Comments on: Microsoft unleashes another 'laptop hunter' ad

In the latest spot, it's a mom and kid in search of a computer. Not surprisingly, they go with a PC.

[Get_a_life_Leo]

The kid actually rejected more PCs than Apple laptops. The subtle diss of Macs as popular with kids was deserved payback of Apple's Mac vs PC ads. But, come on, these ads are hardly inspiring or inventive. And since most people buy PCs, what exactly is the point?

In Canada, they're running a bunch of scripted VIsta adverts with the apparent message that 5 and 8 year old kids can make videos and send photos (at least when scripted). They can do that on any computer if its set up and shown to them (probably easier on a Mac but who cares?).

[mrbofus]

Well, statistically, he would have to. There are only 4 Mac laptops he can reject [white MacBook, MacBook, MacBook Pro 15" and MacBook Pro 17"] while there are hundreds of PC laptops he can reject.

And I think the point of these ads are, as you put it, "payback" for Apple's "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" ads. Apple played the "Macs are easier and cooler" card and Microsoft is playing the "PCs are cheaper" card.

[DoohanOK]

I love PC and I'm 40!

[zunipus]

Makes me want to cry. Poor kid.

What is it with Microsoft messing over children lately for the sake of a buck?

[Dalkorian]

by zunipus April 9, 2009 10:09 PM PDT
What is it with Microsoft messing over children lately for the sake of a buck?

--------------------------------------------------------------

LOL. Why did I just have a South Park flashback moment?

Ted Koppel: Well, Hat McCulloch admitted he killed those toddlers. Why do you want him free?
Tweek: Oh Jesus man! N'ahah!
Ted Koppel: Just answer me this, Tweek: What do you see as "positive" about toddler murder?
Tweek: Ahah ... uh. It's easy?

[rnaoncfixd]

First off, what parent is ready to plunk down about $1500 for a kid of that age? Seriously, that kid is going to use the Blu-Ray player on his laptop? I don't know. Maybe that kid should be playing soccer or something.

[rnaoncfixd]

"First off, what parent is ready to plunk down about $1500 for a kid of that age?"

Sorry, that first line should have read like this, I haven't had my afternoon coffee yet.

"First off, what parent is ready to plunk down about $1500 for a laptop for a kid of that age?"

[eltoro2827]

ina, your a wierdo....macs arent all that, just eye candy. there is truth to these commercials.

why would i pay a crap load of money for a mac when i can do the same on a cheaper pc? plain and simple.

the answer to my question above is...."to fit in, and look cool"

[saf11489]

not true at all u can do the same things on a pc but u can do them x10 faster on a mac and not have to worry about uac or virus protection

[tm_anon]

Try paying attention. Ina said that they overstated the case for the "Apple tax" which is very true.

By the way, asking a question and then giving a bad answer yourself is a very good way to prove how poor your argument is.

Oh, the only thing the kid said about the Mac he was looking at was "it's too small". Isn't the point of a laptop to be portable?

If all they want is a computer to sit in one spot to do a certain number of tasks and not be moved, why not get a desktop?

[docster87]

Depends on what you are doing. I can't think of any PC additional software under $250 to match iLife as far as power and ease of use. iLife alone can (if used) easily be the strongest argument for a Mac. One can add iWork for $80 (rather than $180 up for office needs) and iLife updates are also $80. So while upfront costs could appear to edge the various makers of PCs, down the road costs could be less. Macs live longer, have fewer OS breakdowns... I never enjoyed any of my PCs as much as my current two Macs.

My first Mac I got, mostly just to see something other than Windows (a needed evil for PCs, at times) and within half a year that 'underpowered' 12" PowerBook became my main computer leaving my desktop PC that had twice the horsepower collecting dust, even when I was at the desk.

[this1!]

@ anon
yea, but i can do things even faster with a free linux OS on a cheap PC.

[FutureGuy]

@saf11489 its an illusion that Macs are safert than a PC. If someone wants to hack your computer they would much prefer if you are using a Mac.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=2941

"It?s really simple. Safari on the Mac is easier to exploit. The things that Windows do to make it harder (for an exploit to work), Macs don?t do. Hacking into Macs is so much easier. You don?t have to jump through hoops and deal with all the anti-exploit mitigations you?d find in Windows."

[The_Third_One]

In the world of broadcasting and post-production, Macs running Final Cut Studio, and attached to Xsan Storage Area Networks, are actually a significantly cheaper option than those offered by the likes of Avid or Grass Valley.

[zunipus]

... A pathetic troll comment. Spin your myths. But there will always be people with a brain in their head to buy superior technology. Boohoo for you little troll.

[davidwb]

Why am I willing to pay a bit more to buy a Mac? So I can use OS X, doh!

[fcz1]

I bought a Mac laptop about eight years ago and haven't bought another computer since. That's why I like mine and justify the extra initial cost.

[Dalkorian]

PC cost more in the end, unless you time is worthless. Reality can't be changed with hope and lies.

[Editor's note: Personal attack deleted]

[The_happy_switcher]

It's called desperation. Uncool, unhip and tragically oblivious to it all, Microsoft is.

-Yoda

[Mr. Dee]

Consumers have decided since 1984 that Macs are not cool, that's why Apple will forever be stuck with 2% market share.

[anilsudh]

by Mr. Dee April 9, 2009 4:07 PM PDT
Consumers have decided since 1984 that Macs are not cool, that's why Apple will forever be stuck with 2% market share.

Consumers are just beginning to realize how pathetic Microsoft is. All these years Microsoft used anti-competitive methods to gain market share. Microsoft is the past. Apple and Google are the future.

[MPB]

by anilsudh April 9, 2009 4:17 PM PDT

Consumers are just beginning to realize how pathetic Microsoft is. All these years Microsoft used anti-competitive methods to gain market share. Microsoft is the past. Apple and Google are the future.

100% agree!!!!!

[ikramerica--2008]

The problem with your argument, Mr. Dee, is even if the 2% market share were true (it's not, it's moving toward 10%), the market share of CONSUMERs in the USA is much higher. Windows market share is skewed by it's role in markets like Point of Sale systems, which is all well and good, but doesn't really use the interface as we know it. It's basically a defacto OS because MS doesn't ship DOS alone anymore. But the POS market is quite large (and the various back end machines linked to it) and it skews the share greatly.

When consumer choice is measured, Macs are one of the top selling brands. And when consumer perception is measured, Macs score even better.

This is why MS is scared enough to make ads that show people how to buy 3 year old hardware for cheap...

[whizkid454]

There is really no one who has an answer to market share percentages. Don't even think for one second that NetApplications gives a good idea of how many of each computers are out there. They measure market share based on the amount of computers that visit certain web sites and log those usage statistics. Do you realize how many computers are in use that do not connect to the internet?

I would bet it's somewhere between 2% and 10%, but most likely nearer the middle.

[rapier1]

I think what consumers are deciding is that these idiotic arguments are pathetic.
For God's sake people, its *JUST A COMPUTER*!!!

If a computer has changed your life so much that you've become an over zelaous partisan then something was seriously wrong with your life long before you ever looked at a computer.

[dulcimoo]

Mr. Dee.
1: Apple's share has been well over 2% for quite a long time
2: Apple's share as been growing.
3: Consumers (and businesses) tend towards lower cost not better performance nor better performance over time. It is easy to say this computer which costs less now [hard cost] is a better deal when the true cost over time is less than this other computer [soft cost]

When I travel by train - most everyone has an PC. But when by air most have a Mac. Those with the money to choose - choose Mac.

[Rod Roddy]

Wait, what?...Macs can't get viruses?

[eltoro2827]

You call people with macs cool....hip....lol....the starbuckers either surfing the web with safari, using itunes and office....yeah...really cool...really hip.

[The_Third_One]

Exactly! Wow, you really get it. I was wondering when I would find someone who got it down. They are hip and cool. Too bad that PC is better. It has "BLUUUU RAAYYYY" and was stated by the store rep to be "good for games" also has a "16.4 SCREEN!"

[NikEst]

@ The_Third_One

Seriously? Blu-Ray is a selling point? Oh wait, I'll totally be able to tell the difference between DVD and Blu-Ray on my laptop screen, especially on an airplane or at Starbucks. Wait, I'm sorry, I forgot how important Blu-Ray is to laptop devices with screens smaller than the LCD TV recommended minimum screen size of 50" for Blu-Ray to become "worth it".

[NikEst]

@ The_Third_One

Also, why the hell would you want to carry a "laptop" with a 16.4" screen? Are you training for iron man or something?

[seven7dust]

another awesome feature og blu-ray reduced battery life
this already has a lowly 2 hrs of battery life add in bluray
and yr lucky to actually finish a Movie ! great job MS
keep on selling those marketing gimmicks !

[indiemixer]

So unrealistic that a kid would say no to a Mac.

[ducttape36]

but he wanted something for games. which is better for games, pc or mac?

[ikramerica--2008]

well, he could simply buy an OEM install of XP, and then his machine can run both. but of course the 13" screen and built in graphics of the MacBook aren't great for gaming. You need a Pro for that.

But refurbed and previous gen Pros are in the $1500 range (after all, most of the MS ads suggest buying previous generation hardware, right?)

[monkeyfun14]

@ikramerica

Why should someone have to buy a used computer?
And if your doing gaming if you buy a Windows license MS still gets there money anyways lmfao.

[Perry_Clease]

"by ducttape36 April 9, 2009 4:24 PM PDT
but he wanted something for games. which is better for games, pc or mac?"

The PC is better for games. He will probably be playing games on a PC while living with his parents for the next 40 years.

[indiemixer]

Oh, and I guarantee that in the next one they'll be using an old person.

[saf11489]

does the kid even know what blu-ray is ???/

[ducttape36]

does it matter? its a commercial.

[9Nails]

Seriously? You're wondering if a kid knows something about technology? This is the digital generation! Kids have Cell phones and YouTube accounts as a requirement to get a birth certificate in California. These little babies think digitally. I once saw elementary school kids change the SSID of their laptops to cheat a test. SSID's with "Q9isA" and "Q13isC" started popping up, and the gray haired teacher didn't understand it even after I explained to her what they did.

[kcotham]

You'd be amazed at how ignorant kids are of technology. They know how to utilise it, but that's about it. Very few actually understand it. I'm constantly surprised by how ignorant the college students in my city are. These are kids that grew up with the internet. They don't have a clue on how to set up their computers. Of course, most of them have Windows, which isn't user friendly. But the point is, that even the early-20-somethings don't understand.

[Mweaver2k9]

I'd like to see one of these commercials where someone actually buys a desktop and not a laptop

[The_Third_One]

They should go PC. iMacs really are just a pretty face. And Mac Pro seems out of most "average american" budgets these ads are aimed at. Mac mini is more for people who actively want to try a mac, but don't want to spend too much money.

I'm posting this from an iMac, and yeah, it's not that great. I got a good deal though. Last summer 2.4 Ghz, 3gb of RAM, 20 inch monitor, 512MB graphics, and a 3 year warranty for 1,400. I'm fairly certain I wasn't apple taxed. I looked at all the computers at Fry's and couldn't find a better deal.

[jbcahill]

What a ridiculous load of scripted crap. The commercials don't make Apple look bad, they make Microsoft look bad. Worse...it makes them look desperate.

For starters, lets compare a Microsoft laptop with an Apple laptop...oh...uh...wait...Microsoft doesn't make a laptop...DUH! And that cheap a** Sony junk they bought....a "gaming" laptop...maybe if your game is Solitair.

[ducttape36]

yes. everyone knows macs are much better for gaming.

[8301]

I suppose you think a company with less than 10% market share airing (scripted) advertisements with dubious claims and irrelevant "facts", without once demonstrating or even showing a picture of the product they're hawking, is not desperate.

[The_Third_One]

@8301

...have you not seen the new mac ads? They don't have Justin Long anymore. (SPOILER: he actually uses Dell)

[MPB]

HA HA Microsoft's trying to bet Apple at their own game. LOL

[The_Third_One]

Since when was apple's game "LOW LOW BUDGET PRICES"? They've always been overpriced. 20th anniversary mac anyone?

[NikEst]

See, they aren't overpriced. Add in the software you'll need to make your PC do much, it's about even. Just wait until you buy good software to write software for a PC. It's free on a Mac, it's hundreds of dollars on a PC. That seems to be a pretty common trend. Even Office for Mac is cheaper.

[Rezabe]

Do I miss something or these Ads are really stupid?!

[this1!]

agreed

[bushputz]

No, you didn't, and yes, they are.

[kullz]

I think the one point Mac users always bring up is about anti-virus, but they sell anti-virus for Mac at your local apple store!! Can any OS make the claim that its immune to viruses? If any of you say yes, then I would say that you are ignorant... At the very least check wikipedia on known viruses for unix based systems.
It is good that Mac & PC are going against each other and this surely means that consumers will benefit irrespective of their choice.

[flickrz]

Agreed. Amen!

[The_Third_One]

There are total of 579 viruses for the mac, 553 of them are word/excel macro viruses, and all of them are for the older non-os x based systems). OSX comes on every new mac. I think that anti-virus might be for suckers.

[kcotham]

They sell it yes, but ask them how many they sell. It's always better to be safe than sorry however. No system is perfect nor is any impervious to misuse.

I'd be willing to be that most of the people that are buying the anti-virus for Mac OS are either, new converts to the Mac (thinking that you HAVE to have antivirus), or they are just super-careful sorts.

[dumbspammers]

So it's MSFT's position that the laptop with the lowest cost of purchase (not counting the $395 you have to pay to get what a Mac comes with "out of the box") and the highest cost of maintenance is better than the computer that just works? Yeah, right. Look, I am a Windows tech - I'm making good money and getting paid to get my MCDST certification, to keep Windows computers running as well as they can. If someone else is paying for it, I'll buy a Mac. And if I have to buy a Windows PC, I'll use an abacus and an Etch-A-Sketch before I buy a Sony; the Vaio is carefully designed to be almost impossible to upgrade or repair. I'm sure the Best Buy salesdrone laughed his butt off when Scripted Mom and Robokid left the store.

[monkeyfun14]

Still would be cheaper then the MAC with more powerful hardware..

They want 2000+ for a average speced laptop for christs sake

[kcotham]

That's not true "monkeyfun14", and compare actual specs. When I bought my MacBook (early 2008 model), I couldn't find a single generic PC that had a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo (T8300) for dramatically less than the MacBook. In fact, most were a lot more than the MacBook, and only a few were $100-200 less.

Try doing one of those comparisons now. You'll find the same to be true. Just compare like to like. I mean EXACT specs, same chip, not just same clock speed. Most of the el cheapos I've seen are using low-grade Core chips with 800MHz front side busses. The MacBooks and (of course) MacBook Pros are using Intel's top tier Core chips. The same goes for the iMac and Mac Pro. Do your homework.

[coachgeorge]

Can we please get off these ads? No, I will not be happy when Apple responds, and you know they will.
Is there any real tech. news out there?
AGHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhh,

[The_Third_One]

Seconded. I'm tired of the hate.

[kcotham]

I'm tired of the stupidity!

[rwm72]

OSX is more "user" friendly than any other OS. Bottom line. What many professionals see as fluffy and unnecessary extras like the GUI, many users find it the point of differentiation that leads them to choose Mac. Many of my friends had not owned a computer for a number of years because they felt intimidated by Windows and the way it is set up. Most would use their wife's work PC, get annoyed, and often just ask them to do what they needed. Windows seemed illogical to them, like a foreign language, and when they went to buy a computer they would be put off by the apparent complexity and steep learning curve, as well as the lack of empathy from the sales person.

Now we all know that Windows PC are not that difficult to understand, and once you get your head round it, or use them day in and day out, they are fairly simple to navigate around. But put yourselves in the shoes of the average user, or the first time computer user. That is what MS are trying to do with some of these ads, but unfortunately OSX is still far more appealing to the first time or average user. Windows is set up well for the administrator, but that means nothing to the bewildered user.

After hijacking my Mac at my home, all of my friends ended up buying Macs of their own, and they have discovered a love of computers they never had before. And their wives who have been using PCs for years, now try to get on their Mac instead! It is a phenomenon I do not expect the majority of CNET posters to understand, or MS for that matter, but Apple design products for the end user, and those that buy a Mac appreciate this approach. Perhaps that is why IT professionals loathe Mac so much. It is targeted less towards them, and more towards the end user.

While an IT pro can build a machine as powerful for half the price (forgetting design aesthetics of course) most users are willing to pay the so-called 'Apple tax', so they can get a great OS that will humanize the technology and take away the fear and intimidation they once held towards computers. The fact it is wrapped up in award winning industrial design, and comes with the iLife suite (which also does a great job of humanizing once difficult tasks) is just icing on an already tempting and delicious cake. The combination of all this means the price becomes less important, because they realize they will actually use the computer, and WANT to use the computer.

I do not expect CNET posters to necessarily understand this because they have no fear of computers but love them and invest heavily in understanding them. The average user does not. I use both Windows PCs and Macs, and after hearing so many of my friends issues I can see their point very clearly now. It has given me a new appreciation of Mac OSX, and really highlighted the fundamental differences between PCs and Macs. It's all about the OS.

I use Windows at work and have for years, and while I have no problem with it, everyone at work comes to me with their problems rather than go to IT, many of which seem so simple to solve (maybe they are too embarrassed to ask IT :) While I am not an IT professional, they see that I understand the mystery that is computers to them.
When I go home, all my mates want to ask me about Macs. But the questions are always the same... "Why aren't all computers like this?! This is so much better to use, and so logical!"
I am sure we will all be branded dumb users, and should all be herded into a pen like sheep, where we can cause no more trouble. But this is a little insight into the minds and emotions of a number of users. Sorry for the long post!

[monkeyfun14]

Once again we are throwing in this Mac's are the most beautiful computers I can pull up a bunch of pc's which imho are alot better looking then anything Apple has to offer.

More easier to use I don't see how they are more easier to use someone explain to me how these are more easier to use. We keep saying this but I honestly yet to see how.

I can easily build a machine half the price and I can make this machine 3 - 4 times faster or more then any comparable mac

"Well OSX includes iLife" I can go by corel does the same exact thing as iLife and costs less then iLife does to upgrade.

[kcotham]

If you're building your own computers "monkeyfun14" then you are technically savvy, at least a bit more than the average computer user. That means you are probably very familiar with all the idiosyncrasies of Windows. In fact, you probably don't even see them as idiosyncrasies, which is sad because that means that you have gotten so used to the convoluted, mixed up, illogical ways of Microsoft.

And when you talk about custom building a machine, you've gone outside the realm of what is available at a store (the whole point of the comparisons in these stupid ads) and rendered the comparison irrelevant. By the way, I could customise a Mac Pro for extreme speed as well. That's now what they were talking about. They were showing what is available in a retail store, off the shelf.

If you mean you can "buy" Corel, then go ahead. But one doesn't need to "upgrade" iLife. So, once again, your argument is moot.

You did get one thing right, in your humble opinion "imho". So, go with what you like. No one is stopping you.

[Alphaman63]

monkeyfun14's comments are exactly what I would expect from someone who's never used anything other than Windows, who then comes on to comment about how Mac users are ignorant.

People shouldn't comment on things they know nothing about. I use Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and OpenVMS every single day. I love 'em all (yes, some more than others). But when I had to get a computer for my own personal use, I bought a MacBook. And I have no qualms about recommending Macs to anyone whose needs can be met by them (i.e., the vast majority of home users).

I will not diss an OS I've not tried with outrageous fanboyism such as that exemplified by monkeyfun14. But I have come to expect it from ignorant Windows fanboys who only know Windows. At least I can be relatively certain that most Mac users have tried both Windows and Mac OS (due to the marketshare of Windows), so their comments come from personal experience.

[ikramerica--2008]

I do laugh at these ads because they lie. not that macs are expensive. that's true. but that the reality is, the machines these people are buying DO NOT meet their stated objectives! They settled for much less and didn't realize it. Which is how the PC laptop game works at Best Buy, etc. You don't realize you are getting a low rent product until you get it home.

That's the one thing the Mac has going for it. They don't sell previous gen processors as discount models. They update their line bi-yearly, and so you know the mac you are buying now will have the latest wifi, latest version of the cpu, etc., not stuff from 3 years ago.

[monkeyfun14]

How is it a low rent product? How are they lying?

[thinkin123]

I was born and bread on Windows and PCs. I've worked on PC's for over 12 years, and refused to use Macs for the reason that I thought they were all about image and just pretty. Microsoft is really wearing this argument a little thin though.

OK, time to be fair. The Mac vs. PC campaign peeved some people off, and I guess these ads are Microsoft's response, but I do not get it. Microsoft is a SOFTWARE company, touting how inexpensive PC HARDWARE is. They are not able to advertise that their software is less expensive than Apple's because it is not. They are not able to attack the usability of Mac OS, or security, etc... compared to their own product, so they decide to compare a third party company product to the hardware cost of Macs? Does anyone else see the difference in the Mac vs. PC campaign to these Microsoft ads? Mac discussed an apples to apples (or Apple to PC) comparison of products. Microsoft is avoiding mentioning their products and instead focusing on the cheaper hardware of companies that have agreed to preload their Microsoft software (which by the way, the main reason companies like HP and Sony preload Microsoft on their products is because MS then subsidizes their products; in other words Microsoft pays them).

Now granted this has always been MS marketing tactic, have hardware companies build and sell their products and preload MS software on these products (have another company do the leg work of building machines, marketing and selling the machines, and making money off of this hard work). This tactic has allowed MS to gain a huge amount of market exposure. As long as you buy a PC, 8 out of ten times it will be running Windows. This differs from Mac's resistance to a similar model of doing business. Arguably, if Mac agreed to license its OS to other computer manufacturers we would see a big spike in OSX users. So maybe to be fair, or should I say rational, MS should run an ad campaign that compares their products to those of Apple.

Lastly, this whole campaign of "Our products are CHEAPER than yours" stinks of desperation. If Mac is not a real competitor to MS (per Ballmer) then what's this ad campaign all about?

Microsoft has spend years preloading their stuff on computers, making every attempt to limit consumer options. Their techniques are getting old and transparent. Just make a product that you can directly compare to OSX, and then I am sure your market share will stop decreasing.

[monkeyfun14]

Apple also lied...

Never said a damn thing about their products...

Windows does video and photo editing just as well as any Mac can if not better because of more capable hardware.
Want to know the starting price of a Quad Core Mac? $3000

MS has made advertisements displaying capabilities and ease of use of their operating system rookies anyone?

And whats wrong on competing on price? Does making blatant lies about Windows OS not stink of desperation?

If MS marketing tactic such a failure then why are fanboys like you running around trying to justify why OSX is better?

It appears Apple seems to be quite threatened by Windows 7 going from were just focusing on under the hood changes to trying to completely rework the GUI

[kullz]

There we go again... Security with OSX :-) usability with OSX...
I am not sure what you mean by usability? I am sure as hell that you are not a usability engineer so stop putting in buzz words...
I dont think you understand the ad at all, MSFT is talking about computer that are cheaper than Mac when they have the same/comparable hardware... so in terms of horsepower there is no significant difference then why is Mac so expensive? Plus I have to buy Office coz Apple doesnt have its own that is widely used...
Apple & MSFT are both harping about points that might make them look good (one of the goals of an ad campaign)
I dont see Apple trying to push its competitor for MS Office now, does it?

[russkeller]

They really need to stop. All these do is remind me of how funny those Apple Ads were.

[kcotham]

Yup, they're doing Apple's job for them.

[Alphaman63]

Spot on. I watch these ads and am totally non-plussed. Eh, they've got an interesting message, and they obviously resonate with some who solely use MSRP (and not TCO) as a buying decision, but they don't make me laugh. I am not anxiously (not even half-heartedly) awaiting the next Microsoft ad.

However, I am SO anticipating the next Apple ads, because I'm fairly sure most viewers, myself included, will wind up getting a good laugh out of them.

These ads are almost as desperate as the Bill & Jerry show...

[MTGrizzly]

I don't want to get into the Mac vs. PC argument, but...

Do people realize what this commercial series is about? It's about HARDWARE, which M$ doesn't even make. The ads do not mention the operating system. They do not claim that Vista is better than any other operating system or that Vista will even meet the needs of the people buying the POS, price point PCs. They don't even discuss the relative value of Vista vs. any other OS. M$ is making commercials for hardware manufacturers, knowing that the lower up front prices of the POS's hardware they just told you to buy, will force you to buy a copy of Vista...

The 'up front' cost of a computer is, really, just the beginning. The cost of ownership over the lifetime of the hardware, (not Windows, not OSX, not Linux), is a more accurate gauge of the true cost of ownership.

So, why is M$ making hardware commercials? Is HP, Sony, et cetera paying them? Are they giving away the advertising, just so they can sell more copies of Vista? Is there really any point to these commercials, other than making sure buyers know that Vista comes on dirt cheap, out dated hardware?

[MTGrizzly]

BTW, when I say POS, I am not referring to "Point of Sale", I am referring to the other POS...

[Perry_Clease]

"Do people realize what this commercial series is about? It's about HARDWARE, which M$ doesn't even make."

True, but if the hardware isn't sold then neither is the OS.

[monkeyfun14]

Cheap outdated hardware? This is why iMacs are still on dual core rights?

They made commercials on features of their operating system.

Has Apple ever really talked about their computers either? All I saw was lies being thrown at Windows machines.

[kcotham]

@monkeyfun14
What lies?

[Alphaman63]

@monkeyfun14

Yes, if you ever watched the Apple ads, you'd know that a vast majority of them actually talk about the features of OS X and iLife. There are some that recently have laughed at Vista, but that's not unsurprising.

Have you seriously missed the latest ads about how green the MacBooks are? How long the battery life is? Those are "features".

http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/#ad

[kevsmail]

Wow, lotta Mac-fan posts.

I actually like these MS/PC ads. But then, I liked the Seinfeld ones too, just for their quirkiness. I never understood why MS stood by for so many years and let Apple punch them in the face with their smug ads.

Apple ads with their smugness make me wanna punch Justin Long in the face. I usually like the music in them though esp the MB Air. I do notice though, that they don't use the tagline "It Just Works" anymore. Seeing all the Apple QA problems lately, at least there's some truth in advertising.

[simply7]

Jerry Seinfeld was always an Apple Mac user. Go back and watch every single episode and see what is on his desk in his apartment. Yes I know it was a TV show but Jerry Seinfeld the Human uses a Mac not a PC (a fact) so just because he was paid to say otherwise simply means you are a "sucker" for believing it. :-)

http://blogs.computerworld.com/ten_reasons_why_the_seinfeld_microsoft_partnership_doesnt_work

[Alphaman63]

@kevsmail

"... all the Apple QA problems..."

Huh? All the customer satisfaction surveys I've seen have indicated a vast preference for the quality of Apple hardware and software over any combination from the Windows/PC hardware side.

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/02/18/apple_leads_2009_customer_satisfaction_survey.html