Mac vs. Windows 7: Four new videos

I love my PC with Windows 7. Not a single problem running it, it does all I want, it is fast… it IS better than Vista.

Now I've used Macs in school and at friends' places and I hate them. The OS and the desktop lay out do NOT mesh with how I think. I've never had problems with PC (except that one year I forgot to update my virus software for a year…) and they make sense to me. PCs are easier for me to use than Macs because a PC I can understand. A Mac just gives me a headache…to much pretentiousness.

I'm not saying Macs don't work. As far as I know they do work, just not for me. I swear at them EVERY time I get stuck using one of them. I'm just a PC girl.

Apple Ads indicate that Windows 3 was perfect! Watch "Broken Promises". "PC" regresses from exulting about Vista to Windows Version 2 without even mentioning Windows 3. I guess that "MAC"/Apple had nothing bad to say about Windows Version 3?

I find it completely hilarious that everyone spends so much time on trying to get Windows to run on their Mac so they can have all their stuff work like its supposed to. If you want to run windows then buy a freakin Windows PC yes its had issues but overall its no better or worse than what you would face on one OS or another. If you try to run your Windows on the Dell $299 special well that's what you get!!!! MACs are better specced hardware and drivers are specifically written for them and it uses the linux kernel. Put it on crappy low end hardware with shitty drivers it will happen with a MAC.

Shut up about what you run and get the tool you need for the job and move on.

Man! What a bunch of zealots! I'm a Mac user, but purely for opportunistic reasons. If you want good PC hardware, it will cost you as much, if not more, than a Mac. I would prefer to eventually run a solid open-source OS that is optimized for using web apps like Google, but the user interface is not at OS X comfort levels. I'm ultimately for platform neutrality. Until then, I'll use the best proprietary tools I can afford.

You want a Mac, you buy a Mac and you buy into a closed ecosystem. You fork over a thousand dollars to limit your choice. You do this of your own free will. I choose freedom, the right to buy software and accessories from a wide range of manufacturs and prices. We live where we are free to choose, our computer environment should be that way as well. It should not be some draconian controlled glossy white bitten apple world.

Funny how most PC fanatics have only used a PC and all Mac users have switched (and haven't looked back) from a PC. The comment on "fanboys" using the Mac to run MS for "real work". I do 99% of my work on a Mac and only use MS when I have no other option. The Mac is for people that simply want to do work. PC is for people that don't mind extra work to make their PC perform teh way they were intended to.

I was always a PC guy. Now I have a MAC and PC at home. I didn't understand all the attacking back and forth, and still don't. I use a PC at work and the MAC at home now. I know two things: 1) The MAC does everything the windows machine does for business…better (including running MS Office). 2) Why would I want to spend my hard earned money for another MS operating system when XP has so far done what I need…I won't. Not interested.

Love all you Mac Fanboys who run an M$ OS in dual boot or VM to get your real work done. Wake me up when you stop being a hypocrite.

Anyone with any common sense at all would realize that the current Apple ads don't toute their own products, they attack the competition. Clear evidence Apple doesn't have much to crow about, I'm just sayin…

Rather interesting bunch of comments. As one who has to work with Vista and all of the resulting mayhem, I'm glad that I go home to a Mac. They work. There are no viruses for a Mac because you have to do some serious Social Engineering to get them to work, not worth it (the same can and does apply to any UNIX based Operating System.) There is another reason to go after Windows(TM). It is used by many of the Federal level governments world-wide and in many businesses. Sadly, the known problems with its security have not been fixed because they would directly inconvinence the Windows 'experience'. As to the ads, they are very funny and very truthful. Sorry PC 'fanboys' but that is the fact. Also, I am no Mac fanboy, Snow Leopard had its problems, but so does Linux, Solaris, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, and Windows (I work with them all in some sort of capacity.)

Forget about the stores. Too much overhead. Infomercials are the way to go. I can just see it now.

Hi, Billy Gates here for the new win7. Tired of the blue screen of death? Tired of reboots every few hours? Tired of Mac users kicking sand in your face? Then you need Win7, the latest greatest Operating System on the planet. Not only can Win7 improve your CPU performance, it can free up megs of RAM, be operated with just two mouse clicks and also turn you laptop into a microwave oven in an emergency. That’s right folks, for just three easy payments of $99.99 each you can own the last operating system you will ever have to buy. But wait, there is more! If you call in the next 15 minutes we will throw in a free re-installation disk absolutely free. Get it today!

LMAO

A most fascinating intellectual exchange (most of the time). I started in Computer Science with analog computers, and every time a new advancement was made, I was delighted!
If we think of the brain as the ultimate machine, fortunately we still have a long way to go…
In the meantime, I could not ignore the absurd ways and goals for PC to develop. Remember the 640K memory limit?
Even though Macs do not dance to the mechanical tunes of today's business very well, they represent a superior concept, and not a painfully patched process.
Maybe it's time to bring back the running young lady with the hammer…

Uh. What era are you living in? All macs except the regular macbook(white) have a built in SD card reader…

After reading about 20 of these posts, I've come to realize that this is just like a stupid console war. C'mon now people. Stop bashing on eachother. We all know we each love whichever OS we are using. Let us go in peace.

"Based on flexibility alone the Mac is the better machine for business especially now with OS X."

So thats why MS has 90% of the market share? If you actually worked at a business, you would realize quickly that Mac has no place there.

Good for making movies and playing music though….

Rob in Plymouth Meeting –

How nice that you can find such joy in your story.

What many people, possibly you, forget: Most people don't have a life that revolves around a computer. They don't WANT to know how it works, they want to use it like they use their dishwasher. Yes, they should probably try harder but they won't.

If Mac is more suitable to that audience what's the problem? Should I make fun of you because you know know anything about bird calls or stamp collecting?

And no, not all Mac users are too stupid to know what a command line is. That's a myth.

Mac Terminal info for you Rob.

How do you explain all the command line articles on my site?

You're right, ALL mac users are the same. And ALL Americans are Homer Simpson.

In the late 1990's or early part of this decade Gateway was the first to open retail stores. I remember visiting them and the concept was similar to what Apple and now Microsoft have done. At one time they had almost 200 of these stores. Then in 2004 they closed them all saying they were too expensive to run and profit margins were too thin. When Apple first opened their stores, people compared the concept to what Gateway had done and question whether the Apple stores would have the same fate. This time the strategy succeeded.

It will be interesting to see if the Microsoft stores will end up with the success of the Apples stores or end up going the way of the Gateway stores. The store strategy is very risky for Microsoft. If they fail and they face closing them all, it will be a very visible sign of the demise of Microsoft. I don't think Microsoft can take that so with its huge piles of cash, they will keep the stores going no matter what. Even if the ghost of Gateway may be on their shoulder.

"Meanwhile, in Scottsdale, Ariz., the opening of the first Microsoft retail store delivered the kind of publicity coup money can't buy: customers camping out all night and a crowd the next morning estimated at 500."

For the new Zune? Must be… Right? *cough* Sounds like they paid you to write this.

ex ped: True, the first four customers got free Zunes. That doesn't explain the rest.

"Tetter" & "News" funny, "Broken Promises" has some sort of desperate tone. It's just different from the previous ads. Have to say I did not like that one at all.

Wow – can they try to rip Apple off any more than this? And the store is filled with employees, reporters, the MSFT PR wags, and oh look their in the back of the store, THE SUITS. You've got to be kidding! Can we say Vista, Blue Screen Special, etc. Overblown hype for what? Most of the young people you see walking in are there for the free concert tickets. Way to go microsux!

Hello all,

2nd comment here for the night and did not want to offend anyone.

As I said before, I've tried to see what all the rave is about with a Mac… Haven't seen it yet (the rave part). Everything the mac offers, the PC equivalent offers, albeit with more nuances like viruses, but that is to be expected due to the market share (I'd go for the 90% vs. 10% if I were a virus developer).

There is an obvious learning curve going to the mac, like the CTRL vs the CMND keys and the lack of the END key.

For the new computing user, Macs are better, but for the experienced PC and Business user, the Wintel PC is the much better choice (my experienced opinion).

MAC fanatics, please do not bash me or other who have our opinion. I am talking based on fact and fact alone. I've had to install VM fusion and XP or Vista to get access to our corporate networks. I must mention that MS Access and MS Project is not available in the Mac Native environment. Additionally, I have not mentioned stuff like Sync software or other simple stuff like hiding folders/files that do not come with the Mac software…

I've tried to go the MAC route for both personal use and business use and unfortunately the business route comes down empty. Granted, my time has been consumed by getting the business side to work properly so I can pay the bills, I have not had much of a chance to explore the so called beauties of the mac. Hope to do so soon, once all the bugs are ironed out on the mac (business side).

I will not even explain my experience of my sync experience with my iPhone with the native itunes vs. the vm/xp itunes. Long and sad story here… There has to be an easier way here and I would love to have a debate with the mac-fanactics….

I remain committed to benefiting from the mac experience…

Remember – Word and Excel were first written for the Mac. In over 15 years, I never had a problem reading files on a Mac made on a windows machine even on DOS formatted media. Based on flexibility alone the Mac is the better machine for business especially now with OS X.

Good for you!

Please note: as a user of the Xerox Star, I would point out to an earlier commenter that Apple made a significant change to the GUI used on the Apple Lisa. You are incorrect to assume that Apple did not revolutionize the pull down process and window structure of the GUI. Microsoft moved to appropriate Apple GUI not Star GUI, in my humble opinion.

Jerry wrote: "Macs are for tools with no computer knowledge. Since apple has to make everything idiot-proof, hence the pricetag (an idiot will pay anything for shiny). Put them mac'ies in front of a command prompt, and they'll be calling their precious idiot hotline to complain the computer is broken."

Nice Troll. Talk about a tool – and an uninformed one at that.
Macs come with the KING of command prompts: full blown certified UNIX! And as for Mac user having no computer knowledge, guess my BS & MS in Computer Science, and 20 years of professional software engineering mean I should stop using Macs right away – I'm much to smart to be using those toys!!

"Macs are better for business. They have customer satisfaction the rest of the PC industry wishes for."

Look, I use Mac servers because I write Apple code and that works for me.

But anyone who says Apple are good at the business side of computing is theorizing.

Apple SUCK at business computing. It isn't the software so much, and it isn't their machines so much. It is the culture.

If you knew the trauma I have endured trying to get the morons in Apples' business sales team to pick their knuckles off the ground and do their freaking job, you would never claim Apple understand the business environment at all well.

I write Objective C and use Rails for web deployment, and i am in too deep to get out. I just have to hope Apple get their defecation in one sock pretty soon.

They sold me Leopard Server 10.5 which did not do what it said on the tin, and now I have to explain to my clients why we need to upgrade to Snow Leopard Server 10.6 (and pay full price a mere 6 months later) just to get the things Apple said would work with Server 10.5.

Apple business folks talk about "new" technology and promote "new" features in their server software because they don't know what they are doing yet.

When a wise PC guy talks business computing, I listen. I'm still hoping Apple sort their business team out, but it is all a bit faith based.

Apple do not get the business user. The people they have in charge of business computing have failed repeatedly, and nobody is willing to come out and say it.

I'll say it. Sack the lot, start again with new people. Make a real effort Apple, or you will continue to be the butt of jokes that your guys are too proud to understand.

And the Macboi winhaters are out in force. As usual. Good to see you have so much time and energy to hurl so much snark.

I thought Apple was a creative company? How come they keep doing the same tired crap that only entertains the fanbois?

"veggiedude". Wow, talk about cherry picking your information. If you were to properly report the results you would have in fact reported that there were actually FIVE systems that scored better than the Apple system. Now granted they weren't running Windows server, but they were running on Non-Apple systems which basically means your "arguement" is pretty sad. And besides when you look at the down time in terms of per year and consider the redundancy in systems these down times are pretty nice no matter what you look at. Sorry dude that was a "veggie" FAIL

Haha, Philip. I love it when I get on your nerves and prove a point that you don't want anyone else to read and then you pull my comment. Sorry about this but your one of those dictation clowns that can't debate a fair fight. Gotta use your powers to shift the argument in your direction. How foolish and quite elementary I must say. I also love it how you know nothing about computers and you have a job writing about a computer company. You must have some decent writing skills is about all I can guess.

ex ped: Dear Anonymous, I didn't pull your comment. I was away from the computer and didn't approve it. It's up now.

Hey veggiedude, my server uptimes are 100%. Not gonna be pulling out these servers for Mac anytime soon. I don't think uptime has anything to do with the OS, it has alot to do with the techs behind the setup. I never touch my servers, so not sure where this data comes from because they sure didn't analyse my systems uptime. If anything we would move to Linux before Mac, since really the only problem we have is paying for licenses, not the OS itself. But who am I, I only run systems for a multi-million dollar company that is fully electronic top to bottom and I don't think they would be too happy with even a few minutes downtime.

"Apple is the innovator in the industry."

"It all started with the GUI and continues today"

Some people do not know their history I will say. Guess they never heard of Xerox PARC. Its the first GUI, so I guess Apple and MS are both non-innovators now. Also you site the GUI, please site something else that Apple has innovated? You know they do use a variant of UNIX so not even their OS is truely not an Apple innovation. Any real innovations in computer science is what I am looking for? Please enlighten us all since I am stumped to figure any innovations out from Apple. You want real innovations talk to IBM, Sun, Xerox, AT&T(Bell Labs), Lucent, Intel, DoD, UCBerkley, Darpa, etc.

"If you want to see tomorrows PC all you have to do is look at todays MAC"

Let's see… x86 processors, USB, nVidia/ATI graphics, SATA, DDR memory, BluRay..

And for a machine that's supposedly geared for artists/photographer, it's surprising that no Mac has a memory card reader built in.

Nope, sorry. Look at a PC today for tomorrow's Mac.

I'm just going to state the facts as stated by this IBM report:
http://tinyurl.com/yjeujmf

Mac OS X server downtime last year was 38.5 minutes.

Windows Server 2008 downtime last year was 2.5 hours.

The proof is in the pudding.

Macs are better for business. They have customer satisfaction the rest of the PC industry wishes for. Why do you think Microsoft tries hard to copy the OS X experience?

Very funny Apple commercials. Re: the "big crowd" at the Microsoft Store? Yawn. Wake me up when they come close to the hordes that inundate the Apple Stores when a hot new product comes out.

Some really brainless comments from the Microsoft fan-persons on this thread. Well, they've got to do something – they've got so much invested in backing the wrong horse.

I figured Apple at $200/share by December three months back. Needless to say, Xmas came early! When the economy starts to power up, Apple will easily double. I'm scheming how to add to my Apple position.

Meanwhile, you can listen to the brainless PC clones or you can drop in to an Apple store and see what the excitement's all about.

I love the toaster analogy, Its dead on. I've never been one to go with the status quo and therefore I am a MAC person.
Apple has no where near the market share and that use to bother me. It no longer does. If you want to see tomorrows PC all you have to do is look at todays MAC. Apple is the innovator in the industry. Damn near everything Microsoft has done has been in response to Apple's innovations. For most people the lack of available 3rd party software is the issue(for them). The fact is that I can do anything on my MAC that any PC user can do, is not the issue. The issue is that every PC user has APPLE to thank for every innovation in todays PC. It all started with the GUI and continues today. Most of todays computer users were todlers when it started and I suggest they research the timeline. Oh, there I go again. Remember-I don't care. Not everyone can drive a Mercedes Benz!

I don't understand this "Macs are not for business" argument. If your company is not web/Java based now, they should be. Citrix via Firefox or Safari runs my work environment faster than my XP Thinkpad does natively. If that's not your cup of tea, Outlook is coming to the Mac–I can't imagine want to use it, but there you go. The distance is shrinking here to be almost non-existent.

Come on, Windows fans… Who cares what the the Macintrash folks have to say? We're supposed to be enjoying Windows 7!

Everyone should know by now that the dudes at "crApple" have to make the competition look stupid because their own OS cannot seem to compete on its own merits.

And to the guy who brought the "Coming to America" comparison… that is a good one. A Mac is like its McDonald's namesake. Bland and barely configurable. Those who want a better "hamburger" will get a PC.

I think arguing between PC's and Macs is like Rowe vs Wade, you either have the right to choose or the right to a have a PC. I choose a an Apple because it is based on a user friendly platform. Microjunk is trying to be more graphic user friendly and Apple is building up to be business friendly, so whats the problem? Buy what you need to get done, and if you have to defend anything, look down your pants to see if you got the balls attached first.

"I work at a Geek Squad Precinct and it is so funny how MAC users think they are almighty and know everything."

One would assume that you would also prefer it if things remained the same as it keeps you in gainful employment.

WOW. The Windows fanboys are out in force. Rather than address their fantastical claims of gloom and doom for Apple or assertions that Windows really "works", I will provide an analogy:

If Microsoft made toasters, the instructions would look like this:
1. Your new Microsoft toaster comes with several other appliances pre-installed, including an egg peeler, a melon grater, and several versions of pasta squishers. These items may cause your toaster to require most of the morning to boot up and interrupt the toasting process. If you desire to remove these helpful accessories, please refer to the 39-step instructions beginning on page 113.
2. After booting you toaster, you will need to configure it for the particular bread you plan to toast. Your bread manufacturer can provide you with appropriate drivers to install before proceeding.
3. Once you have installed and updated your bread drivers, reboot your toaster and remove the front cover to begin coil calibration. Your toaster will likely crash during this process. If this occurs, hold down the "Light" and "Dark" toast buttons while sliding the "Toast" button down….

Apple instructions would be:
1. Insert any kind of bread, bagel, or English muffin.
2. Press "Start"
3. Your Apple toaster will automatically detect the bread type and adjust internal settings and timing to produce a perfectly toasted product. Enjoy!

To the writer that claimed Apple users are "tools" that know nothing about computers – I have a MS in Computer Science with specialization in Human-Computer Interface and am proficient with AI heuristics and artificial neural networks. But when I sit down to my own computer, I expect it to help me DO SOMETHING, not be a project all its own. Thats why I'm a Mac person.

Its always funny hearing people talks about how 'expensive' Macs are. News flash! Macs cost less to use than PCs. I bought an iMac in 1999 for $2300. The Compaq deskpro I had at work was about $1100 at the time and ran Windows NT. About two years later, in order to run the latest software, work upgraded to new PCs and Windows 2000 OS. Another Compaq desktop at ~$1000. In 2004, we upgraded again, IBM desktop this time – $1200, and Windows XP. This year I also upgraded the Mac OS to the latest version of OSX at a cost of $150. Both systems now able to run the 'current' software in the market. In 2008, another upgrade, another IBM desktop @ $800 (the older IBM couldn't run the current all the necessary anti-spyware, anti-virus, etc. with MS Office and perform at any acceptable level, yet that old Mac still ran the current software just fine). I did upgrade the Mac again, some more memory and Leopard for $150 and $129 respectively. $4100 to keep a PC operating usefully for 10 years. $2500 to do so with my Mac. No regrets there. Snow leopard will not run on the now *10* year old machine on my desk (PPC not supported on SL), so I'll buy a new mac this year, I'll spend $2000 again, and I'll have it for 10 years again. I will spend less than half of what any of you PC nuts will spend over the next 10 years on hardware, and I won't spend a day of downtime due to the next kid who writes a script in his basement that attacks. When my son turns 16 in a few years I'll spend the $3000 I saved by buying a Mac on a used car for him. I'll make sure when he gives your kid a ride he tells them that they could've had a car too, if only their old man had been smart enough to buy a Mac instead of a PC……

I don't understand the whole glossy screens on all the new Macs. Is there a reason why they choose to replace the matte finish with the glare-ridden screens? Even at my local apple store the employees uses cardboard as a visor so you can actually see the screen without all the glare. It's annoying, why would their entire lineup be with the glossy screens with glare? At least with windows I have a choice of hardware and screen.

I work at a Geek Squad Precinct and it is so funny how MAC users think they are almighty and know everything. I had a client once that insisted their printer was broken and even whipped out their MacBook Pro to demonstrate. I asked if they replaced the ink cartridge and the response I got was "NO IT DIDN'T SAY IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED." So I made them buy an ink cartridge and low and behold the printer works! Wow amazing! a printer that wouldn't print from a mac gets a fresh ink cartridge and it then works. I later heard the mother say to her Ignorant son as they were leaving. This Geek Squad really know what they are doing. Vindication is mine! yes! Take that MAC!

I bought a MacBook Pro a few months ago and thought I'd get the best of both worlds by using the MAC and also loading VMware Fusion.

Some Findings:
1) The MAC is not for a business environment. Office2008 for Mac has obvious deficiencies and much less robust than Office2007 for Windows. My experience with the native mac office applications was less than desirable
2) Mail for Mac — what a joke. Again not for Businesses.
3) Believe it or not, the MAC does crash. Maybe not as frequently, but more so than advertised.
4) My MacBook pro runs fine now. Now that I maxed out the RAM to 8GB. And, I am not even using desktop publishing.
5) The Mac Geniuses. Well, let's say – I got a few duds. They would not help with my Cisco VPN problem because it was "3rd party software". They could not even help me with the native MAC VPN that comes with leopard.
6) Speaking of naming conventions, Leopard? Tiger? Snow Leopard? What the heck? Is it cool?
7) Printer issues. Doesn't keep the setting. I'm not a UNIX user, but was forced to run commands (CUPS).

Bottomline, when you hear — "when you get a mac, you never go back", RUN FOR THE DOOR.

Just my $2900 worth of comments. For that type of money, I could have gotten a NICE PC with Blue Ray DVD. Oh yeah, no BR option yet.

In our household we have 3 PC deskstops (all XP) an XP laptop, and a Macbook pro. Ive used Win 7 beta 7600 release and loved it, when I get a new Laptop it will be a 7 box… as for the Desktops, ill stick with XP for now, as one of them is an older one and I tried the beta on it and it wasnt happy. the other 2 are compatible but dont wanna reinstall all my stuff on em… One of them is a Dual Boot with 7 beta and XP, so its cool. My wife is a Webdesigner and MAC is the best for her job, and she uses the Macbook at home for regular use and only had one prob with an update, got it fixxed and never another problem. My laptop is starting to wear down and is gettin worse over time, but it has a lot of "miles" on it. so time to update

" All the while Apple is executing a strategy that is helping it become the Sony of the 21st century. Bravo!"

Given the current state of Sony, I don't think this is a good thing.

Mark from Minneapolis,

You couldn't be more right. They need to stop saying that their stores are not modeled exactly like Apple's. The lay-out, the colors, even the employee's uniforms are all ideas from Apple. That store looks like they took over an old, vacated Apple Store.

They are the McDowell's of retail.

Sad thing is Microsoft really thinks these stores will have them saying "and that's when the big bucks start rollin in"

The new Microsoft store is a direct copy of an Apple store, right down to the tables, stools, t-shirts, and checkout counter at the back. No original ideas.

My first PC was a Mac. In college, computer science majors had to get Mac II so we could run AUX, Apple's Unix. It was a great machine superior to any PC of the era. I’ve used PC’s ever since because that’s where the software is. When I’m not doing Unix, I’m on PCs. Even as a primarily Java developer, most work is done on PCs, especially since Apple tends to lag (a little) behind the latest JDK. I’m putting together a new 8gig Core i7 64-bit box running Win7 and VMWare.
All that said, I *wish*, desperately, that I could lose like Apple. They have less than 10% of the market. Yet, Apple sale 90% of PCs in the +$1000 range. Apple seemed to be the only PC company that expanded during this recession. They are, apparently sitting on $33 billion in cash. Billion.
Apple’s execution is nearly flawless. As an iPhone owner, I am as pleased with their product today, as I was years ago.

Howard –

Don't even get started on the path! Companies take ideas off of each other all the time and Apple/Microsoft is no different.. I do think that the arrogance of Apple and mac users will bite them in the end.. I don't understand why you let a computer OS drive such deep hate/passions.. Grow up and get a life that doesn't involve defending Macs 24/7.

PS.. I have a Macbook Pro that I use everyday.

I've been a PC user for the majority of my life. Bought a MAC for the first time about a year ago. I'll throw this out there as a caveat to my next statement, I'm not a Windows or Apple fanboy.

Anyway, I don't see what all the talk is about. The MAC works no better or worse than the PC I currently have. Frankly, I'll probably by another laptop with Win7 and upgrade my existing PC. I can't see myself buying another MAC, simply from a cost perspective. The arguement that a MAC just works is not compelling. I'm technically competent, so my PC just works too.

After a year of having both, I'm leaning towards saying my PC "works" better. The old arguement about the Apple ecosystem is what drives that statement to. I can do everything I want on a PC: home network, stream TV/audio, movie/photo editing, etc., for less than I can on a MAC.

Microsoft's ridiculous denials that their store(s) aren't a cheap copy of Apple's remind me of the movie Coming to America: "Look… me and the McDonald's people got this little misunderstanding. See, they're McDonald's… I'm McDowell's. They got the Golden Arches, mine is the Golden Arcs. They got the Big Mac, I got the Big Mick. We both got two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles and onions, but their buns have sesame seeds. My buns have no seeds."

I have a macbook pro and a windows 7 desktop. Love windows 7. Hate that my macbook pro crashs all the time. Still a bug with my macbook's nvidia chip I think, even after all these updates. And now the dvd drive doesn't work…. Best thing about the macbook is not the OS, it's the trackpad. The trackpad is awesome while the "mighty mouse" is the worst thing I've ever used. How can Apple claim their stuff just works… b.s.

Macs are for tools with no computer knowledge. Since apple has to make everything idiot-proof, hence the pricetag (an idiot will pay anything for shiny). Put them mac'ies in front of a command prompt, and they'll be calling their precious idiot hotline to complain the computer is broken.

Hey Howard, isn't it Apple's mantra to bash Windows to make Apple look better? Not sure I ever hear of why an Apple is better in the commercials other than the typical stereotype of everyone in Windows is getting viruses and the roof is caving in. Even then its still a bash against the other guy, like clear American politics of the 2000's. I think it is wearing thin though with these adds. Its so funny how everyone think Apple is so creative, but they sure can't seem to create any different commercials outside of a few line changes.

Just give Windows 7 a try and you will sing a different tune. I also expect many Mac users will be buying Win 7 as well to run on their Macs, its just the way it is.

Both companies suck anyway. Applesuck and Microsuck. Get the hacked software and let them both rot for making so much money off us! Its all available on the web for free! Yes including the apple OS

The Windows fanboys are out in force today, aren't they.

When I see all those high 5's in the windows store video I think that H1N1 must be having a heyday.

I always get a laugh out of those commercials, but they won't get met to buy a Mac. I'll buy the Itouch and maybe the Iphone (when Verizon carries it). I've owned 4 PC computers and never had any major software issues on any of them. When I hear people say MAC's will dominate in the future I simply look at the "installed" base of Windows operating systems worldwide and really feel sorry for the blind "appleites".

I've tried both and have come to this conclusion. MACs are good for music, photo and video fun stuff.

PCs are good for BUSINESS and the fun stuff. The problem is, most people use PCs for business so when you try to use a MAC for business, it rarely interfaces properly with other PC applications. This is a FACT and it is the most frustrating thing in the world.

I even tried using the Intel Duo Processor and it was a joke. I lost all my data when I tried to create a partition to that the MAC could "Act" like a PC.

My conclusion….just use a PC, period.

I now use my $3,000 Intel Duo MAC as a 50-pound iPod.

7 is not about "hupla" it is about making it work. I work extensively with both platforms. Apple's hardware has become more like PC in some waysn over the years, (given their making laptop batterys the user can't remove is plain stupid.) MS has certainly followed some Apple trends especially for the family users.

The reseason Apple has such a strong user base and love affair is because they only ever have ~6 models which users can not easily modify and therefore break. You get 10% of the market on one machine vs 100's of models of Dell, HP, Alien, Acer…etc diluting the 90% PC market, no one PC model even come close to user base (and resulting focused/tuned user group help) of a mac. (Mac Hotline uses India just like everyone else, they do have support in CA though I have not been that lucky.)

That said in our office of 30 (1/3 mac) we have never lost a PC in my 8 years here and we replaced all Macs…some 3 times now.

They are all just Companies, they all want to macke a buck. Mr. Jobs is a pretty rich guy. The "Evil" empire of MS is (was) headed by a guy trying to give all his money away.

honestly Windows vista isnt that bad.

I recently bought my first Mac, and still have my windows machine. I intend to buy Windows 7; but I wills say falling in love with a Mac is very easy. All in all, I enjoy a great market competition. Benefits us all. Looking forward to Google getting in the game as well. Choice is never bad.

"Meanwhile, in Scottsdale, Ariz., the opening of the first Microsoft retail store delivered the kind of publicity coup money can't buy: customers camping out all night and a crowd the next morning estimated at 500."

Actually, money (or at least free stuff) DID buy the publicity. Unlike at an Apple Store opening, where people come because they WANT to see a new store, Microsoft had to promise 1000 free concert tickets, free Zune HDs (what a prize!), and $25 gift certificates in order to get the crowd that they had. They also "donated" $1,050,000 to a nearby YMCA in order to get some support from local politicians, although it was later noted that only $50,000 of this was really cash – the rest was free software. Maybe leftover copies of Vista – hooray!

In addition, Microsoft COO Kevin Turner stated that the stores would stand out from Apple's by developing deeper customer connections. Quote: "We’re not looking for an encounter, we’re looking for a deep-seeded relationship so we can truly connect with their needs and help illuminate the magic of software and the value of the technology." Really? REALLY? Yet more crap from a company that's an expert at producing it.

Gotta say, I have win7 and love it. I also had vista and had no problems after a few tweaks and updates, however, there is no problem with win7 and it flies. Great update and they did it right. As a side note, I used a mac for work for a few years back and will never go back. Sure the OS is secure, but it does not work well with other systems and frankly re-imaging it with windows on the box worked so much better than Leopard. Apple makes a good box, but make no mistake their OS is no better than windows – it's just the box and all the crap ware PC makers put on windows machines that causes the problems.

If MAC and PC are running for office, MAC would win. However, as an unbiased customer, I will use two examples to explain this debate. First example, its like running an Ad campaign to promote Italian as the language of international trade because its more romantic than English. The Ads might sound great, but its too late to switch the world over. Second Example, this is like the Abortion debate, everyone has a (strong)opinion about it and they love to debate it like a sport, doesn't mean people will change there minds (except for a few percentages back and forth) just like the Mac vs PC debate, its a fun sport.

They should stay focused on the upgrade hassle. It's big. Soooo few details have emerged on clean installs with w7 upgrade media. Weird.

I like the new iPhone layout pew. Nice.

OMG. Microsoft actually copied the Apple Store retail concept right down to the table design and product displays. It is so sad to see a once great company flailing around in such an undignified manner. Is innovation truly dead at Microsoft? If their position in the marketplace is to simply make poor imitations of great products (Zune, Windows 7, etc.) then they are in decline. All the while Apple is executing a strategy that is helping it become the Sony of the 21st century. Bravo!

These ads are becoming so tired.

I currently a WinXP user and laughed out loaud at these new ads. I had Vista on my laptop and hated it. Just upgraded it to Win 7 (what a pain) and don't see what all the hoopla is about…

Phillip,

Get a mac and you'll understand … or don't we don't care. If the best news you can use to bolster Windows is that it works and they opened a store … wow!! Or should we say pathetic … the boys from Redmond haven't had an original idea since they thought up ms-dos … oh they borrowed that idea too … forgot.

Gee copying Apple Store how original Microsoft! Do they have anyone that can think at that company?

The smug and arrogance level of Apple's ads are going to backfire on them this time. Apple is poised to take another big fall.

Uh, just because I 'switched to Mac' a couple of years ago doesn't mean I won't be buying Windows 7. I love my Mac but it's still not even close to being a PC replacement. Its all about the software…

That is the beautiful thing thing abotu MACs, they know how to lose in a funny way, you dont even have to feel sorry for their inability to reach over 15% of the market in over 20 years. but they are funny, I love their ADS, nothing better than a fierce competitor telling us how to get Windows better than their useless OS.

I've moved to Windows 7 and its great. Everything just works. This customer is satisfied!

For those of us that have already switched to a MAC after years of Windows frustration, would we switch back to a PC because of the launch of Windows 7? I think not.

Great ads, thanks. I haven't started off my day with a good laugh like that in quite some time now.