New Microsoft Ad Campaign Targets Mac Prices

[mosx]

Who said that software aren't paid for? You paid for it in the purchases of your digital cameras. But then you rarely do get such a user friendly and powerful tool such as iMovie...

How is iMovie "powerful" again? It's tailored to uploading Youtube and MobileMe movies. Where tools that come with digital video cameras are designed for DVD creation, something people actually want.

—AND it's all for $79 if you want to upgrade... or $169 for iLife + iWork + OS X... Nice deal if you ask me...

Why would I want iWork when OpenOffice is free and more powerful? Why would I want to pay for all of the iLife apps that are largely useless to nearly all of the population? Especially when Picassa, Windows Live Photo Gallery, HP Photosmart Essentials and others are freeware and do the exact same things as iPhoto, except wonky facial recognition.

(And in terms of Pro tools, software such as Final Cut and Logic Pro is quite renowned out there...)

Final Cut is decent, but it's not like video editing tools don't exist on the PC. Besides, Final Cut requires you to use a computer that costs twice as much and delivers half the power.

Logic Pro? No reasonably intelligent person is going to choose that over Pro Tools or M-Audio's solutions.

Completely different paradigm. It's a different OS, for god's sake; It's called MOVE TO TRASH. Cmd+delete if you want the shortcut.

What I said has nothing to do with deleting files. In Windows you can cut and paste files in Explorer (not IE). So if I want to move a file from one folder to another I can just cut and paste. I don't have to drag and drop and have multiple windows open or hold the file over endless amounts of folders waiting for them to open, etc.

Launch price and official price at Microsoft's website. (There're always ways where you can get them cheaper... so I'm not gonna just go digg another number out...)

(And Mac OS X's price is also taken from Apple's website.)

Newegg, Tigerdirect, Fry's, etc. have all had Vista Ultimate 64-bit for around that price since launch. Nobody is foolish enough to pay full retail.

What about that HP that looks like it's going to fall apart right there in the store? Tried dropping it? I bet you'll get more damage than a warped case.

I have an HP notebook from the generation before the one the girl in the commercial bought. the plastic casing on it is much stronger and feels much sturdier than the very soft, so soft it bends to the touch, metal used on the bottom and lid of the UniBody MacBook and Pro.

 

[MorphingDragon]

Wrong. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116493 Vista Ultimate 64-bit, $179.

And you only need Vista Home Premium to equal Leopard. It even includes technologies that Leopard currently does not. For example, the technology to use the GPU in the way OpenCL will has already existed in Windows thanks to nvidia and ATI for over a year now And Windows has been taking full advantage of the GPU for video playback for almost a decade now. Not half-assed HWMC and iDCT support like OS X.

You seem to misunderstand what OpenCL is,
OpenCL is like CUDA but Open and works on many platfroms, not just nvidia.
CUDA has been avaliable on ALL OSes for a Loooong time.
Its to run code and applications, its not for media.
Purevideo and Avivo has been avaliable for a long time for Unix like systems.
Although support is shoddy in linux (Grrr ATi) and Apple opt for their proprietary 2D overlay (QuickTime/QuatzExtreme) Just because it uses something different from Windows doesnt mean its bad, Compiz has to be the ultimate eye candy experience over Aero (I still dont care) From what I recall Quicktime is still the best Media Overlay around

Oh and look at my post above for Windows Camp users on an Apple Forum.

 

[EmperorDarius]

Final Cut is decent, but it's not like video editing tools don't exist on the PC. Besides

The only real alternative to FCS is Avid Media Composer, which costs 2500$ (CD) or 2300$ (Download). Double the price. And the interface is horrible.

Final Cut requires you to use a computer that costs twice as much and delivers half the power.

And twice the stability. And the security. And half the time needed to maintain your computer in good shape.
Hardware is not everything. Quite a lot of people don't want to bother with stupid useless things that come with Windows.

 

[opeter]

Oh and for the post above, Opeter:
That can be very common in mass manufacturing,
Ive recieved several faulty parts and got them replaced,
Im assuming you live in america?
But I give kudos for Apple for trying a new technique which is significantly better than traditional means. (In terms of strength)
In europe/pacific it has to be as advertised/displayed on box and in proper working condition or be replaced no exceptions and no extra charges.
Or you give the place hell (The latter is always so fun)

No, look at my location. Here in EU, Macs are much more expensive ... that's why many people are "not cool enough" if you can't afford one. And most people can't and never will.

The Apple ads and overhyped products are creating an artifical need inside some (most) peoples brain (you, know "the consume" way of life, brainless consuming, the living for you brand etc.)... of course that's what marketing is about. That's good on one side, but bad on the other.

Why?

Because more Macs will be stolen. Since there are desired to be own. And there will be revolution. Sooner or later. Look at these managers, who are never satisfied with their money. That's why we have the whole recession. And of course, because people did stop to consume. OMG, what will be now? The whole capitalism is becoming to collapse.

If there will be not enough people to buy the overpriced Apple products, what will be then? As you americans write all the time, you can get for 250-300 $ a nice PC at Wal-mart or Bestbuy, etc. For 80% of all these people is that more than enough.

 

[MorphingDragon]

No, look at my location. Here in EU, Macs are much more expensive ... that's why many people are "not cool enough" if you can't afford one. And most people can't and never will.

The Apple ads and overhyped products are creating an artifical need inside some (most) peoples brain (you, know "the consume" way of life, brainless consuming, the living for you brand etc.)... of course that's what marketing is about. That's good on one side, but bad on the other.

Why?

Because more Macs will be stolen. Since there are desired to be own. And there will be revolution. Sooner or later. Look at these managers, who are never satisfied with their money. That's why we have the whole recession. And of course, because people did stop to consume. OMG, what will be now? The whole capitalism is becoming to collapse.

If there will be not enough people to buy the overpriced Apple products, what will be then? As you americans write all the time, you can get for 250-300 $ a nice PC at Wal-mart or Bestbuy, etc. For 80% of all these people is that more than enough.

Lucky you, you live in Europe. I live in New Zealand.

But theres no denying what you said above.
I didnt buy my mac to look cool, but a lot of people do and then this starts. Apple IS the market genius. (Irony much?)
Microsoft get seen as a base, Minimum. Apple is seen as a status symbol. Since people are desperately trying to get popular they use any means necessary to do it.

Though saying that there are a few who actually buy a Mac because they actually need it for something or it is better at doing something. But then theyre as rare as diamonds and turn into Zealots.

 

[Wikinerd]

How is iMovie "powerful" again? It's tailored to uploading Youtube and MobileMe movies. Where tools that come with digital video cameras are designed for DVD creation, something people actually want.

For something that user-friendly and "easy-to-use" that's gonna be as powerful as you're going to get. Until you write one that's more "friendly" that's more "powerful" I'd say that is the case...

Why would I want iWork when OpenOffice is free and more powerful? Why would I want to pay for all of the iLife apps that are largely useless to nearly all of the population? Especially when Picassa, Windows Live Photo Gallery, HP Photosmart Essentials and others are freeware and do the exact same things as iPhoto, except wonky facial recognition.

Openoffice, while a good idea, is not really "streamlined" and um... "useable" in general (that is, of course, my opinion). How long would you have to labor at a computer to make a presentable document or a dazzling presentation is what matters

Final Cut is decent, but it's not like video editing tools don't exist on the PC. Besides, Final Cut requires you to use a computer that costs twice as much and delivers half the power.

Logic Pro? No reasonably intelligent person is going to choose that over Pro Tools or M-Audio's solutions.

Have you used it, then?

What I said has nothing to do with deleting files. In Windows you can cut and paste files in Explorer (not IE). So if I want to move a file from one folder to another I can just cut and paste. I don't have to drag and drop and have multiple windows open or hold the file over endless amounts of folders waiting for them to open, etc.

Well if you're so insistent on doing it that way, why not just cmd+c, cmd+delete,cmd+v? ... or better just use terminal for mass transfers... ("mv")

Newegg, Tigerdirect, Fry's, etc. have all had Vista Ultimate 64-bit for around that price since launch. Nobody is foolish enough to pay full retail.

Let's just say that I can also get a price for OS X that's lower... but since it's just a race of "who searches ebay for lower prices" let's just stick with official figures, ok?

I have an HP notebook from the generation before the one the girl in the commercial bought. the plastic casing on it is much stronger and feels much sturdier than the very soft, so soft it bends to the touch, metal used on the bottom and lid of the UniBody MacBook and Pro.

Okay, I'll have to say that I have no idea what you're talking about... the "so soft it bends to the touch, metal used on the bottom and lid of the UniBody MacBook and Pro."... nor am I sure how that proves your point about it being sturdy either...

 

[MorphingDragon]

MOSX reminds me of Hexen525 of the nVidia forums.
His name is also a giveaway of what his intentions are.

 

[Wikinerd]

I have an HP notebook from the generation before the one the girl in the commercial bought. the plastic casing on it is much stronger and feels much sturdier than the very soft, so soft it bends to the touch, metal used on the bottom and lid of the UniBody MacBook and Pro.

Oh, and by the way, have you tried dropping it from 1m? (preferably tilted to one of the corners, so that the corner absorbs the impact the most, like how that MBP did?)

PS. I'm not responsible for any costs of damages this might incur.

 

[binkennedy]

Shoddy work

I don't know if anyone else has pointed this out (couldn't be bothered to trawl through 2,000+ posts) but when our "star" enters the Mac store there's a man in a pretty awfull horizontal striped jumper walking by. When "La Lauren" leaves, this man has walked about six paces.

Either he's part of the film, he stopped to check out this weird female who didn't buy anything, or she just walked in, waited a few seconds for the camera to re-position, then walked straight out again.

Hardly an in-depth investigation.

Also, does this mean that Microsoft have so little respect for the intelligence of it's customers that they think this will sway them? (Don't answer that, I think we already know...).

 

[Wikinerd]

I know that that's an unfair generalization, but I wonder these days what the requirements are to be hired by the likes of Geek Squad. Are there any requirements at all?

High school course on "business and marketing" maybe?

 

[MorphingDragon]

I don't know if anyone else has pointed this out (couldn't be bothered to trawl through 2,000+ posts) but when our "star" enters the Mac store there's a man in a pretty awfull horizontal striped jumper walking by. When "La Lauren" leaves, this man has walked about six paces.

Either he's part of the film, he stopped to check out this weird female who didn't buy anything, or she just walked in, waited a few seconds for the camera to re-position, then walked straight out again.

Hardly an in-depth investigation of the opposition.

Several times,
but at least theres some other people who analyse ads instead of eating them up like a fresh truffle.

I also call foul on people comapring a retail copy of Leopard to an OEM copy of Vista,
Technically its illegal for you to even be buying it because you arent a licensed builder.

 

[rotta]

Well, you may like Windoze or not, but there's some truth in there.

I have 3 macs at the moment, and had planned on buying one of the new Mac Pros when they were launched. But, no way. The prices are ridiculous. I now have to pay more for a 4-core model (now maxing out at 8 gig of ram) than I had to pay for the previous 8-core. The new 8-core, by the way, where I live, costs about 40% more than the previous model.

Most of the world get along just fine with a Microsoft OS, no matter what Apple fanboys may think. My next desktop machine will probably run XP, with Premiere Pro and After Effects, for one third of the price of a new Mac Pro.

My Macbook Pro now gives me about half an hour of battery life. My work laptop, an HP that is a year older, gives me an hour and-a-half.

Obviously I'd want to continue buying Apple products, but at the moment Apple are far richer than me, so I'll spend my money elsewhere. Sad, but I'll get by OK

Now, let the flaming begin...;_)

 

[cecildk9999]

all people are asking for is that they reconsider their obsession with having 2 or 3 times the profit margin of everyone else in the business for no valid reason

While I don't disagree with this statement, I think we're forgetting that as a company, Apple's number one goal is to make money. And in much the same way that consumers make a choice between a designer brand in clothing versus a generic brand, Apple has been working that angle for years in marketing itself as a fashionable brand name. Fleshing out its product line a bit more and staying away from odd decisions (I'm thinking of the new Shuffle) would be nice, but their bottom line is profit motive. They won't rethink that margin line unless/until demand drops. While I haven't bought any new Apple products for almost three years, when my laptop or iPod dies, I'm not sure I'd go back to Windows offerings since there're still some things in the Mac lineup that I would buy.

 

[binkennedy]

Lucky you, you live in Europe. I live in New Zealand.

But theres no denying what you said above.
I didnt buy my mac to look cool, but a lot of people do and then this starts. Apple IS the market genius. (Irony much?)
Microsoft get seen as a base, Minimum. Apple is seen as a status symbol. Since people are desperately trying to get popular they use any means necessary to do it.

Though saying that there are a few who actually buy a Mac because they actually need it for something or it is better at doing something. But then theyre as rare as diamonds and turn into Zealots.

I think you're both missing the point as to why I and a lot of other people buy Macs, which is that they don't have Windows on them! I work with Microsoft machines every day and the relief when I turn to my own computer and it "Just works" is sometimes indescribable (so I won't bother trying). That alone is worth the extra money to me...



Thank God for Microsoft, keeps me in work! (Computer repairs at affordable prices!)

 

[Wikinerd]

Well, you may like Windoze or not, but there's some truth in there.

I have 3 macs at the moment, and had planned on buying one of the new Mac Pros when they were launched. But, no way. The prices are ridiculous. I now have to pay more for a 4-core model (now maxing out at 8 gig of ram) than I had to pay for the previous 8-core. The new 8-core, by the way, where I live, costs about 40% more than the previous model.

You can always try looking in "refurbished"..

 

[DMann]

Logic Pro? No reasonably intelligent person is going to choose that over Pro Tools or M-Audio's solutions.

This is not necessarily so. I use both Logic Pro 8 and Pro Tools M-Powered 8 extensively. Pro Tools biggest con is that it's hardware dependent. (and therefore much more expensive) The latest version of Logic Pro (8) is really spectacular, very easy to use, and powerful. If using any kind of softsynths, loops, or sequencing, it is superior to both Pro Tools and Reason. Everything is now done from a single screen, instead of hunting for inputs, routing, or other features. I used Reason in conjunction with my audio tracks for years, and with the new synths & beats in Logic 8, I don't need Reason anymore. Although Logic Pro is more geared towards midi and composing than instrument recording, it does both exceptionally well. As for recording and producing midi and virtual instruments, Logic Pro is better than Pro Tools.

 

[Wikinerd]

I don't know if anyone else has pointed this out (couldn't be bothered to trawl through 2,000+ posts) but when our "star" enters the Mac store there's a man in a pretty awfull horizontal striped jumper walking by. When "La Lauren" leaves, this man has walked about six paces.

Either he's part of the film, he stopped to check out this weird female who didn't buy anything, or she just walked in, waited a few seconds for the camera to re-position, then walked straight out again.

Hardly an in-depth investigation.

Also, does this mean that Microsoft have so little respect for the intelligence of it's customers that they think this will sway them? (Don't answer that, I think we already know...).

Or that they hired the same people to walk by;...

 

[MorphingDragon]

I think you're both missing the point as to why I and a lot of other people buy Macs, which is that they don't have Windows on them! I work with Microsoft machines every day and the relief when I turn to my own computer and it "Just works" is sometimes indescribable (so I won't bother trying). That alone is worth the extra money to me...


Thank God for Microsoft, keeps me in work!

No not at all, I just open my mouth and insert foot too many times. Or go on too much. I managed to make a 300 word essay 567 words!!! (Thats besides the point) I work part time as a junior administrator, man Im glad to hear the Bong when I get home. Microsoft engineers make me want to take a hot needle and shove it in their eyes. Its the same at shcool, random malfunctions, email not working, CS3 has performed magic tricks again and disappeared, not detecting Flash Drives, I cant save my work because the Quotas stuffed up again...

Damn it I did it again.

 

[Wikinerd]

I think you're both missing the point as to why I and a lot of other people buy Macs, which is that they don't have Windows on them! I work with Microsoft machines every day and the relief when I turn to my own computer and it "Just works" is sometimes indescribable (so I won't bother trying). That alone is worth the extra money to me...



Thank God for Microsoft, keeps me in work! (Computer repairs at affordable prices!)

Ah... good. new members to join us at Ubuntu.com or hackint0sh.org

 

[binkennedy]

here you go: a new ALU Macbook, thet felt from about 1 m:

[*]

If it were the old plastic case, it would be two options: either it would break or you would see no damage at all... but now, that it is made out of aluminium, you have no other option, than bring it back to Apple Reseller and pray, that they will change it (of course you will have to pay about 25% of repair cost, if you even have some warranty - we don't have Apple Care here), or you have another option: an hammer, combined with patience and too many free time on your hands.

EDIT: changed the size of the images

I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to do that with any laptop...

Nice photos, by the way.

 

[MorphingDragon]

Ah... good. new members to join us at Ubuntu forums or hackint0sh.org

Ha! Youve got to be kidding.
Linux will never put step into the media for two reasons,
proprietary and patents. Also ubuntu is terrible, its not that user friendly, it just acts it. It doesnt show what linux is about. OpenSUSE/Xandros/PCLinuxOS/Mandriva is far more user firendly. Gentoo is far more powerful and Redhat is far more robust. And why would he go to hackintosh.org if he did the legal thing and bought a mac?

 

[Wikinerd]

Ha! Youve got to be kidding.
Linux will never put step into the media for two reasons,
proprietary and patents. Also ubuntu is terrible, its not that user friendly, it just acts it. It doesnt show what linux is about. OpenSUSE is far more user firendly. Gentoo is far more powerful and Redhat is far more robust. And why would he go to hackintosh.org if he did the legal thing and bought a mac?

IMHO,
OpenSUSE is ok. But I've always preferred Ubuntu because it's the one I'm familiar with.

Gentoo? Far too "ugly"... I'm not bothered with the tweaking to get the interface right.

Red hat? Isn't that discontinued a few years ago?

And hackintosh's legality is debatable.

 

[DMann]

I think you're both missing the point as to why I and a lot of other people buy Macs, which is that they don't have Windows on them! I work with Microsoft machines every day and the relief when I turn to my own computer and it "Just works" is sometimes indescribable (so I won't bother trying). That alone is worth the extra money to me...

Thank God for Microsoft, keeps me in work! (Computer repairs at affordable prices!)

Agreed. The money saved per month in avoiding downtime, and other headaches regarding viruses/spyware/adware protection more than justifies any extra cost.

 

[MorphingDragon]

IMHO,
OpenSUSE is ok. But I've always preferred Ubuntu because it's the one I'm familiar with.

Gentoo? Far too "ugly"... I'm not bothered with the tweaking to get the interface right.

Red hat? Isn't that discontinued a few years ago?

And hackintosh's legality is debatable.

1. The first sentence, isnt that the reason why Linux and Apple have trouble with market penetration. You're not helping it you're just repeating the cycle.

2. Isnt this a main point for linux, customiziability. If you just eat what cannocal gives you arent you just the same as Windows and Mac OSX Users?

3. Umm dude, what? RedHat? Where have you been. Try Fedora or RHEL, theyre also thinking of bringing back inbox software again.

4. It encourages piracy = illegal. Breaks Millenium Copyright Act = Illegal. Breaks Apple's EULA = Discouraged.

I dont hate Linux, its great for critical work but Im so sick of the Ubuntu Hype.

 

[insingertech]

My Response to Microsoft Commercial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP0Y5Vt-XaY