Comments on: Microsoft goes after Apple online too

In an ad on major news Web sites (for now, those of the Times and the Journal), Microsoft tries to hammer home Windows PCs' price advantage over Macs.

[Freeradical79]

When this ad started going around last week, friends and I actually thought it was an spoof campaign against MS. I mean, no offense to the girl - but geeky looking, comically dressed red-head buys ugly plastic HP gargantuan laptop...? We were laughing ourselves stupid when she utters "not cool enough for a mac". Damn right sister! And *thats* the way we like it ;-)

I prefer Macs - the look of the devices is highly appealing, and I have been using them since I was a kid.

A lot of ignorant people forget that price isn't paramount to the choice that quite a large percentage of people make when purchasing a computer.., that Mac or PC, there will always be a segment of the market willing to happily spend 2K+ on a laptop. The key criteria will be aesthetics, technology and customer support. This market segment is also usually brand-loyal.

People who are happy spending $700 on a PC with a low-res 17" screen, processor/RAM/bus-speeds from 2006, encased in a brittle grey plastic case are not under threat to be lost to Macbooks! =) The market segments are worlds apart.

This has been mentioned elsewhere, but MS should be watching their back for the knives of Linux etc which is shipping on a scary quantity of netbooks. HP, ASUS, Dell, Lenovo etc need to amp-up against Apple as suppliers of "premium personal computers", Apples key market segment.

[Staszek]

@xcopy

I am not going to argue with you the difference of PC vs Mac, that argument has been done a million times and there are valid arguments for both sides. The truth is when you compare specs, software and TCO (resale), Macs are not really that more expensive then PC's in their respective categories.

What I will argue with you over is the whole "mindless sheep" and "herd" comments.

How can a company who has 10% of the marketshare be mindless sheep? I will never understand this comment. It seems to me that people who only know windows and just buy everyone else buys would be mindless sheep.

I am a windows and mac user, I like them both for different reasons. What makes you mindless sheep is when you cant open your mind up to more then what you like. So you can be part of the "herd" if you are a windows user just as easily as if your a mac user.

[ColbertPutin2012]

Better save that extra money for the geek squad and your new machine after that 17" HP behemoth takes a nose dive. Did anyone notice that Lauren is a member of the screen actor's guild? I'd love to see the follow up "so Lauren, hows your 699 dollar HP treating you 6 months later?"

[AppleSuxLeo]

If you want overpriced white plastic , Apple has you covered.

[The_happy_switcher]

If you want underpriced and virus-bloated software, Microsoft has your covered.

[j3pr0x]

In breaking news, Gizmodo did an "investigative piece" on Lauren and found out that she is an actress http://i.gizmodo.com/5190861/someone-found-microsofts-lauren-and-shes-an-actress

Gizmodo and Engadget, paragons of journalistic integrity!
/sarcasm