Is the Apple press falling into Microsoft's trap?

I'd buy the apple software if I didn't have to buy their way too expensive hardware.

If you want to do graphic design or something and you have the extra cash to burn, sure, a Mac works great. If you don't, why the heck do you want to pay that much extra for features you're never gonna use? Apple products have the same core components as PC products – they just charge you 30% more for them. Also, I'm gathering that nobody here enjoys playing games… Apple and gaming don't mesh unless you're talking about phone-app games.

@ Mike, Huntington

Mike,

You have it backwards. The OS does not "have to support" the software [applications], it is the applications that need to be designed utilizing a particular OS. Your whole premises is false, I am afraid.

About the hardware, you are indeed correct, although once again, it is the hardware makers who are responsible for meeting specifications.

As far as running different OS – you say Windows machines run both Windows and Linux. But so do Macs, They run all three OSs. In fact, not only will a Mac run Windows natively (i.e. without Mac OS) via boot camp, but, using Parallels it will run Windows inside of Mac OS. So now Mac OS is running all the Mac SW AND all the Windows SW at the same time!

Hmmm…

… "Unicorn tears!"

I love this guy, he's getting a promotion right now!

http://fakesteveballmer.blogspot.com/

If you care about a computers screen resolution than you are a nerd with to much time on your hands.

If all you do is check email, web browse and play games, then sure, who cares?

If you do graphic design, develop websites, edit video or record music (and I do all four… plus the above) then an extra few hundred pixels makes a BIG difference.

We're talking the difference between editing an 11×17" document at 100%, having multiple toolboxes AND a full CSS reference tiled beside your code editor, viewing 16 tracks in a digital audio workstation in the same window as your faders, or having your A and B roll at full res, side by side.

Typical ease-of-use of my MacBookPro is when I plug in my 23" Samsung Syncmaster into the DVI port, BOOM not only does Mac OS see it and initiate video, but my toolbar moves to the larger monitor (since that's how I set it up–once–and apparently remembers that's how I like it.) I have seen my Wintel brethren spend 20 minutes trying to set up external PnP monitors.

So how come neither of Microsoft's spokesmodels tell us what they're actually going to use the computer FOR? I, for one, would love to know!

PCs/Windows have to be able to run different operating systems (Linux/Windows) and then hundreds of thousands of different applications on those platforms. Think about the multitude of software in every industry that Windows has to support. Next think about the infinite combination of essential and optional hardware Windows has to support. When you make an operating system that has to be flexible enough to do all that, there are going to be vulnerabilities and difficulties. But those are easily overcome by simple computing education.

Macs run a tiny percentage of the amount of software Windows does. They are optimized for the small set of hardware that ships with Macs.

If the tables were turned and 90% of the market was running Macs, it's ridiculous to think that Macs wouldn't have the same problems Windows faces.

Imagine how many genius bars you would need!

After reading all these comments I began to realize how dumb most Mac fans are.

You can't argue about the quality of the hardware. 90% of the hardware in a Mac is the same as a Dell. Yes you read they correctly 90% of the hardware in your Mac is the same as a Dell.

The smart Mac people argue about Mac OS and why it's worth the extra money. Even though I don't think Mac OS is worth the extra it's at least a valid argument. Arguing about the hardware or the quality of the hardware just means you don't know what your talking about and are just rehashing some BS you were feed in a Apple commercial or fallowing the trend.

Stop being a sheep, do some research and maybe come back with a valid argument.

After having to reinstall windows yearly just to keep my HP PC running great, it just got to be too much. I bought two MacBook Pros and am enjoying not having to do so much work to keep the computer running great. And its the best computer since Radio Shack put out the Color Computer in 1981… Even if it doesnt boot up as fast…

So far, the two MS ads tell us:

Apples are cool

Apples are stylish

Apples are well built

There is no reason not to buy an Apple if you can afford it.

In other words, Apples are something to aspire to! That isn't really a slam on the Mac, is it?

And it also demonstrates that the alternative to the "mac tax" is to what… buy cheaply made computers with hardware from 2-3 years ago? Both the first $700 17" model and the "powerful" model this guy buys are hardly the cream of any crop.

These commercials remind me of the Hyundai commercials trying to tell us how the BMW and Mercedes are fine cars, but the Hyundai is just as good. You won't be swaying any BMW or Mercedes customers into your dealership, but you might bring in some Honda buyers. But with these ads, who is going to be swayed?

With all that said, Apple laptops are still overpriced at this point. Apple will have to address that, as having the entry point for a 15" laptop at $1500 is ridiculous. Apple sorely needs a 15" MacBook (non-Pro) similar to the old 14" iBook G4, which was a solid seller.

But Mr. Webster, the problem is that Lauren and Giampaolo don't look or act like real people — they look and act like actors cast for their cool factor.

Merely irritating the other side might make you feel good tactically, but might not work out the way you anticipate strategically.

The best advertisers for Microsoft are Apple Fanboys, instead of cool people with cool technology they (unwittingly or not) take the role of elitist snobs that cannot comprehend why anyone would not choose to be like them and buy Apple. And the others (non hardcore tech people) mostly buy Apple not because they're an expert on specs or whatever but because they just want to be seen with an Apple product. The snobs and the posers.

If you paid me a $1000 to buy a PC I'd do it. Then sell it on eBay for $500. Take the proceeds to bring the price of Mac that much closer. Macs are about time. Saving it. They simply break less, are productive longer, and win over their users more substantively than any PC. That's why businesses use PCs more than Macs. They aren't trying to forge a relationship with the user, they're trying to process data as cheaply as possible. Business will rely on IT departments to avoid more prevalent breaks, bugs, and viruses PCs experience.

Here's the score:

Personal Use: Macs win.

Business Use: PCs win.

Why? Because business want to save money short-term and frustration long-term. PCs do that. People want to save frustration short-term and money long-term. Macs do that.

After years of using a PC, and knowing I could fix anything that went wrong with it (including avoid problems in the first place), I grew weary of supporting it. Supporting alone as well.

Although I'm a PC repair tech by trade, I don't want to 'work' for my personal computer. Doing what I do for a living for nothing. I'd rather spend a little extra and avoid that.

But with the $1000 PC deal Microsoft is promoting, maybe I don't have to pay more for my Mac next time.

Where's my $1000, I'll buy a PC.

Everybody to eBay to buy my new $1000 PC for $500.

Actually, this is exactly what APPLE wants. Mac fans are posting their comments pointing out the flaws in the advertising and the MS people are responding with "See, its only because of the "Cool Factor"". Making the MS people sound reverse snobbish.

Completely falling into Apple's hands… Muahahaha

I have a PC too… a Mac Personal Computer and I've never had a problem with it, I don't even have anti-virus software or their alerts popping up when I want to be working.

If you want to be constantly on the security defensive, the choice is obvious… buy a system that is less well design.

Why do I have put my name and state on this form?!! It seems to assume everyone on the internet is in America when in fact the majority of people online are not in America.

If OSX is so great, why Apple is not willing to have an all out war with MS by selling the OSX to all intel machine? What are they afraid of if OSX is as great as they claim? Bill got rich by selling Windows.

It's obvious that the marketing strategy at Apple is to attract the people who are willing to shell out more money to buy the name, and they care less about the people who are affected by this recession. It's a great marketing strategy, and it's working very well too.

What they plan at MS is to rebrand the name (like Toyota nd Lexus) and start selling OS tied to hardware just like Apple. We'll see how Apple reacts.

PED,

I have neither the time nor inclination to read through the 150+ comments, so apologies if I repeat…but well done. The whole point of what Microsoft is trying to do is get the "average" Tom, Dick, Giampaolo, and Lauren to buy a PC. All this crap about Unix kernels and crapware and all that doesn't mean a pinch of salt to 90% of the market. Really. Computers are valued as commodities by much of the market. Apple has found it's niche (growing, thanks to the earwigs that are the iPod and iPhone) by having beautifully integrated, sexy machines for those who understand what they're buying (or pretend to). But the VAST majority view a computer as an email and internet terminal as well as, in the words of the great Randy Hickey (from "My Name is Earl"), a "porn box". All your kernels, microkernels, GNUs, and BDLs go beyond what people care about.

My personal theory is that people view computers like cars–most have no idea how they work but are glad to have them for day-to-day use. The rest are gearheads who want extra ft-lbs of torque and gear ratios (or integrated OS and hardware) in place so it's there when needed.

Oh, and the quote about unicorn tears just killed me. Funny stuff.

Giampaolo sweats the details heavily, but as Prince McLean explains, gets the opposite of everything he claims he's looking for in a new laptop without even knowing it. I'm a Mac user and with no sweating at all, I get a cutting edge bundle of features, and I get to shower in unicorn tears daily. Softies are just jealous. I could understand resentment if unicorn tears were out of their price league, but they're actually cheaper in total cost of ownership than sweating!

Most of these comments crack me up. I have a preference but it's "my preference". I could argue the linux/mac/win thing every which way as each has it's own benefits. It all comes down to what works for you. To each their own.

People…

This is just a marketing campaing… All this talk is exactly what MS wants and angry Mac users are just trying to pretend they did not buy a Mac just because they are "cool". In my school I know of at least 5 of my friends who are mac users simply because is what "cool" people do… Of course it has a great OS, design, and hackers do not seem to care (at least for now) to target macs.

But lets face it… 8/10 make users have it for status quo… it is a trend… people want to be cool it is alright.

Mac commercial where funny and hurt… MS commercials are doing the same.

Macs are close to flawless… MS is not saying Mac's are bad… it is just saying they are expensive! Joe the plumber could not afford a Mac… and he represents about 80% of the country…

OSX is not based on linux and can not be. It is based off of NeXT which was founded by Steve Jobs after he left Apple. It is a mach microkernel BSD Unix. Linux is a Unix like OS. Linux's GPL license means that any software with a GPL portion can not be distributed without the source code so apple would never use it. They release the source code of the Unix core free (it's called Darwin – BSD licensed) but Apple doesn't release the source code of the GUI portion of their OS.

Sick on hearing from all of these Mac freaks. If my 7 year old can use a Windows Vista PC with ease and no help, then the Apple point of ease of use is moot. I have used all the different versions of windows over the years (MCSE here) and the only one that I really had issue with was Windows ME. It is time that everyone get past the ME fear that Apple is still expoiting. We have many people at my work who own Mac's that are used on our corporate network. Everyone of those Mac's are loaded with Windows XP or Windows Vista, my nephew who is an Apple freak has Windows XP loaded on his own Mac. Someone needs to point out to Microsoft the shear volume of Apple Mac's that are running Microsoft's OS's, it is simply shocking. The Apple Fanboys who are running dual OS's on their Mac's must be doing so for some reason if the Apple OS is so great wonderful and all mystically powerful, which it isn't. As for all they fanboys who point out that Mac's are impervious to viruses, then why in Gods name do we need to have AV Software on our company's Mac's (they got infected is the one simple reason) so they are not impervious of all powerful. Under the hood a HP and a Mac are basically no different. For $2000.00 you can get a really powerful lightweight and long running top of the line PC or a mid line Mac. Price does matter, Mac's are for those who want to waste their money on the status symbol that they are.

Apple didn't create their own OS, it's a hybrid of Linux (a POSIX environment), there is little claim there, other then the fact that they are doing what Microsoft has been doing for years. Taking what they want to make what they want. As for Mac running Windows better then a Windows PC, that's easy to understand. You have a nearly laboratory clean system (hardware designed for the system, not a system designed for the hardware, the true difference between mac and PC/(Windows/Linux) hardware/software interaction). With all of that said, the difference is truly aesthetics and understanding. Mac is not a more powerful system. A pure linux system will always be more powerful because it offers the most low level control. With Windows being next, followed by Mac (due to it's proprietary hardware and nature). However, this difference matters little to the average user. Comparing a Mac and a PC as a BMW vs a … Is also inaccurate. The reason why is simple, The hardware determines the quality and functionality of the system. You can get the BMW equivalent to either Mac or PC hardware, and you can find problems and benefits to both systems. It's like the age old argument of graphics appear better on a mac then a PC. This was true of Windows vs Mac back in the 80s when Windows was still in 3.1, however, the real comparison that most people missed is the same hardware running Linux was comparable, or better. But, it doesn't matter. Each system has their benefits, and there problems, and proper use of the different environments will provide the best experience. Otherwise you are just jaded, and don't really understand what you say or what you do in the way that it compares to systems you look down or up to.

A couple of decades ago, accountants had to change how they kept track of computers. They went from being "assets" to "expenses" because they don't hold value. All computers are landfill fodder in 3 years or less. If you want to spend $2000 every three years for landfill fodder, be my guest.

Reading the comments of this post, one can observe that overwhelming majority of responses:

1. come from persons who own Apple products and strongly endorse them;

2. believe that products of Apple are close to perfection technically with a “halo” effect on their users (by making them “sexy” and “cool”, whatever that is)

3. claim that competing products (especially Microsoft) are inferior and deliver poor utility/price ratio.

Superficial, even if wrong, analysis of the above three observations may yield the following conclustions:

1. Apple has an overwhelming market share in personal computers, judging by the proportion of respondents who own Apple computers (similar to judgements about market shares of operating systems from one survey of access to the web);

2. Apple OS is totally stable (“just work”), fast and user-friendly, whereas Windows is buggy and slow.

Since conclusion 1 above is definitely untrue and 2 can not be proven, it is interesting to try and explain why so many owners of Apple go to such lengths to promote what is a commercial organisation for no direct material benefit for them?

Of course, the sample is not representative. But it is endemic in my subjective judgement to most other forums.

The answer may be that these people derive a non-tangible, but rather a “spiritual” satisfaction from trying to persuade the world of Apple’s superiority and promote it above competitors.

Some, the “old-faithful”, do it due out of inertia – they still see Apple is a nascent and putative company that fights for its life against the behemoths such as MSFT and IBM, and that if Apple disappears, they will lose the support for their favourite OS (Mac): the second half of the argument is perfectly rational, but the first one (that Apple is vulnerable underdog) is of course, nonsense.

Some do it as a statement against the dominant player – Windows. But since Apple is extremely dominant in the areas of music players and digital music downloads, smartphones and laptops, this argument is also can not be supported by rationale.

Some are just band-waggoners on the admittedly perfect shape designs of the hardware by Jonathan Ive and the great eye-candy design of the interface of Apple products, wanting to shout about their own good taste by hammering competition to Apple.

An interesting factor is the mainstream media. I don’t have the links, but I have two printed articles (one of them from a gadget mag and another from the weekend supplement of the Financial Times – a guy called Margoulis) where the writers brag that they are actually happy when Apple product breaks down because it gives them the opportunity to buy a new one, and admit that the public may have the impression that there is a “conspiracy” in the media to promote/deify Apple. And just don’t start about Mossberg, who is a cheerleader-in-chief of all-things-Apple…

So where does it leave us? It seems that Apple is more than a commercial brand, it has many “followers” rather than simply users/consumers, and because the “followers” are almost by definition not objective in the extreme, we have to take their argumentation and “evidence” with great caution.

Apple and Apple users would like us to believe that there is a still a significant difference between their systems. IHMO, we are reaching a plateau where just about any system out there can be set up to meet the needs of the average e-mailer, web-surfer, word-processing user. Sure one or the other may be a little easier to set up, but once that is done, all the average user does 98% of the time is click on a desktop icon to launch application software – and that software all has more or less the same functionality. More processing power? I just finished evaluating a low-end netbook using Vista – under $350. Worked just fine for e-mail, web-surfing, and running the MS office programs.

I bought my Mac somewhat on impulse, but what sold it for me was when the guy @ the Apple store told me that the tech support line was staffed by English speaking Americans. I have never had to call the number, but still…..

I bet Microsoft could really sell a lot of PCs if they only paid everyone $1000 to do it.

I prefer Macs, but I would buy a PC too if you paid me $1000. You don't have to be that picky is someone is paying you to buy their stuff.

These ads are proof that MIcrosoft is feeling the pain as people flock in droves to Macs running OS X.

If you don't like the Mac, it's because you never used it or you simply could care less about anything related to computers. It's that simple. Notice that not a single raving PC users is trying to say Windows is better or even 'as good' as OS X. They don't it's not.

In fact, 'mac-like' as an adjective is universally a compliment. Saying anything is 'windows like' has a pejorative connotation. This is no accident.

You get what you pay for.

If you care about a computers screen resolution than you are a nerd with to much time on your hands.

"I find these ad amusing as they focus only on price. In fact, Mac are cheaper long term then PCs; the average replacement time for a PC is about 2 years"

This is absolute nonsense. I've been using PCs for over 20 years and just bought my fifth one. The shortest amount of time I've had one was for four years and I replaced it only because I wanted to upgrade. My most recent one lasted over five and a half years.

I've also never had a problem with Vista and most of the people who trash it probably were ready to do so even before they used it. And let's face it – Apple wouldn't even exist today if it weren't for the Ipod.

I don't see the big deal. If people want to buy a quality car, they buy a Lexus or a BMW, cars that cost more than the average, but quality are innards are superior than average. If a cheapskate wanted to just buy a generic wh-cares-what-brand car that gives him the best bang for the buck, then they buy something like a Hyundai or some car that can be bought for under $13,000. This is similar to Macs versus PCs. Macs give you the better and refined things in life, an overall superior computing experience, but at a higher purchase price. The PC just buys you the cheapest computer you can take home. Different folks different strokes. There is room for all choices here.

I use PCs because I like to save money. It's absolutely fascinating that the Mac fanboys on the blog here reinforce the point of the post to a T. Way to be condescending, guys. Next time I get a bonus check maybe I can be as cool as you.

to: Joe. Mac does not make their own hardware. They force the normal manufacturers to provide hardware that is specific for them. Remember, it wasnt long ago that they were convinced that the inferior PPC was better, but MAC fans would argue that the PPC was better… where are those lemmings now?

only thing i have to say is that it's proven, windows vista works best on any mac.

"People who are really serious about software should make their own hardware." – Alan Kay

This is why macs are superior.

Youth are irrational. They don't care about if an ugly computer has a little more RAM. Mictosoft just told America's youth "If you want to be cool and sexy, buy a Mac. If you want to be a computer nerd, buy a PC." Baby boomers may use PC's, but go to any high school or college campus and it's 50% Macs. I know, I'm a professor. Those kids will grow up and they will be used to using a Mac.

Hey Brian, with the Mac-using girlfriend.. you better dump her before she gets tired of your cheapness and pulls a "Dear Brian" on you.

I really don't understand what all the teeth-gnashing is about.. when you're young, successful, and want to show it, you buy a cool car, a BMW, you buy a sexy computer, a Mac, and a phone that has it all.. an iPhone.

When you're not successful, you buy what you can afford, and you keep that old clunker of a car running as long as you care.

A handsome face doesn't carry you very far if you're a man. Chicks dig the car, and they want to see expensive

Why do people even bother arguing windows vs mac. I converted to a Macbook because I feel that the design, awesome usability, case sturdiness, OS flexibility, and unix functionality are worth paying extra for. I'm not a MS hater, but the fact remains that Vista is a mess, most PC manufactures build quantity over quality, and the hardware is not neatly integrated with the software. It's all about choice. Both PC and Mac users should welcome robust competition since it breeds better products. Spend time with both, and figure out which works best for you.

Apple took 66% of the over $1000 computer market in 2008, leaving the low profit margin segment to the other guys.

Apple now has 28 billion in cash reserves and no debt after adding another 3 billion last quarter in a recession, which is more than 20 billion cash Microsoft has.

I read PC guys who don't know the facts smirking about the usual 1% market share crock, guys if Apple wasn't hurting M.S do you think Ballmer would be spending millions attacking Apple?

Apple creates an MP3 player that dominates the market. Microsoft and the rest of the gang struggle to catch up

Apple creates an operating system and product that is launched with great success. Microsoft and the rest of the gang beg for spotlight attention.

Apple designs a cell phone (on its first try) which generates success that 50 microsoft models before it could not produce combined. Microsoft and the rest of the gang are desperate to catch up.

Hm…..recognize a pattern here?

I would like to meet and mate with Lauren from the Windows ad. She's pretty cute, has a nice voice, and although she digs PCs I can teach her what she doesn't already know or get. You know, about my Mac. Then, when we're finished, she can use one of my extra Macs because it's cooler and way better. She can then return her slow, heavy, clunky PC that does virtually nothing out of the box, get the money back and we can buy some really high thread count sheets from BB&B. With the left over money we can go to Vegas for a night, have a nice dinner, and maybe throw down a few bucks on roulette. How does that sound?

I own a Mac. I use a PC at work. I do prefer the Mac, though – always have, even when the screens were 4 inches or so (Mac SE). Having launched a number of consumer products (not computers), I find that Apple understands ease-of-use and consumer appeal better than anyone. I don't mind paying for that, either. (Speaking about "paying for things", I recently discovered the merits of owning really really nice shoes. Worth every dollar. I recommend Bruno Magli.)

But I digress……In sum, I like being part of the "cult of Macintosh", and would be saddened if the devices become mainstream. So, keep the Mac prices high!

Anyone want to talk about shoes or cufflinks?

Bobby,

BMW cars are nicknamed Bimmers. "Beamers" are their motorcycles. I am sure that there may be one or two, but as a 20 yr serious Bimmer enthusiast (I currently own four, all modded by me), I don't know a single Bimmer owner that has a toy Mac. We like to mod our high performance cars, just like our PCs. Try modding without buying from Apple – nearly impossible. With BMWs, it's a US$3B/yr industry where the money goes to other companies, not BMW.

You remind me of the losers that lease a BMW 3 series or an X3 and try to make everyone believe you know something about cars. We all realize you are a faker. Just like a Mac fanboi is with computing.

Phillip,

Instead of headlining your articles with hit generators like "Is the Apple press falling into Microsoft's trap?" or "How Microsoft put Apple owners on the defensive," why can't we get some useful analysis from you?

While these new Microsoft ads are generating buzz, the real question is, is anyone who was considering a Mac going to buy a PC instead. It's kinda funny that you have some guy who describes himeself as "savvy," and then proceeds to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that he isn't. Microsoft shows its contempt for PC buyers by insinuating that a guy who purports to know what he is doing and goes out seeking Portability, Battery Life, and Computing Power would choose the opposite, turning to the dark side for the sake of a hundred bucks.

The fact is that John Q. Computer-Buying-Public is not reading Prince, Seth, or Harry, so there is no danger of their arguments going over his head.

Microsoft is preaching to the choir in these ads, because a truly tech-savvy individual would not have come to the conclusion that they wrote into Giampaolo's script. Microsoft is going after the lowest common denominator in the computer market. Problem is, it's a segment which they always have owned, and still do. So what are they gaining?

I have this exact same machine and run Ubuntu 64 bit Intrepid Ibex on it. The HDX smokes anything from Apple, simple as that.

Apple jackasses are good for humor, none of them have a clue about computing. So unless you are looking for a good laugh, don't waste your time talking to a Jobs cultist. They are clueless, guaranteed.

Hello, I'm a human being. I like to play music, draw, play sports, and make things. My time is valuable, and I value my time. When I do something, I expect to succeed, and therefore I'm also an optimist. My mind and body have limitless potential. I like technology that just works, and doesn't waste my time or get in my way. My technology is an extension of ME. Therefore, I also admire and enjoy beautiful things. Ascetics are as important to function as form is to efficiency. My technology doesn't limit me, depress me, or frustrate me. I'm a human being.

Hey, If Apple lets me put Mac OS on MY HARDWARE (top of the line core i7 6GB ram, SSDs, GTX 295, etc… better than anything Apple offers) then Apple will have my full support.

I don't want Apple telling me what hardware I should buy. I know what hardware I should buy and 9 times out of 10 Apple doesn't offer the hardware I want.

Until Apple wises up i'm sticking with Linux and Windows.

My Irony Meter is about to break from the responses to this article. It must be an HP.

@Frank Castle;

Mac OSX is actually easier to hookup in a business environment. I'll take my MBP and walk into many clients office settings and be up in running with their file servers, printers, internet, intranet, etc. within minutes after obtaining password permissions for the file shares, etc.

My Windows counterparts, on the other hand, have to map the hard drive & file systems and get drivers for printers, which takes IT and quite a bit of wasted time.

Remote connectivity and no support for macs? What are you talking about? Their is no issue with a Mac remotely gaining file share access from a PC… in fact, I would argue it's easier & more transparent the way it's handled.

Of course, I still hear a lot of people ask if they can get their email & open a PDF on a Mac too, so I'm not surprised.

In all honesty, if business is about productivity and making money, then transition to Macs. UNIX is rock solid, down time will be decreased, IT dollars and Microsoft licensing virtually eliminated, most everything just works with zero configuration.

Mac OS X = UNIX certified End of story for me.

I do not need to dual boot Windows and Solaris to get what I need—seamless integration of the CLI with the GUI. And the GUI part of OS X is a lot better.

BTW, does Dell's 17" laptop get 8 hours on a charge? Of course not.

I'm a Mac fanboi and those MS ads don't infuriate me at all. I believe in people having choices. I have Windows XP Pro running in BootCamp on my MacBook Pro 2.33 and it's great for when I use programs that require Windows. I certainly do know I can easily buy a less expensive computer than what I paid my two-year old MacBook, but after two years and half years I have only had to personally replace one fan in the machine (at $50 for what looks like a $10 part). Other than that the machine has been perfect with only routine software upgrades to the OS. It still runs fast. I'd say I got my money's worth.

I don't really care about what other choices people are making. I just like Macs and don't really consider buying anything else. Of course as an Apple stock investor, I support Apple products. That only makes sense to me. The day that I can't afford to buy a new Mac, I'll buy a used Mac. All the Macs I've ever owned worked fine until I retired them, usually close to five years and they just became to slow to work comfortably with.

I buy what I want. Nobody forces me to use a particular machine. It's very well possible that if Apple legally allowed OSX to run on any maker's computer, I would buy a computer that was of very high quality from another maker. Let's just say I would consider it. But I wouldn't be looking for some cheap product just to say I saved some money.

I just like Macs since I first bought a Mac128 in the 1980's. I don't hate PCs, I don't dislike Windows. I just prefer Macs and OSX as my choice. Truthfully, I like the glowing Apple logo on my MacBook Pro which is just pure aesthetics. I like my iPods and I like going into Apple Retail Stores. I guess it's just plain fanboism like one would like a sports team or certain type of car.

So the MS ads don't bother me one way or another. They're not telling me something I don't already know. I've always gone with Apple in the past and probably always will in the future regardless of how cheap Windows PCs become.

There is a comment below using Apple/BMW compared to PC/Kia saying that Apple/BMW you are paying for cool. I'm sorry buddy, I guess you've never driven a BMW. They are a fantastic car to drive, extremely well engineered and amazing in many respects and yes they are cool too.

This ad is a joke. I am a PC guy. I've owned Dells for years and used custom computers etc. However I recently purchased a Macbook, after comparing all the specs with a dell XPS M1330 and a couple others, the Macbook clearly came out on top. I'm extremely happy with my choice. I think the MS ad builds on what people don't know about Mac and the perception that Mac is all about design more than function and performance. Ah well, they are praying on the uninformed. I still use a PC desktop for now, not sure what I will use later this year on my desk.

Mac SECURITY.

To mike D, new york

People bring up Charlie Miller the guy who broke into Safari Mac as if he hates the mac os and laughs at

it but apparently he's a mac user, thinks OSX is safer and recommends it for most folks.

——-

Tom's Hardware article:

"Alan: You've won two Mac notebooks from Pwn2Own so far. Are you using either of those? What's the configuration of your primary system?

Charlie: I usually work on a pretty old MacBook that I've upgraded the hard drive on. Its been the computer that I had both times at Pwn2Own and its been in many countries with me like Korea, Japan, Australia, Malaysia, and of course, Canada. Hardware-wise, it's pretty much

stock–1.83 GHz Core Duo, 2 GB RAM. When I'm at home, I hook it up to a big 24" monitor. As for the winning notebooks, I only use my MacBook Air from last year when I?m doing a big fuzzing run or testing something. I don't know what I'll do with my new MacBook Pro, but I definitely won't retire my trusty MacBook."

——

And as for which OS he recommends:

"For now, I'd still recommend Macs for typical users as the odds of something targeting them are so low that they might go years without seeing any malware, even though if an attacker cared to target them it

would be easier for them."

(To be absolutely fair Miller did say though that Macs are less secure – from a tech point of view – but added that they more SAFE due to less malware. Miller who had worked for years for NSA also emphasized although he hacked in very quickly in the competition, he spent a lot of time before the competition preparing the exploit and probably couldn't have done it just off the bat)

– It is said that Snow Leopard coming in few months will probably address the security issues Miller brought up.

Hey, guys!

Don´t waist your time with that bull shit talk!

If they want be stupid, let them be stupid — Let them use their PCs, men! Who cares! If they want to eat shit, let them it shit!

Bye, charlie!

My macs running OS X just run without any issues. They just go and go. They might cost more in money, depends who you ask, but my time is important.

PCs are better than Mac. Here are my proof: you can run Windows, Linux, BSD, or whatever open source operating system on a PC. You can upgrade parts (any part or all parts) at will without worrying about anything. Try that with your Mac and see how far can you go. Why don't you start with upgrading the graphics card with the latest NVidia graphs card first.

With a PC and if I don't want to pay Microsoft, I can install Linux (and there are a lot of them out there), BSD based free operating systems, or Solaris X86. I can upgrade my computer parts at will, too, including upgrading to the latest and greatest NVidia graphics cards.

Even Windows is better than Mac OSX. The proof is simple: I can install Windows on any PC, including the ones that I build from parts you may have never heard of, and it works. You can even install Windows on an Intel based-Mac. Have you try to install Mac OSX on a non-Apple PC? The shit crashes. Even the "hacked" OSX for x86 is a half-ass job: it works if you are lucky, and don't cry if it crashes.

My recommendation: go buy a PC or build one with your own spec. It's cheaper, faster, and a lot more flexible than any Mac you can buy. PC is for real man. Mac is for girls.

Think if this EXACT logic were used for CARS:

When people find out they can buy a Kia for a lot less money, they will stop buying BMWs and Infinities. No one will ever buy a high vehicle again once they learn how cheap Kias are.

Can you imagine a Kia commercial where the buyer went out to find a car under $15K and rejected a BMW 3 series? "I guess I'm just not cool enough for a Beamer."

The message is: Macs/Beamers are cooler, but PC's/Kias are cheaper.

The only conclusion is: you are paying for cool.

Cool as a monetary value.

And only Apple/BMW has it, not PC's/Kia.

The commercials are teaching us that the Apple brand has monetary value, in the form of "coolness."

Guess what? People pay for coolness!

That doesn't sound very smart! Don't teach the public that your competitor's brand has value you don't!

Why does everyone have this false believe that windows takes all this time to secure and keep it running stable?

Load a good anti-virus – have it auto update.

Load a good defrag program and have it defrag as needed

Set windows to auto-update. (KEEP YOUR PC ON!!!)

Keep your kids off your computer and off limewire/torrent/"free games" websites and you will never have a problem. I have at least 8 pc's (and a Mac G4 running and don't have a problem with any of them.

OS X is nice but I only use the Mac for Final Cut and some audio stuff.

I'd say 99% of Mac users never install another program and are basic users who go on the internet and use the iLife suite. Nothing wrong with that as they are nice easy apps to learn.

I would love to see this ad:

A new excited Mac user asks there company how to use the Mac for remote connectivity to work and are promptly told there is no support for Mac.

That my friends would relate to anyone working in the corporate world.

Macs are and will always be a niche. Through all their marketing and stores they have only managed 1% growth in market share and in corporate world are rarely an option at all (other then those few marketing / graphics people every company seems to have)

if I were a PC manufacturer, I would be extremely pissed at Microsoft over these adverts. They are telling people if you want to spend little money, buy a Windows PC. So presented with any PC costing upwards of $2000, folks would say if I were to spend that kind of money I'd buy a Mac.

Good luck with HP selling any high margin PCs.

I started out on HP3000, IBM AS400 and VAX11780 mini computers; therefore, I do not care what is on your desktop as long as it does the work. I have worked on the Sun, IBM, neXT, Mac, and Windows operating systems.

In all of that time, I have consistently used an Apple computer in one form or another since the Apple IIe to the current MacBook Pro. I have not used the Apple products because I am a Mac fan boy or because I am Windows-phobic, but simply because it could do the work that I needed to do easier, faster, or better than its alternative. By contrast, I design software every day for both the Mac as well as Windows as the two majority operating systems by user popularity.

Sometimes that work is scientific research, at other times it is video production and at yet other times it is remote user support. Almost every operating system has the ability to do some if not all of the above types of work.

What I have observed during all of the quibbling over the years is that the old maxim is true… "familiarity breeds contempt". I have watched Windows and Mac users alike become instantly paralyzed when handed the alternate OS if they have little to no experience using it. I have also watched both OS users become instant geniuses when they offer to help their befuddled friend navigate the uncharted waters of unfamiliarity.

Therefore, if you haven't used Mac/Windows go try it, you might find something you can use. If you think Mac/Windows is some how inferior to your OS, I bet you haven't used it enough to form a valid conclusion.

An unfamiliar OS is simply one I haven't used enough yet. I can be a fan without preventing myself from trying out another tool that might be useful to me.

APPLE SECURITY IS A JOKE

http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/27/pwn-2-own-over-macbook-air-gets-seized-in-2-minutes-flat/ <<<< 2008

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Pwn2Own-CanSecWest-2009,7322.html <<<< 2009

oh well so much for quality and not getting a virus. the guy that found this same exploit 2 years in a row on two different model macs 08/09 is quite a bright person.

"dont write a virus when you can just redirect a mac user to a website and take over the whole machine via zero day exploit" absolutely brilliant!

hmmmmmmmmmmm what do i use???

intel core i7 + linux (host) + vmware/parrallels + windows xp/vista (guest) gotta love virtualization

That commercial is right about macs and how you are just paying about $1500.00 for the brand and $1000.00 for the computer itself. You can get a pc with the exactsame specs as a mac for over $1000.00 cheaper. All the mac fanboys just bash pc's so much because they know that macs can't beat pc's.

The funny thing is, Macs BREAKDOWN as well. So do iPods. While I will agree the build quality is better than an average PC, they are not leaps and bounds better.

But the Apple Machine ™ has done a fantastic job of squelching that press, along with the legions of fanbois.

I just find this whole thing funny given it has lasted for decades. It truly is akin to religious wars.

John, Alexandria, Virginia,

No, Apple ads do not attack viciously; They tease comically. Because this is your major premise — and it's wrong — the rest of your argument fails. Get a grip on yourself.

it's easy to bring the OS in to the fold, and argue about that.

but the fact is price of non-apple laptop + price of osx != price of apple laptop.

don't even get me started on why i can't buy a laptop without OSX installed, especially if people want to argue OSX adds $500 on to the price!

What trap? I believe that it is people switch from PC's to Mac's, not Mac's to PC's!

It is incredibly funny to see such a GREAT knee jerk reaction from the Mac Users about this ad.

"It's so inaccurate! The computers he's getting isn't what the advertisement claims it to be!!!"

Oh yeah definitely, I agree. Just like those commercials where the PC always crashes, gets viruses, also can only run spreadsheets and office software. Also Macs NEVER CRASH, and NEVER EVER HAVE ANY HARDWARE PROBLEMS! They're like magical creatures that produce rainbows. I know, because the TV ad told me! Unlike THIS EVIL PROPAGANDA HERE FROM THE COMPETING COMPANY!!!

A great taste of your own medicine.

I have had both Macs and PCs in years past…. for the money… I prefer a PC… Macs are good systems but so are PCs if you educate yourself a little… The coolness cost associated with the Macs are just not neccessary for me…. I am perfectly happy with my HP system running Windows vista… and I save hunderds doing such…

Despite the fact that I am an avid Mac user, I personally find this campaign to be pretty effective. You have to realize that regardless of whether Microsoft considers its monopoly threatened by Macs, Apple has certainly attacked viciously with the "I'm a Mac" style commercials that make pc's out to be sluggish and outdated. Making the Mac commercials attack of pc's transfer over to attack the "average American" (case in point with the little girl creating a photo of her fort) because they "are pc's" is a well-designed advertising campaign from a marketing standpoint. It's just smart marketing. Of course they're not going to mention the OS because people have been slamming Vista forever. That would be what we call "bad marketing strategy". I hate to sound like a broken record, but for real, this isn't about objective and complete comparisons where Microsoft screams their failures and weaknesses to the world. They would be idiotic to pay millions to do so. It's about a marketing war, and they have a good strategy.

Why do we apple users get so wound up about any attack on Apple. Who cares if most of the world uses PCs. That's part of what makes Macs so cool.

Apple makes great products – no one can doubt that. But not everyone wants to spend > $1000 on a computer. If someone wants to buy a PC then let them – it's no skin off our backs. It doesn't make any different to our cyber world and I'm sure a Pc will let them do everything they want to do.

I personally would never consider buying a PC but thats simply a matter of personal preference. When I talk to my friends about Mac's they really couldn't give a flying feck that their computer is not carved out of a single piece of aluminum. They have no emotional investment in their computers and really can't understand why any one would.

I'm happy with my choice and I truly believe the Mac platform is superior in every way – particularly in terms of os. But that's just my opinion. However, most people really don't care and we really shouldn't care that they don't care.

Treat any attack on apple with a pinch of salt – most of them are on the wind up and really don't care. You are Mac users – not Mac salesmen. Apple pays people to do that.

I bought a Mac because I could have a PC and a Mac if I bought a Mac. I run Windows XP on my bootcamp partition with the software that is not compatible with Mac, but 99% of the time I just use the Mac OS for what I need to do. So, buy a Mac and get the best of both worlds.

The only people who claim to like Windows are the people shorting AAPL. I mean, why else??? "Windows – we're cheaper." WTF??!! It works for KIA, but that's actually not a bad car. Do you think I have never used a PC. Give me a break.

Is Apple a threat to MS? Why are they wasting money on this if they are not worried? I thought Apple had only 2% and were going out of business soon. Oh and also there is no software for Macs. What else do I have to know so I won't buy a Mac? And why again is MS so worried? Must be worried to run an add like this…

I see the usual Windows user issues in these comments. One is that they are insecure in their choice. As they should be. Two is that they know nothing about Macs. Certainly not the pricing other than retail. Finally they are only left with calling people who buy Macs "fanboys". Sad and pathetic.

Windows really should be a focus. A friend spent half a saturday trying to rid her computer of a virus. I spent that same half day updating my website. She's got a PC, I have a Mac. It's not just the fan boys that are seeing the difference in productivity between PCs and Macs.

Sure most consumers only look at the opening salvo of costs when buying a computer. But the smarter ones weigh in support and downtime costs. When you do that Macs and PCs are really competitive.

I should know I support both in my field.

If you want to keep your IT department taxed or your wallet bleeding, by all means buy a PC — I'm laughing all the way to the bank.

What I've never understood is why if the Mac box and O/S are so good why don't they port both to where you could by a Mac box with Windows or put their O/S on an HP? A Cadillac isn't really any better or nicer than a Crown Victoria loaded out, its just twice the price and a lot of marketing. Same with Mac.

Macs are toys. They are not used in the business world because they are not worth the money. Microsoft operating systems and business applications are clearly superior to anything Apple has ever put out there. Microsoft delivers compatibility at a low cost. Go Microsoft.

These commercials are awesome, and it's so easy to see why they enrage the AAPL fanboys: because they're true. Most people don't care about the "elegant design" BS, which is why AAPL's market share has been in the 10% range for years. The dirty Mac secret (especially now when Macs are running PC hardware) is that you can get a better-spec'd PC laptop for way less than a Mac. Apparently pointing that out is wrong.

And it's laughable to call these ads mean-spirited. The "Mac vs. PC" ads are some of the most hyperbolic, cynical, mean-spirited ads ever. News flash: it's never a good idea to stereotype a large % of potential customers. The Microsoft "I'm a PC" ads are very effective and much more uplifting in comparison.

Welcome to the post-Jobs era fanboys.

Wrong. These Microsoft ads are giving Apple more attention. Apple's biggest challenge in the past has been that typical consumers did not even consider a Mac as a viable choice. It was as if Macs did not exist. These days, since the Intel transition and the growing popularity of iPhones and iPods, more consumers are at least considering Macs and Apple is doing very well.

Now, in these ads, seemingly normal "shoppers" are actively considering a Mac as a possible choice. They do not choose a Mac because it is too high quality or too stylish or "too cool." Whatever… What's does the target audience viewer think? Most would think, "I like high quality and stylist stuff, and I'm certainly cool enough to be a Mac users. Maybe they are too expensive, but I should at least go to that 'Mac Store' and take a look."

So all of these typical consumers who see this ad, many of whom would still not have put a Mac on their shopping radar, are going to now consider a Mac because Lauren and Giampaolo did. That's all Apple wants and needs to gain that next 10% of market share… CONSIDERATION, because once they walk into an Apple Store to take a look, a high percentage will buy a Mac.

All of these so-called "ugly attacks from Mac fanboys" are irrelevant to the target market (price-conscious non-techy shoppers) because they won't read any of it. The people who read such articles are already Apple converts nodding their collective heads in agreement. Or they are terminal Apple-haters who will never buy a Mac.

Uninformed comments by Microsoft's Giampaolo makes us Italians look badly, just like the illegal Cosa Nostra made us look. Shame on him. Shame on the Cosa Nostra.

Wow everyone is missing the point of this add. Even though it is a MS add, it not about windows at all, its about choice, he's looking at the hardware thats all. Have you ever watched people buy computers? if they want to use OSX they've already made up their mind there really is nothing to decide you buy what you can afford and you get what Apple sells you. If you want more choice you buy a generic PC and run what you want. Most PC users run Windows not because they like it, but because it came on the computer they bought and runs the software they have, or can buy. Real savvy pc users either tweak windows to fit their needs, and deal with its short falls, or they install Linux, they get a choice. No one, and I mean no one has ever bought a PC because they wanted to use Vista, and if Apple was still making those small colorful Etoys apple users would still buy them because they want OSX regardless of the hardware.

I love how the iCult can dish it out but can't take it.

I love how they want to focus on the stats of the PC and try to justify their cost by stating things like the memory architecture is better. DDR3 does NOT give C2D, C2Q or Phenom II any substantial performance gains. Especially when looking at the Price/Performance ratio.

Also the iCult is missing the point of the commercial. They're not comparing stats. They're comparing price and only price based on what the consumer sees as a good value.

AppleInsider even states that you can upgrade the PC on the HP website and it'll cost less then Mac, talk about shooting yourself in the foot.

For $1800 I could get that HDX16t with the 1920×1200 resolution, 64-bit OS, Blu-Ray player, Fingerprint scanner, 2.53GHz processor, and 6GB of RAM. That's still cheaper then the 15 inch Macbook Pro with 4GB RAM and the HP has a faster processor and more RAM.

Oh and love the comment about having to spend hours installing and scanning software for malware/viruses. 10 minutes to install 4 programs is not "hours". Plus it's all FREE. And the comment about Conficker is laughable. MS issued a patch in October 2008 for Conficker. That was even before Conficker reared it's ugly head. So if you're infected now that's your fault. Security through obscurity is NOT security.

The bottom line is the commercial is still telling the truth when it comes down to cost.

i thought the mac adverts were pretty weak in the first place – and i am an avid mac user. the microsoft had to respond, and i think this is pretty brilliant. technically no pc can touch a mac, but 99 percent of the computer buying public doesn't care about that as much as they do about cost – which is why that is the central theme of these adverts – pc really has no edge other than price – but as they always told me "you get what you pay for".

Um, EVERYONE already knows that Macs cost more than the equivalent PC. Does Microsoft think consumers are idiots? Oh, wait…of course they do.

Let MS spend millions on these ads pointing out the obvious. While smart consumers will continue to put the pain of Windows behind them by investing some extra $$$ to get a quality computing experience with Apple.

Microsoft reeks of desperation these days.

"not everyone wants a machine thats been washed with unicorn tears" Thats freaking awesome.

Good marketing.

I do own a mac, but I hate the majority of mac users too, so this makes me laugh.

The truth is there is value, albeit different value, in each platform, and vista really doesn't suck quite as bad as most want to make it out to be. Mac's ARE usually better made, more stable, etc… BUT not everyone wants, or even has the means to, spend a ton of money on a computer.

So I think this is really good marketing.

I get a laugh out of the Windoze fanbois – they deride Apple as only having 10% of the market (actually some lie and say only 2%), that Macs are no good in IT, blah, blah, blah.

If Microsoft is so great, and has such a huge monopoly, why are you Windoze fanbois paying any attention to Apple?

Your comments show, just like Steve Bullmer, that you really are afraid of Apple. The ads are simply legitimizing Macs. Your putdowns show you are running scared. I would be too if I was in the WIndoze camp, with Steve Bullmer at the reins pushing out Walmart Vista and copy cat Zunes.

Microsoft is bankrupt in the creativity department and don't know what to do. Instead of coming out with new great products, they have resorted to criticizing Apple – which does come out with ground-breaking products. Microsoft and General Motors should merge. They have the same corporate mentality.

I could care less how Apple does compared to Microsoft. I'm happy using my macbook and I know it is leaps and bounds ahead of any windows based notebook. So what if the "general public" still goes straight for HP and Dell and Gateway or whatever it is they want to buy? These debates are for the marketing big wigs and the people who actually care about these gigantic corporations' inflated bottom lines. As long as Apple keeps improving its products year in and year out, I'll be happy.

The terms of the ad's 'deal' notwithstanding, Giampaolo and Lauren both appear as if being paid to use the product. It must be pretty good!

In the last year, I know two professional users and three home users who've switched to the Mac and none have any complaints, or have expressed buyer's remorse. Giampaolo says he's "picky", and out for portability and battery life–but his savings got him a machine that's 2 1/2 lbs heavier with slower RAM and half the battery life of the MacBook he fingers briefly in the ad.

Since he's self-declared picky and likely to feel hemmed-in by MSFT's home version OS he got for the money, he'll want to upgrade to a 'pro' level Windows and spend most, if not all, of that fistful of cash that appears from behind the lens. Of course if he's REALLY picky, he'll be stripping the box to run Ubuntu. Poor Giampaolo.

Zato – Two things about your comment. I know for a fact that Webster was not lying when he said that provoking Mac fanboys was part of their objective. It's a total no-brainer. How would Mac fanboys NOT be provoked by anything like this? Just think about it for a second. Two, you're probably not the target for these ads. The target for these ads are the 90+ percent of people who are more likely to purchase a PC than a Mac that might include a few on the fence. Although they don't mention Windows, the ads all show the Windows logo prominently – it's a Windows brand ad plain and simple. It just so happens that Microsoft's busienss model involves a very large partner communityof PC and peripheral makers plus a huge number of ISV's. They don't need to shout Windows from the rooftops. Everybody knows about Windows.

1) Ballmer keeps saying Apple has no market-share and is not a threat to M.S, if that's true then why these attack ads? M.S has to be making these ads because they think Apple is gaining otherwise why spend millions of dollars?

2) Why DON'T the MENTION VISTA? It's a M.S ad yet they don't mention the advantages of Vista over OsX. The ONLY answer to that is that they know Vista sucks and they don't want a comparison war.

What has jobs and his fanboies spooked is this is the first time Gates has tried the same marketing approach as that used by Jobs, which is portray buying a PC as something for the rest of us, effectively corralling Mac fans as hopeless cult members sure to lauch into techno jargon in defense of thier high priced toys.

Positioning 101: #1 never acknowledges #2. Microsoft has brought the Mac into the discussion for the first time. It's a major blunder. Apple's crack advertising people will no doubt capitalize on it. A new category defining netbook would probably do it.

"In Technologizer, Harry McCracken points out that Microsoft has cleverly left itself out of the ads. “They never mention Windows or argue that the presence of Windows on a computer is a selling point,”"

I disagree. Nothing "clever" ever comes out of Microsoft. Microsoft didn't have a choice, their software products are so flawed that they HAVE to advertise their products indirectly through cheap hardware. As previously mentioned in these comments, what's missing in these ads is far more telling than what is shown or said. This current ad campaign is just another example of the pathetic state of affairs at MS. Clever? NO! Banal? YES!

The real surprise is that anybody cares about this ad.

Have you ever gone to a apple store and talked to a so called GENIUS at the GENIUS bar? They talk down to you and make you feel like shit. They think they are GENIUS's but they are just GENIARSES. The iphone is a great phone but the battery life sucks, ATT service drops calls. Did you know that Apple discontinued the iphone bluetooth headset as it continued to have quality problems, static all the time. The products are definitely over priced.

I like Apple. Just to proprietary and just simply over priced. I've evolved to Ubuntu. Irun dual boot ….XP and Ubuntu. I find myself booting Ubuntu mostly. Ubuntu just feels safe, easy and just "rocks" for me. Never have problems with Ubuntu linux. I'n not trying to convince everyone that Linux is better but for many of us ….. a preference.

A word on viruses: The score is something like 100K MSFT viruses vs. maybe 1 AAPL virus.

I don't understand how an expert can recommend MSFT for HOME use; that's just wrong if not unethical. I have friends who have suffered complete data losses more than once using MSFT OSes.

Yes, it's because Apple owns a small share of the OS market. But that's why viruses don't proliferate in the smartphone sector also: Too many OSes to make it interesting. I don't hear anyone arguing a monopoly in that market sector as a good idea.

In fact, Apple is the correct size; it's Microsoft position that needs critical attention.

Think of it as potatoes: The Incas grew hundreds of varieties for maybe 10K years, while the Irish grew maybe 1 potato variety and disease wiped it out within a couple hundred years. And because the Irish were not allowed to grow much else, famine ensued.

Many varieties of potatoes or one to rule them all? And ruin them all?

Funny how much response this campaign has generated. The mac ads have been out for years, trashing PCs by comparing them to chubby balding white guys, while the macs are mr. cool-guy, making fun of mr. uncool PC. My two cents, one fraction of Apple users is people that like a simple interface and who see value in not spending any time learning some details about running a PC (they probably also have never changed the oil in their cars themselves). The other, sensitive fraction, that is responding vigorously to these ads, is the fraction that buys macs so they can be mr. cool-guy. They want to be special and different. Like your average teenager, for example. Arguing with these sensitive little people is like arguing with a teenager, and is about as productive. Okay, you're real cool. Boy I wish I could be like you. Go buy your cool mac and some cool clothes and go sit at a cafe and be smug in your self-satisfied coolness. Good for you. You're very special.

I had to use a mac when I worked at Motorola, and let me tell you how happy I am that my current employer runs PCs.

Bleating wool production units, OS was never mentioned as Giampaolo was taking his machine home to install LINUX! Wanting THE ABSOLUTE VERY BEST in CHOICE, PERFORMANCE, AND VALUE, G (like LT before him, is savy enough to read AND write, to thus out class both Gates and Jobs, really throwing that hammer into their corporate dystopian silos). G's desire here was to focus on getting real work done, not hash out a meaningless discussion before the camera (this course should allow G to carve out more analysis time for distro and driver evals).

As an information technology professional task with supporting windows and mac laptops and desktops, I'd say both platforms provide the ability to run the most commonly needed applications, such as Office and Photoshop, but the difference is the malware and virus issue. All pcs have performance and complexity penalty because of anti-virus software and anti-malware software. Mac OS has no such penalty and little security risk. I rebuild and repair machines invaded with malware day after day, but never Macs. This is why bestbuy wants you to buy a windows computer, in my opinion. It is a significant future revenue stream for them.

Well, nothing says an ad with a paid actor has to be honest or truthful. So he got lower battery life, lower graphics performance, lower CPU performance, lower screen brightness & color. Nothing that he said he wanted did he get.

BUT he did get a Cheap, Low Quality PC running Windows AND as a bonus, 50,000 viruses. WOW! What an Ad!

Unicorn tears: I do like that. And it's got traction.

I do wonder about MSFT's efforts to sell PCs at the cheaper end of the pricing spectrum.

* Doesn't it earn less revenue? Can it charge the same license fee on a netbook as it does on a $3K laptop?

* Doesn't a cheaper PC increase support issues?

I would think that MSFT would want its OS on the best possible machine and the more machine the better. No?

A bottom feeding business plan is never a good idea, imho. Ask Dell.

I have three adult children who use Apples. They tried and tried to convince me to buy one during my last shopping trek for a new computer. I visited the Apple store in Brandon, FL and the one in downtown Tampa. Never once did a salesperson help me even when I signed up for assistance. The person who was most helpful was a saleswoman at Best Buy. After four different visits to Apple stores and three to Best Buy, comparing Apples and HP's, I bought an HP notebook. It has functioned flawlessly. The reason I went with an HP: the saleswoman at Best Buy told me that they have more Apples returned (4 to 1) over non-Apples due to malfunctions in the Apple operating system. I don't have any dog in this fight so to speak. However, everyone of my "adult children" talk about how slow their Apples are. One of my sons recently threw his IPhone away after continual dropped calls and went back to Verizon. It's a harsh world out there.

The powers that be at Apple miss one important point about the majority of users. We don't need an expensive laptop/netbook for most mobile uses, just something lower cost and effective. With the extra money I would spend on the Mac, I could set the funds aside and buy another machine in a couple of years when both the current mac or PC is obsolete. I could also replace the laptop if it were lost or stolen. The Mac crowd doesn't understand cost effective mobile computing for the masses.

How about a wino named Wesly that needs a laptop to replace cardboard signs while he stands by the freeway offramp? He needs to buy a computer for under $300 (three month's worth of 2 buck chuck). The point is, a lot of Mac users started off as Windows users, and only switched cause they got tired of replacing their computers every year or two due to viruses, crashes, mysterious problems that cannot be solved. I made the switch last year after at least 5 PC's that are now scrap. The Macbook is much more reliable.

You Mac fans are freaks of nature. I've been in this industry for almost 25 years and in the business world Mac never has and probably never will hold a candle to PCs and server environments. Microsoft, and even Linux, prove that point year after year with 90%+ market share. In the enterprise environment game over, Apple loses every time. That's unless you are a "cool hip graphics company".

On the small business and personal side I play with PCs and only slightly with Macs. All this talk about how "PCs don't last, they break, they constantly need upgrading". What a BUNCH OF CRAP! I'll take my Dell deals of $600 fully packed desktops with 22" monitors to Apples comparison product for well of $2000 any day.

The commercial is dead on accurate. You have to be "hip" (and stupid) to think the Mac is the end all be all. It's touched A BIG NERVE in the Apple cult world.

Yeah the PCs are cheaper, but the head-ache factor with PCs is extremely high.

I wish I bought a mac instead of my Dell m1330. Yeah its nice, but Vista just bogs everything down. Forces you to call up tech support and search forums on the internet to get it to do what its supposed to.

3+ years on my current mac…many more to go – still boots in less than 20 seconds and rips through video rendering. Also running Ubuntu and Vista boxes. Ubuntu mostly rocks. Vista is a bag of sh!te that requires way more maintenance than should ever be necessary to keep a computer running efficiently. I don't know why people are so prone to advertising on both the mac and pc sides. most pc folks who bash macs have never spent more than a few hours with one. My brother spat on macs for years but the last time he sat down with mine he was baffled by the simplicity and grace. Honestly though, I could care less if the rest of the PC world ever sees the light. I'm perfectly happy in my own carefree Ubuntu/Mac life.

I'll consider a PC when Porsche provides Zune port.

When its all said and done, Apple will do a new commercial that will neutralize everything.

I believe that the ads benefit Apple much more than it could possible hurt.

At the heart of all of this is that any Microsoft OS available in the next two year timeframe will be marginalized by Snow Leopard. Their advertising is selling hardware skipping the software situation all together like the OS has no meaning at all in the decision making process. I'm sure that HP appreciates the plug while they are secretly working on a operating system of their own to replace MSFT. What goes around comes around……

Texas state Senate bans Vista from use in government agencies

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9130992&intsrc=news_ts_head

nuff said :0

How would you respond to the Microsoft ads?

Microsoft is positioning itself as "cheap" against "cool".

If I were Apple, I would respond: "Yes, we are cool. If you want cheap, look for Linux".

That would put Microsoft in the corner: if it continued to push the "cheap" card, would remind that there is a cheaper option. The only solution, for Microsoft, would be silence.

Looks like the ISHEEP are out in force. Apple has been running the I am a Mac ad for years and yet I have never seen PC users come out in force and flood all the comment boards. The problem with apple users is that they take it personal every time someone attacks a mac. Its almost like they have to justify to the world that they did the right thing by buying a mac and that they did not get ripped off. Jeez relax guys! Its just an advertisement. I you like your mac, then so much more power to you. Personally, I dual boot windows xp and Ubuntu and I dont give a **** if some one trash talks windows or Ubuntu or my mediocre Toshiba laptop.

I love MACS, but they have to stop demonizing PC users dressed like Bill Gates the same as on their "I love MACS commercials".

Last time I check there's a lot of people like these including me who are IT decision makers on their respective companies (not necessarily geeks but "tech-savvy" users who blogs, twits, and designs websites after work). I can't count anymore how many long debates I've fought to defend my switch from pc to macs.

…fans are so arrogent…

I am typing this on a $600 Acer running Vista…

To bad your cheap computer doesn't come with a spell check feature.

"Webster says, according to Lyons, that “the ugly attacks from Mac fanboys are exactly what Microsoft was hoping to provoke.”

After-the-fact 2 digit lying BS. And Lyons is a Microsoft shill. What ugly attacks? There is nothing ugly about your quoted examples. The ads suck and are more of a negative for Microsoft than positive.

I sit now with two notebooks on my desk, a macbook pro that is from work (yes, i work at a school– which seem to be stuck in mac land) and the computer i purchased right before I got that job: a Lenovo t61 thinkpad.

they both have very similar specs, and the thinkpad, with the optional 8 cell battery has a 7 hour battery life! ticket price? thinkpad was $800 (from lenovo site, with 25% discount they had at the time – with the battery) How much is a similar spec macbook pro from the mac website? $2000

is the macbook $1200 better than the thinkpad? actually, I rate them about equal. so ill use that extra $1200 for a trip to china where both macbooks, thinkpads, hp, dell– and every other "hardware maker"'s laptops are coming off the assembly lines.

now i know this has little to do with microsoft as both of my computers are running unix variants. but the point is simple: macs cost a lot. do some shopping around and you might end up with something that fits your needs and costs a lot less.

Tons of people shop at Wal-Mart, others shop at Saks, neither is wrong or stupid.

The market place will decide who has the wrong or wrongly priced product. For years I bought cars based on a competively priced basis and found I had to dump the cars after 3 years due to poor quality and workmanship. I then made the plunge and purchased a Lexus, and then after 5 years, bought another Lexus, and still have both, and still have yet to have any mechanical problem whatsoever. I've had the same result with Apple products. If I'm paying a branding tax, then I'll gladly pay it for a quality product. I believe Apple's balance sheet proves they are doing something right.

I used a bonus a two years ago to buy my wife a MacBookPro (15") for use at home and for work. She experience the typical issues because her work uses Windows but was up and running with little problems. This year work bought her a Dell that she only uses for one specific program. Her comments about the two machines say it all: the Dell is cheap, feels cheap, and doesn't have the same ease of use or out of the box usability. Essentially, one gets what one pays for, which really does point to hardware quality and OS capability. Some people won't care, others will, and those that do care will by a Mac.

The Apple community should just accept Microsoft is preaching to the choir and move on.

I love how "SOME" Apple fans are so arrogent to state that any choise of a computer other than Apple is the wrong choice for that person. This is really funny when you relize that 91% of all computers out there are running windows and most of them are more than happy with their systems.

I am typing this on a $600 Acer running Vista, and I have no problems with it. I use it to surf the web, I use it to chat online, I use it to stream video to my xbox. Why should I have spent more on a mac, when I got what i needed for $600 and am more than happy with it?

So this guy (and the red-haired airhead who replaces him, and is a very bad script-reader) can't afford a good computer, so they go out and get a piece of crap that will crash in the middle of writing a critical document, destroying 3 or 4 hours of work. Yeah, good plan.

One telling item of the general lax quality of MS is that the recent 'Ghost net' discovery by the Munk Centre in Canada and porosity of this MS os.

Read:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090329.wcomputerspy0329/BNStory/Technology/home

Also notice that one of the researchers is pictured with a mac laptop. Priceless.

People spend more time debating which computer tool to use than debating how to use their own brain.

Einstein and other geniuses from the past accomplished more without a computer than we ever will, whether we use a Mac, PC, or Linux system.

We have some serious issues going on with our planet right now, which require the collective efforts of all computer users of the world.

What good is this debate about computer tools if we don't also talk about the rest of the process of implementing ideas. The process should include inputs, tools/techniques, and outputs, with the purpose of implementing goals and objectives. We should also talk about how inter-related processes and human behavior can be modified to reduce obstacles and constraints to solving our global issues.

Inter-related process are a collection of activities. Activities and tools are co-dependent of each other.

You can not solve a tool problem without also improving techniques, inputs and outputs, and the way we think.

Wow,

They bought from worse manufactur and retail outlet. Sure hope they don't have problems.

I find these ad amusing as they focus only on price. In fact, Mac are cheaper long term then PCs; the average replacement time for a PC is about 2 years, and about 4 years for a Mac – halving the total cost of ownership.

And this is not counting all the additional software you need on a PC to make it "secure", the higher cost of OS version, the loss in productivity due to crashes etc.

No Jon, you don't. Sometimes you get taken. After two years of cursing at it, my Apple laptop was finally junked and I bought a Toshiba that cost half as much as replacing the Apple, ran more software, had a much better wireless system, was built better, and had components that could be replaced easily and cheaply.

When I don't want to run windows, I can use the same hardware and run any form of Linux and still have more access to hardware, software, and a solidly built operating system, again, for much less money.

My first desktop was an Apple IIe. In many ways that will always be my favorite laptop. My last Apple was my last notebook. And by "last Apple", I mean it. That thing was such a waste of money that I never want to walk that road again.

Enjoy your Apple. I've owned Windows, Linux, and Apple systems and of the three, the one I have no intention of owning again is Apple.

News flash, just because Microsoft wants Apple fans to have a vitriolic response does not mean it works to their advantage. Also, the Microsoft exec comparing what the fans say to that of Apple corporate is unfair and strange, I have seen plenty of uber nerds who are 'mean' to Mac customers, I am pretty sure no one uses these things as fuel to buy or not buy a computer!

How about a bug and rodent exterminator with gas mask in the back of a broken down GM pick up truck (with roll bar) goes shopping for a computer?

Yes, this Italian, odd-sounding goofball looks more like he'd be spending his $1,500 on Valtrex, rather than Vista.

A perky, green-scarfed, red-headed, supposed-to-be-trendy pixie appears in the next ad, foaming with slapworthy San Franciscan Volksveganism.

Who takes advice from a paid-off Starbucks poser?

Microsoft, as usual is a follower. They are the IBM of 1982, a big, heavy whale of a company who for a long time have been unable to get out of their own way.

Apple puts the best combination of hardware and software value into the marketplace today. The fact they don't produce a $400 craptop says more about the competition than Apple; the HP's and Dells of the world need to do this (but they make little profit doing so).

The numbers speak for themselves. I'm sure Apple's marketing department is getting a good chuckle at the attempt.

I guess these guys haven't heard of System76… It's an awesome company here in the US that makes laptops preloaded with Linux, and you can get a NICE fully loaded laptop for around $1000 with all the bells and whistles this guy is looking for (2.4Ghs dual core processor, 4Gigs ram, 250 Gig HD, webcam, etc). No I don't work for System76, but I'm about to buy a laptop from them soon, and with any huge purchase I did TONS of homework. Oh, and I'm replacing an iBook with it, not that I don't like Apple — I'd LOVE to get a macbook myself, but price is a factor for me. Take care. Sam Alex

I'm just lovin'it. All the Apple fanbois are actually proving the point of this ad. Don't you guys understand that you're being exposed for the douchebags you really are? These ads are the truth. You buy the same type of computer for a much lower price.

A better question than "Why do Apple fans defend or argue against such commercial advertising claims?" is "Why does every new MS ad get 1000 'articles' written about it wondering aloud how many Apple fans will be enraged?

I would never have seen, nor watched this (or the Lauren) ad, had it not been for the media's 'unflinching reporting' about the twists and turns of MS's advertising braintrust…

…Gosh, will MS wrest control of the computer market back from juggernaut that is Apple? (Sarcasm)

MS must be really losing sleep(much more so than I would have thought) if they are this paranoid about Apple — who really are the only 'other' in these ads.

The Mac people have never been able to see that when they attack PC users that they attack potential customers. I will probably never use a Mac product largely because of Mac advertising.

The idea that MS doesn't KNOW that it's advertising HP is silly. Just is the idea that Apple isn't perfectly well aware that it's insulting most computer users. They figure that will still attract enough people who want to consider themselves snarky elites to make it worthwhile.

*shrug* I use hardware for a purpose and not to look fancy so I use what I want and that DOES include expecting to be able to choose my OWN hardware which Apple does not allow. Thanks, but no thanks.

Macs are expensive, and there's not much to do about it. Windows is getting consistently worse (in terms of production releases, remember when Vista was going to be great?). So, IMHO, Linux, esp. Ubuntu, is the OS of the future, it's even cheaper (free) than windows, and anyone who has honestly used it knows that it's better. The only hurtle to deal with is application compatibility, partly done by WINE, except for a few games and .NET.

It's interesting that the comments to articles such as this immediately turn to computer comparisons, thereby playing directly into the hands of Microsoft.

I'm a very satisfied Mac user, but I easily can admit that these are very good commercials that are likely to have some effect on market perceptions. In addition to avoiding discussion of the operating system itself (which presumably plays in Apple's favor), these commercials personalize the PC character, which Apple's commercials had used to refer to the machine itself, not its users.

In a way, these commercials also are the recession-driven response to Apple's earlier "Think different" commercials, which subtly urged customers to dream big and to make what was then a non-mainstream choice with their computer purchase. If the message of those commercials was "dare to get what you really want," it's probably safe to say that the message of Microsoft's new commercials is "times are pretty bad and you can make do with a proxy for what you really want." It's a cynical message, but one that will resonate with a lot of people right now.

They can continue to market for hardware companies all they want, I would avoid marketing Windows if I were them too. But the problem they have is not Windows or HP, it's the iPod and the iPhone. People in mass are experiencing the quality of an Apple product and that speaks more to them then some ridiculous mac vs pc commercials. MSs problem is being late to every party since the early 90s. They don't take any chances, if they would focus the money they spend on marketing on new products they might ACTUALLY be cool instead of trying to convince people they are.

Ya know, these are really good ads, meant to get under Apple owner's and fanboy's collective skin, but M$ is aiming at a moving target and the wrong target to boot:

The future of Apple Computing is in the iPhone.

The commenters above have fallen into the trap that this article is trying to highlight!

By 'choosing' this chap to select a PC that doesn't really fit his requirements, they are putting him in the firing line from the pithy Mac fanboys. The resulting predictably spriteful comments then strengthen the divide between the two camps, which result in putting off potential PC to Mac converts. Very cunning Microsoft.

FYI My current laptop is a Mac simply because it was the best spec for the price at the time. It runs windows as well as OSX. It was an simple choice.

MacBoiFanRant:

I don't watch to much TV. Guess the PC fan base does cuz they are always "rebooting"

Anyway. competition is great. Although when my State of Michigan is looking for xx thousands of dollars to "upgrade" from MSoffice 2002 -> 2006 ( or 2007? ) – i wonder why they don't look at open source ( Open Office )

I cut my teeth on PC's – bought my first mac 2 years ago, and haven't looked back – though I use one @ work ( because it company "standard" ) – all in all, they both accomplish whatever i need them to do. I have Vmware Fusion on the Mac, running MS XP, and bought a full copy of VISTA to run under bootcamp. But I rarely if ever use it.

No fight, use what works.

Did it ever occur to MS that they are really advertising for HP, and the message that I get from that is that THEIR (MSs) product sucks so badly that they have to sell it through someone else's product. Because in the end when someone wants to buy a car what is the decision process that makes them end up with a Mercedes or a Chevy. They are both just transportation yes??

Yeah. The strategy will work for a couple of months.

Energy. 'Real' people. The 'hook' quote. Pushing HP (probably paid for by HP)…

It all works in a short term sort of way, but the ad won't work for long because there are too many youngsters getting Macs (35% or so of college freshman) and these guys are telling their friends and relatives what owning a Mac is really like.

So, oddly, the Apple ads which are just as snarky, will work a long time because the actual great experience is on the Mac's side. (See Powers' and Consumer Reports' customer satisfaction ratings.)

And, if you include the added PC costs like MS ofc, anti-virus sw, wasted downtime due to sw problems and maintenance, you'll find the 'low cost' solution is actually the Mac. This insight will be very disturbing to a buyer when they buy due to some snarky, but entertaining ad.

I've used PC's for about 15 years now. Since these ads started, I've begun to take a closer look at the MacBook and I'm going to buy my first one soon. I see a definite advantage. Microsoft should think about that before they draw alot of negative attention! I'm tired of my old, crashing Windows Vista machine and I've found a good replacement.

Andrew: MSFT didn't choose the machine, Giampaolo did… That's the point.

Jon: My Toshiba has never needed a motherboard replacement. Actually, I've never had such a drastic repair need in my 20 years as a PC user. I don't want to need the Apple store.

spaceage: You should read this article again because your comment embodies the same problem the author points out. We average PC users HATE the "holier than thou" attitude that too many mac fanboys (and commercials) have. Some of you can't just have an honest discussion, instead you seem to have a need to tear down PC users with personal attacks. It's really sad and a real marketing turnoff when Apple creates ads containing highly fallacious arguments.

I believe Apple would have more success winning over people from the PC market by simply focusing on what they do well rather than attempting to demonize PCs. This is what they have done with the iPhone market. No need to attack others, just show off what they do well. It worked for me. I love my iPhone.

(And yes, I've tried macs and have never had so many problems crashing a machine – but that's just my experience)

computer seems to outdate really fast ,a cheap computer will do the job for few years.2 pc for the price of 1 apple …no comment…

If pointing out obviously false or idiotic issues with a poor ad by bloggers (not Apple) is 'falling into Microsoft's trap', then that's a pretty crappy trap. I wouldn't give Microsoft credit for being that tricky. I think that consumers are smart enough to wonder why Microsoft is making HP ads and not mentioning their own product at all. How much would that guy have saved on the same laptop if it came with (free) Ubuntu Linux rather than Windows?

This advertising dribble is similar to debating which religion is better.

Who cares what computer brand you use, as long as you practice what you preach; use your computer to help your brain contribute to the world, while enjoying your time on this planet.

How about 3 guy in old landscaping truck go shopping for a computer?

Jon – I am sure your motherboard had to be replaced because of a flaw in the video chip. Black screen of death. It is widespread and Apple should have a recall – 3 of my MacBooks went down and they LOST one!! (which they replaced with a new one) No refund for the headaches though. I am a lifetime Apple fan wondering if Apple 2.0 = MSFT 1.0

It's really refreshing to see Microsoft returning to the strategies that made them so successful to begin with: exploiting consumers' general lack of computer knowledge to propagate Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt.

By your logic the so-called "Mac Press" could never comment on any Microsoft ad without "falling into Microsoft’s trap."

It's completely appropriate for technology writers to comment on ads for a company that sits on top of about 90% of the personal computer market. And so what would you suggest? They gush about cool jump cuts and music?

No, tech writers, Mac-oriented or not, are going to write about how effective the ads are and if they are logical or not and that's they are doing!

And c'mon, after the Seinfeld and "I'm a PC" ads you think MS is weaving an incredibly clever web of deceit and misdirection? Ballmer (let's buy Yahoo) & Co?

Using the principle of Occam's Razor, that the simplest explanation is the most likely one, I think it's more likely that these are just as goofy and flawed as they seem to be and you're looking for a different story "hook" on which to hang some hits.

Nice to see some of the commenters above proving the point that Philip is making.

This is the ugliest ad by Microsoft I have seen, not to mention tones of previous once just as ugly. I use PCs at work, but Mac at home. I cannot tell you how much I despise PCs!!! ALL PCs look ugly, are prone to software failures, unintuitive, and more expensive then Macs(this is where ugly PCs make money!)… If you don't know this by know, you'll never know…

THis is hilarious. You're making the point you arrogant pricks!

How about a an illegal alien with lawnmowers in the back of a pick up truck goes shopping for a computer?

oh okay microsoft , your cunning chess move has me at check mate. I will sell my mac and buy a pc . Oh wait, nobody will ever do this! They are loosing because the apple customer is winning.

In an attempt to no insult non-Mac users, take these experiences from me. I have two degrees in electronic and computer engineering and have worked with/on PCs since the time I was 11 years old (I'm 29 now). Two years ago I decided to try out what my creative friends kept wanting me to try; I bought a MacBook Pro. I was so pleased with it, and my wife was so jealous, that we bought a second (identical) Macbook Pro for her. As I type this at the kitchen table, I'm sitting beside my wife and her MBP. We wouldn't go back.

Now, because I'm so used to having a computer that "just works", I am annoyed when family & friends call on me to fix their Microsoft PCs. They pay me a couple hundred bucks each time, and I have to work on the computers at least once or twice a year. If only I could convince them to buy a machine that just works…

You've got to admire Microsoft for turning the table, advertising-wise, on Apple. I say let them battle it out, especially being that the ad is focusing on a budget. Hopefully, it will force Apple to lower its prices on our beloved Macs and if so, we, the consumers, will be the winners.

They should stress the price difference a bit more, and I fully agree that they should have used a Dell instead of a HP. Last Summer I got myself a new Dell laptop and my girlfriend got a Mac. She paid well over $2k for hers, I paid a little under $1,200 for mine. The specs are almost identical as far as processor, RAM, HD size, and video card. Her Mac is a good computer no doubt, but I've yet to see anything that makes it worth nearly twice the price of mine. In fact, mine includes a good number of features that the Mac does not:

SD memory card reader.

LCD screen that will outlast the Mac's by at least 5x.

HDMI port.

Fingerprint login scanner.

Mini-remote control.

Granted the fingerprint scanner and mini-remote are mostly just novalties, but the fact is it has the bells and whistles that Apple apparently cannot even think about adding since theirs are already overpriced and still missing key components like memory card readers.

Not to mention, at least once a week she's asking me if she can use my laptop because her Mac won't suppport the software she gets from nursing school and other programs.

Oh, and when I had a problem with my Dell desktop, DHL was at my doorstep with a new video card the next day (per my request instead of a technician). So you Mac fans don't try to act like your support is any better than that for a PC.

Obsivously, the MAC employees have already found this articale.

That’s about right someone who knows nothing about computers buying a widows based machine. This just goes to show that the average person that knows nothing still knows that apple is still not compatible with so many applications out there, so yeah hi I’m windows and a Mac user and my Mac runs windows.

Huh?

Microsoft issues deliberately misleading ad. Writer rises to the bait and points out its shortcomings. Now Microsoft has Apple exactly where they want them?

Those Redmond guys sure are clever.

The wars over the PC vs. Mac ads are hilarious. And the PC folks' counter punches are so thoroughly juvenile, too.

Ultimately, a Mac tends to cost more, tends to last longer and tends to require less upkeep.

PC fans are saying it's cheaper to build a PC.

Well, the main difference between Mac and PC users is that I always hear PC users talking about what they did to their PCs, while with Mac users, I hear what they did with them.

Totally different mindsets. I've used both platforms and prefer my Macs. But I cheerily note that I down't really own a computer, if a PC is a computer. I just own a box that lets me run Photoshop and other things I need to use.

I am quite surprised MSFT used such a poorly spec-ed and overpriced HP machine for comparison. There are much better Dells out there that are compariable to the Mac 17 spec-spec and costing less than ~1.5K.

Link: A Dell to Apple Comparison to see for yourself.

Lawl. You get what you pay for.

When my MacBook had a problem, I took it to the Apple Store and they replaced the motherboard in less than eight hours!

Good luck, Giampaolo. But the saying still remains true, "There's no accounting for taste." There will always be those people who buy Chevy and Kia. It mystifies me but, oh well.

All I could think as I watched this commercial is how sleazy and dorky this guy seems–did they take him away from his sidewalk shell game trick to do this ad?