decided not to get one (or any other pricey computer for that matter), for whatever reason.
If us mac faithful get our panties in a wad over this, then Microsoft gets to chuckle, but this ad really isn't about buying a mac or not. It's not about us. But I'm happy that the windows people finally have a nice ad that they can feel good about.
Ya know, I've done a bunch of thinking about this ad in the past day or so, and I've come to the conclusion that this ad isn't about slamming apple or trying to get people to purchase a pc instead of a mac.
I think this ad is more about making people who have chosen to purchase a fairly inexpensive pc, or are making the decision to purchase a pc like that, feel good about doing so. Which is an important message in this economy of many people who can no longer afford a pricey computer.
Purchasing a mac has sort of become an "in" thing, like how buying an ipod was 5 years ago. I think this ad helps the opinions of people who decided not to get one (or any other pricey computer for that matter), for whatever reason.
If us mac faithful get our panties in a wad over this, then Microsoft gets to chuckle, but this ad really isn't about buying a mac or not. It's not about us. But I'm happy that the windows people finally have a nice ad that they can feel good about.
She obviously thinks Macs are cooler than PCs as she went especially to the Apple store first, rather than going straight to Best Buy where they clearly sell Macs aswell... Pity she isn't cool enough for Macs.
Pity she isn't cool enough for Macs.
Why did Microsoft make this Ad, it's shallow and poorly thought out.
Anyway, it didn't make me want to buy a PC, actually it made me happier than ever to be an Apple Inc, customer.
Maybe Microsoft should have concentrated on how wonderful (in their minds only) Windows is; instead of cheap shots directed at Apple.
Anyway, it didn't make me want to buy a PC, actually it made me happier than ever to be an Apple Inc, customer.
Maybe Microsoft should have concentrated on how wonderful (in their minds only) Windows is; instead of cheap shots directed at Apple.
The best part of the ad by far:
I love it how Microsoft is avoiding the faux-pas word "Windows" in an almost spasmodic manner. You can't hear it for just one single time in the whole spot. You have to watch very carefully to see the very small "Windows" logo for one or two times.
It is an ad for HP, Best Buy and Volkswagen. They even don't dare to call it Windows. Funny, isn't it?!
I love it how Microsoft is avoiding the faux-pas word "Windows" in an almost spasmodic manner. You can't hear it for just one single time in the whole spot. You have to watch very carefully to see the very small "Windows" logo for one or two times.
It is an ad for HP, Best Buy and Volkswagen. They even don't dare to call it Windows. Funny, isn't it?!
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