Report: Microsoft's Laptop Hunter ads are working
So here's what having a strategy and taking a stand gets you. Yes, results.
At least that seems to be the conclusion one can reach from new data culled by BrandIndex. BrandIndex is a company that seems to get its kicks from tracking brands every 24 hours. A little neurotic, if you ask me. But you have to make a living somehow.
Anyway, its latest data suggests that Microsoft's "Laptop Hunters" campaign is radically altering value perceptions of PCs.
According to a report in AdAge, BrandIndex says Microsoft's so-called value perception has risen steadily since the campaign began in March, while Apple's has fallen.
Last winter, Apple stood at 70 on the value scale, while Microsoft was at zero. (Zero means that as many people feel bad about a brand as good) Now, Apple has fallen to 12.4, while Microsoft has risen to a glorious 46.2.
Here's the thing that might make you pause for wonder: the people who seem to be most influenced by the Microsoft campaign are aged 18 to 34.
Brand Index's global managing director for polling service YouGov told AdAge: "Apple had a pretty big advantage, historically, when we look at our data. Apple did a great job of putting Microsoft on the defensive. It made them look old, stodgy, complicated to use and unhip. But Microsoft has started to hit back, and younger folks are more cost- or value-focused."
I love research. I really do. It provides great fodder for discussion, cogitation and, ultimately, fireplaces.
The thing I am slightly more fascinated by is sales.
Currently, it may well be that younger people, who just might have less disposable income than those slightly older, are ragingly cost-conscious. (I have embedded a video that shows one young person's purchasing plight.) So when a survey person calls or e-mails them, they will give ragingly cost-conscious arguments.
This doesn't necessarily mean that their attitude while answering interesting existential questions will mirror their behavior when they come to buy.
Far more significant is the fact that Apple decided to respond to the Laptop Hunters campaign with an ad of its own. The competition always knows more than the researchers.
Microsoft has so far only pointed to a 10 percent increase in preference for PCs since the campaign was launched. When accurate and consistent sales figures emerge, they will be very interesting.
For those of you who are interested in what the slightly older folks thought, well, in the 35 to 49 age group, Microsoft went up a couple of weeks after the campaign launched, but now Apple has regained its lead.
Do these older people have more money or more sense? I will leave that to you to decide.
Chris Matyszczyk is an award-winning creative director who advises major corporations on content creation and marketing. He brings an irreverent, sarcastic, and sometimes ironic voice to the tech world. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. 
Regardless of brand identity surveys, commenter flame wars, and the ad du jour, Apple enjoys a significant lead over its Windows PC competitors in terms of customer satisfaction. Is being a happier user worth the "Apple tax"?
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lol! Biggest laugh I've had today..... sure, it's easy to keep customers 'satisfied' when they don't really have any choice in the programs that they use, the hardware they use, etc.
The only reason that Windows has such a low 'customer satisfaction' rate is because they don't ask people to separate problems they have had from the OS from problems they have had with their HARDWARE.... if they did that, the customer satisfaction numbers for WIndows OS's would jump MUCH higher than they are right now.
When I used Windows, I had problems with Windows. I called MS customer support and I was pointed towards a third party app to fix the problem while the guy tried to sell me Windows OneCare or whatever the poor attempt at an all-in-one anti-everything app was named.
I maintained my system with third party apps in order to keep the OS running. That doesn't seem like the problem was from the outside.
I switched to Linux (I know I know, this is the Apple vs. Windows flame war but bear with me). I switched to Linux and still view apps and the OS as separate entities. The difference? If I have a problem and I check the forums, the people actually help me fix the problem instead of pointing me to a third party app.
The reason MS had and will have again such a poor view by the public when it comes to customer satisfaction has nothing to do with 3rd party apps, it has to do with a crap OS, crap customer service or crap promises not kept (Vista Ultimate).
My Mac may have cost more to buy and after upgrading the software (like adding WinXP on bootcamp) it did cost a lot more than a typical PC. But I personally see a ton of value in the computer system I have. I've done MS from DOS 5.0 up through WinXP, and I have never been happier than with MacOSX. I personally spend less time fixing MacOSX than with any of the Windows. Less fixing time equals more production time and greater happiness. That extra money was worth it, in my case.
I didn't buy a Mac to be hip, I bought a Mac to be productive & happy.
@docster87. Why did the military buy a hammer for $500? Both are just hammers."
Because the contract specified that all tools used on the aircraft be obtained from the aircraft's manufacture. Blame Congressional oversight, lack thereof, and the the barreled pork industry.
"Apple released 7 updates to the OS, so far Vista has had only one. I would rather go with a company that cares about fixing issues a.s.a.p then letting users live with bugs for year before even having the first service pack release. It is Microsoft with the weak patch cycle."
You have got it completely backwards. Microsoft releases patches every month, in rare occasions multiple times a month. Apple on the other hand waits until they have a bunch of them to release and they do it in one big patch. Neither one of them are wrong, Apple's system is more efficient as Microsoft's service packs usually contain all of the patches that should have already been applied. But Microsoft's system has them rated as the shortest time to patch of any of the major operating systems.
@docster87. Why did the military buy a hammer for $500? Both are just hammers.
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Sheesh, didn't you see the movie Independence Day? The military didn't *really* pay $500 for that hammer ...
;-)
The iDiots are out in force.
Macs boot windows, run intel chips, Nvidia graphics... the next person to do a I'm a PC ad should be Steve Jobs
1. More money ... umm duh!
2. Don't know enough about computers so want something simple (no antivirus, no need for cool customizations, Games, etc) ..... and CAN AFFORD THE PRICE!
3.Trying (and failing most of the time) to look hip/cool/young (you'd be surprised@ how many old teachers/professors do this to appeal to the kids .... please stop!) .... and CAN AFFORD THE PRICE!
4.Been using windows for generations and trying something new ...and CAN AFFORD THE PRICE!
2. don't want to deal with Windows issues
4. has generations of windows headaches
(really cant argue with 1 & 3)
happy = P
Thats if you have a Apple store nearby....
I've personally never seen one and I live near Detroit, Michigan
I've personally never seen one and I live near Detroit, Michigan"
Hold up your left hand. Look at the joint where the thumb is attached to the palm, there are four Apple stores near Detroit.
http://www.apple.com/retail/partridgecreek/
http://www.apple.com/retail/twelveoaks/
http://www.apple.com/retail/somerset/
http://www.apple.com/retail/briarwood/
There is also an Apple store near the palm's stigmata mark
Secondly, the GAMES are the main reason why I won't TOUCH a Mac.... too expensive is a close second to not being able to play my games on a Mac.
Exactly. They have generations of windows experience, and aren't fooled by an ad talking about something being cheaper. I know my older relatives have switched because they were fed up. Does that mean things are trouble free? no, my dad's mini had a problem, but the nice people at the Apple store fixed it in a day. And he was happy with the experience.
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I'm betting that most of the problems that your father had, were because hardware failed.... that isn't something you can blame solely on Windows or really...... AT ******* ALL ON WINDOWS!
As to problems with Windows..... I've found out that 99% of problems are created by idiots poking around where 'angels fear to tread..... as does GOD!' That's a 'period and done with' there.... one idiot who will remain nameless deleted his Windows directory.... then wondered why he was having problems! ******* idiot, to be blunt about it.
From what I have seen, Mac and Windows problems both are usually caused by that thing between the computer and the chair..... the person using the computer.
No matter how many times a Windows Fan calls me an idiot, I still prefer Macs. Experience is the real teacher.
There will always be people ready and willing to buy Macs, but when Microsoft shows that you can get way more bang for your buck with a PC, then the decision becomes simple for a whole lot of people.
What's the problem? Microsoft doesn't tell the truth in these ads other than "this particular PC is cheaper than the star man Mac we set up to compare it to."
Yeah, and is has way less resolution on the screen, and it has way shorter battery life and there are a lot of things the Mac has it doesn't (hardware and software). But you PC types think because it has some of the same ports and the same number of keys and the same processor that it's "more bang for the buck" Yeah, as long as you're not using it. Fire them both up, and the Mac is the better value.
Note I'm comparing the PCs in these ads with the Macs they compare them to. Not PCs in general, where some are way better values and way more powerful and have way better screens and battery life than the PCs. Some even for the same or less money than Macs - not much less, but a few are less expensive and good values.
Oh I know cause Mac ad's are just 100% truthful to? According to the Mac ads I will never have to backup or clean my temp files.
Now, tell me again how MS is such a value?
When I wanted a high-end machine, my Dell-loving boss asked me to price out a few machines. I wound up getting a Mac because Dell?s comparable offering was $2,200 MORE!!! Granted, this was a few years ago, but everything I?ve seen indicates that the high-end landscape hasn?t changed much.
If you want a toy, get a cheap computer. If you want real power, you?re not going to find it in the price range Microsoft wants you to look.
not trolling or flaming or talking about what has less headaches or which is better. Just the Facts!
Correction: ANY machine configuration "chip per chip"; "ram per ram"; "speed per speed" is cheaper if you buy Windows over Mac.
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Bull. Prove it or shut up, slave. Repeatedly, since you boldly claimed "any machine configuration", give us half a dozen or so examples. Or are you to busy trying to fix your winblows junkware box?
We have and every single time someone chimes in claiming the OS is worth the extra 1 - 1.5k
"Slave" .. whats your problem dude?? I try not to troll but you are just asking for it!
1. READ my comments with people in http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10221203-56.html we came to the agreement that PC are pound per pound cheaper - nothing about quality that's biased among us fans
2. http://store.apple.com/us/configure/MB470LL/A?mco=MTkzOTI0Mg
3. http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/series_can.do?storeName=computer_store&landing=notebooks&a1=Category&v1=Performance%20and%20entertainment
Pick the HP HDX 16t Premium series
Click Customize
Match the features to the PRO and even pick BETTER stats if it doesn't have matching
COMES OUT MORE THAN $500 CHEAPER! (same goes for Dell, Acer, Lenovo, Soney) TRY IT!!!
remember all i said was - "ANY machine configuration "chip per chip"; "ram per ram"; "speed per speed" is cheaper if you buy Windows over Mac"
YA What now! man!?
this is basically where it should lead
http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/computer_can_series.do?storeName=computer_store&category=notebooks&a1=Category&v1=Performance+and+entertainment&series_name=HDX16t_series
I switched my PC from Windows to Linux and gained production time not just from not having it slow down but also from not having to do anything for system maintenance. OS X has the same perk, virtually no system maintenance necessary to keep it running smoothly.
Now, look at the software included in OS X compared to the software included in Windows. Try and match all the apps from OS X, see where the price is. Now, how much time did it take for you to find and install those apps on Windows? Is your time worthless?
It took me less time to set up Linux to do everything I wanted than it did to set up Windows and I'm more familiar with Windows. OS X comes very close to being just as easy to set up as Linux was for me.
So now Windows is either more expensive because of the need to find and purchase apps to match OS X or its more expensive when you count the amount of time it takes to set it up and to maintain it.
All you want to do is talk about hardware because if you go past that, Windows loses every time.
Nothing against Linux, but whatever software that apple sells , you can find a cheap/FREE 3rd party open source for Windows .... and most of the time apple isn't compatible with 3rd party software.... so ya when compared to apple yes its cheap and worth it!
Windows user that do have problems, for whatever reason, either get them fixed or switch to Macs. So far, the switchers have cost Microsoft less than 10% of their market over the last 10 years.
If you think that Macs never have problems, check out the line at the Genius bar sometime.
Still, the point isn't black and white. Nothing is black and white - other than, uh, the colors black and white. The difference is Macs have fewer problems than PCs. Which is kind of a no-brainer because Macs don't have to deal with as vast an ecosystem of hardware and software interaction. If PCs didn't have more problems than Macs, that would be a modern miracle.
It's simple statistics. Some PCs don't have problems. Some Macs do. That's not the point. There are advantages to software and hardware being integrated like Macs are. To deny that is to give up on rationality.
In the end, the question is, is it worth it to YOU?
No? Fine. Don't buy a Mac. There's not enough to go around anyhow.
The difference between Windows users and users of Linux or OS X is that Windows users think this is just how it's always going to be so they accept it. Once you go to either of the other two choices, you know better.
If you use OS X, you take it to the Genius bar and have them fix it because you know there's a standard Apple will live up to. If you use Linux, you check the forums and learn how to do it yourself, call tech support if you've purchased it or wait a day and there's usually a patch put together and ready.
+ Macs are a closed system so they are simpler to maintain + Apple can afford to service your computer because you paid WAY more = less people have Mac issues.
Must not have been a windy day:
http://macenstein.com/default/archives/4188
Jeez. The ignorance and idiocy of fanboys (of all OSes) give their groups bad names. Why is it that the ones who are loudest usually know the least?
Why exactly would a Apple store let Microsoft shoot a advertisement competing with them in the store?
Yes frankz00, that foolish feeling you're now getting is because you just learned something. Don't suppress it, go with it!
Apple hires actors. Same joke."
True, but the actors are better and the production is better. :)
Ever wonder why the Mac boots Windows but PC doesn't boot OSX?? Three reasons... Apple users demanded Windows... PC users don't demand OSX and Apple won't allow it because they are a monoploy the crushes competition so they can overcharge their customers.
Explain Hackintosh's then.
There's an ad you should check out. The last store that he is in is Fry's Electronics in Concord, CA. It's a Microsoft Laptop hunter ad.
I remember when IBM wanted to control the entire H/W and S/W environment (i.e. the PC) back in the early days and the public was outraged. IBM was told they needed to be open and not controlling so that there can be competition and variety. Now there are some that are saying that total control is nirvana. It is a mixed up world.
The other ironic thing is if Microsoft Windows is the scourge of the earth, the nemesis, the evil empire, then why, in name of all that is good and true, would you allow it to be loaded on your pure, awesome hardware that "has all the software that you will ever need right out of the box".
It is a mixed up world.
To all the MS fanboi's: Get over yourselves! Yes Macs are more expensive and that is one of the reason's Apple fanboi's like them. They like to make you feel cheap. It makes them feel better than their Windows counter parts. That being said...it's the same damn hardware you can get in a PC. The only difference is a mediocre OS with a nice looking (to some) front-end. Yes, Windows has it's problems. Mostly user created but they're there none the less.
I kid...I kid. I could care less if MS or Apple died a flaming horrible death. I think both companies suck!! Though I am thankful the roles weren't reversed. I couldn't imagine Apple with a monopoly on both the ha
- by Kings X Rocks! May 20, 2009 5:23 AM PDT
- Microsoft = Ford Taurus: car for the commoners
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GNU/Linux distro = 1970's Volkswagen beetle with overhauled engine with parts from different manufacturers that occasionally throws a rod, but it's always fixable if you ask enough questions or put in a new overhauled engine.