Microsoft goes after Mac on price in new ad
While Steve Wozniak was rushing to an Apple store to get some help, Lauren, a quintessential average female consumer, was heading there too--part of Microsoft's bold new attempt to show the "Apple tax" in action.
In the Microsoft TV spot that just assaulted me during the Pitt-Xavier game, Lauren tells us she has needs. She needs a laptop with "speed, comfortable keyboard and a 17-inch screen for under $1,000." The voiceover tells her that if she finds it (at the Apple store or elsewhere), she can keep it--for free.
And so we follow Lauren, her fetching green scarf, and her jolly, Oregon-esque joie de vivre on her quest.
She goes to an Apple store and exits with a face suggesting that the dermatologist has given her bad news. She can only get a 13-inch screen for her money. She declares that she would have to "double her budget" to get what she wants from Apple.
She then offers the entirely unscripted line: "I'm just not cool enough to be a Mac person."
Oh, Lauren, what is cool these days? Yanni? The Jonas Brothers? Jimmy Kimmel? Do any of them wear a green scarf?
You will feel a tickling sensation in several parts of your anatomy when you hear that Lauren succeeds in her quest for budget-conscious joy. She wanders into a place that looks remarkably like Best Buy, where the choirs are singing and the choices are plentiful. She settles on a Hewlett-Packard PC that fulfills all her wishes. It even offers to drive her home. Well, not quite.
The HP is such a bargain that she pays cash. Is it because she happens to have about $700 in her purse, as all average female consumers do? No, because a helpful producer hands her the money.
This is perhaps Microsoft's most aggressive declaration of an advertising war against the Mac in a long, long time. What fun that the company and its ad agency, Crispin, Porter and Bogusky, have chosen an overt price war.
It will be interesting to see just how many cash-unconscious Americans will be persuaded to accept their own lack of sidewalk credibility and venture toward the PC.
And it will be interesting whether someone might be a little upset over the clear implication that Macs cost twice as much as PCs. After all, last week, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer suggested that the Apple logo costs only $500.
And now, back to the other March Madness.
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. 
Ouch. That's pretty much the entire synopsis of Apple vs PC right there.
Let the flame wars begin. :/
Just sourcing a link to the ad for you..should be there in a couple of ticks..
This should be fun....
Chris
Seriously wat were Ms thinking ?
and ad is supposed to show why yr products are better than the competition
not cheaper and say stuff like "not cool enough" ! weird !!!
"More like free advertisement for Apple !"
Somehow I don't think Apple really wants to be considered the most expensive computer brand on the market that charges double what the consumer can afford or is reserved only for cool people and not the rest of the world.
No sir that's not a stand I think Apple wants to take. That's what the ad is purposing to do. Apple will need to address it, but they haven't run any I'm a Mac ads in months now. If they do a new one now, it will only look petty and pathetic on their part. They will need to come up with something new like talk about the product.
Yep, that's what it seems like. Now, everyone wants to be cool enough to get a Mac.
This does sound like a very odd form of marketing - suggesting that your competitors products are "cool". Surely it makes much more sense to say something along the lines of "they look the same as what I see elsewhere but are double the price". Saying that they are "cool" effectively praises the brand.
Again, Microsoft needs to learn how to advertise their products properly.
But apparently, she is cool enough to keep $700 in cash in her pocketbook?
I have to wonder what she "does" for a living that requires her to keep so much cash on hand?
Whoa... wait a minute... so what you're saying is that all those Mac ads where they repeatedly slam you over the head with "Vista is junk" is being positive? By the way... the point is that the entry level Mac is nearly twice as much as most PC laptops.
That's it.
Corey
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/03/26/rescuecom_report/
Keep in mind that it puts all the other PC OEM's furthr down the chart as well. Asus is not a brand I would have consdiered to be reliable enough to topple Apple, let alone in the top ten.
You might want to note that, according to the article, Lenovo also scored 348 reliability points in the same survey, and was granted joint first place with Asus. The article implies that Asus's score is so high because the companies Eee PC just started gaining popularity over the past few months, while other computer manufacturers have been around for years; basically, Asus hasn't been selling PCs long enough to get customer service calls and we should see a more realistic score for them next time around.
Also of note, HP scored 142 reliability points, and Dell was not mentioned.
For the most current report, only the 13" models is really interesting and in general favor of the Apple (a $1,000 apple notebook is equivalent to an $850 HP). For the other 2 groupings, you'll notice that CR is comparing Apple notebooks that cost at least twice as much as any of the PC based notebooks...and Apple is coming ahead on performance, screen quality, and speakers. Bump up the specs on the PC based notebooks, it'll still cost less and the performance would at least be a decent comparison.
This is not about Apple bashing, just poor comparison methodology by Consumer Reports, so I would not recommend using them as a reference. They compare bottom end Denon receivers to top end Onkyo receivers (et al)...and, no surprise, you find the same kinds of ratings; the higher priced receivers tend to perform better.
Vista has a horrible wrap, because there hasn't been a new Windows OS for the past 6 years.
also, I'm gonna grab something that I find funny here...
"And in a recent survey by a company doing hardware repairs found the Apple product line to be a distant second to... Asus? Yeah, I don't get it either, but it wasn't even a close second either. 972 f'reliability points' for Asus to 324 with the Mac. Read what you will into that.
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/03/26/rescuecom_report/
Keep in mind that it puts all the other PC OEM's furthr down the chart as well. Asus is not a brand I would have consdiered to be reliable enough to topple Apple, let alone in the top ten."
Asus not a brand Reliable enough to topple Apple? Go to Newegg, look at the Asus branded notebooks, and look at the warranty. Basic warranty is as follows:
12 months accidental damage
24 months manufacturers warranty.
Zero dead pixel Guarantee. Zero. Only they, and Nintendo, have stood up and said "We're not going to let a single dead pixel be acceptable on an LCD screen" ::flips off Sony and other LCD manufacturers::
Asus is quite possibly, hands down, the best Notebook brand on the market, HP and Compaq use Asus parts in their machines, Dell uses Intel, and Gateway tends to use either Intel or MSI. HP happens to be one of the #1 brand of PC's on the market, and Asus is "Not a brand I would have considered to be reliable enough to topple apple."
Asus never had a video card that FAILED RANDOMLY BECAUSE THE SOLDER FAILED.
BTW: I might have praised the Apple 17" Macbook Pro for every other design, however (and I don't care how long they 'say' the battery lasts, in theory I should get 100mbps through my Ethernet connection but it will never happen) once they locked that battery inside and threw away the key - no. No apple. An MP3 player? Okay, cheap. A Phone? get replaced yearly anyway. An PC? ... A Computer? Something I will have for upwards of 6 years? (I expect more from an Apple as I pay more for it) no. No. NO. Unlock that battery, and I'll buy it TODAY.
I agree with you. I am very surprised at quality of Asus. They used to be the 'el cheapo' of computer brands when they first started out, but now they are on the list of quality that rivals apple. Now historically, apple has been of an "ok" quality, but they are too expensive. I know of several people (persoanlly) who have OSX running on their netbooks (eee, N10J, Samsung something, etc) for cost of half of cheapest apple product. Sorry, but apple is too expensive and too restriuctive on what you can do and how you can do it. Microsoft is more open with their products than apple.
"Currently, the Taiwan-based OEM companies with largest market share are Quanta, Compal, Wistron, Inventec and Asus, whose laptop shipment account for 85.5% of the total globally. ?
- China Laptop Industry Report 2006-2007
" No major laptop brand is really much more likely to break down than any other. Why? Because most laptops are essentially commodity products, made from the exact same components, and differentiated only by their outer shells and extra features.?
?Who makes the most reliable laptops? by Dan Ackerman ? 5-7-08
http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9938550-1.html?tag=cnetfd.mt
ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) Companies:
- Quanta sells to (among others) Alienware, Apple Inc., HP/Compaq, Dell, Toshiba, Sony, Fujitsu, Acer, NEC, Gateway and IBM
- Quanta is currently (as of August, 2007) the largest manufacturer of notebook computers in the world
(9,677,000 notebooks shipped in 2006)
- Compal sells to Toshiba, HP/Compaq, Acer, and Dell
- Wistron sells to HP/Compaq, Dell, IBM, NEC, and Acer
- Asus sells to Apple (iBook), Sony, and Samsung
- Inventec sells to HP/Compaq, Toshiba, and BenQ
- Arima sells to HP/Compaq, NEC, and Dell
- Uniwill/ECS sells to IBM, Fujitsu, and Dell
Get your facts straight. It's a replaceable battery, just not user replaceable. It costs $150 to replace the battery, including the labour to do so, WHEN it dies. And it will last several times longer, not only a charge, but the life of the battery. In order to cram the most battery into the machine, they removed the mechanism for plugging and unplugging the battery.
http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/includes/overview_hero5.html#battery
I'm not even going to try to respond to the rest of your ramblings. Do you even understand how a computer works? You talk about not getting 100Mbps, do you not understand the overhead that reduces the real-world speeds. And the fact that you stated 100Mbps shows you've never touched a MacBook Pro, or any other professional grade Mac for that matter. They've all had 1000Mbps Ethernet cards for years! Heck even my early 2008 model MacBook does!
Kindly go back under the bridge please ;-)
Now #1 in support, that I can see.
But I have to agree that they are way overpriced!
And if Apple were still using an entirely different architecture like Power PC, you'd be the first to condemn them for not using a "standard" architecture Can't win with some people!.
Lenovo makes solid PCs. Sure, they bought their way there, but IBM made great computers and wanted out.
ASUS and Lenovo are more reliable than Apple
Thinkpads are solidly built, I agree that black slabs aren't that stylish, but it works and its cheaper than an equivalent Mac
and I can put Mac OS on to it
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/watchtheads/video/lauren/
Is Flash the only company allowed to create a product? good grief... you are insane.
Nope, quite sane thank you very much for your concern.
I just refuse to put Microsoft software on my machines out of principle. That and I don't trust it. Silverlight has had some serious holes lately, remember?
@Vorgamorth
I never said "Flash" was a company. I'm sorry if you or others misunderstood. I'll try to be more clear from now on. I do agree with you about them using their new Silverlight instead of Adobe's Flash. But Microsoft is king of enforcing "standards" on people.
@saneazok
QuickTime encapsulates standards like MPEG-4.
Plus you can't compare a 700 dollar machine to a macbook pro. The macbook pro equvalent of a pc costs thousands of dollars as well.
Don't feel threatened if people don't want to choose to be like you and love Macintosh only. It really is okay to... "Think different."
you can find TOP of the line SLI gaming laptop's for under 2000$ on craigslist that will blow the next gen macs out of the water.
with mac you pay 90% for the looks 10% for the hardware.
what it comes down to...do you NEED a brushed aluminum case? or a fancy touch pad or keyboard that are about as zen as a buddhist temple?
last i checked i used my laptop for checking email.
and it was around 400$..and it runs linux.
my pc however...if people want to sit in a starbucks and wear a beatnick hat and all that to do their graphic design thats great...they can go ahead and look like a tool.
to me its more fun in my house in some comfortable pj's with a window open with a fresh breeze....on my quad core extreme... 8gb OCZ ddr3....dual 4870x2.....that blows the living crap.....out of any mac currently available. and hey its also cheaper than the most expensive mac(with the most expensive monitor, being that i have a monitor thats the same size as their biggest) by over a grand.
not to sound rude but I wonder how you can build a 15" laptop ?
I would love too as well ! plzz share your Knowledge !
and BTW Apple isn't really aiming it's Computers at people looking for SLI type of performance which BTW is a expensive hobby and not a cost effective one !
have you seen the Mac vs Pc ads !
they show their machines as being less burdening and better built !
which is why we Mac users pay the premium n e way !
sure a 400$ laptop would be nice but the 1299$ I paid for my macbook was not a rip-off considering a similar machine was only 100-200$'s cheaper at the time
and when I add in the trouble free experience and all the time and I've saved using a Mac over other generic windows Pcs ! it's worth the extra ! Atleast for me !
plus from wat I've seen/heard Macs have really good resale value too !
and I sure as hell don't go to starbucks or wear Armani sunglasses !
and yr comment about tools ! Since you use a PC ,According to Microsoft your a tool{Pc} {sorry ! couldn't help myself}
Oh, for crying out loud. By virtue of the fact that you have brought "gaming" into this topic I have to ignore your comment. Macs are not made for gamers - the likes of the MacBook Pro are made for graphics professionals, such as photographers. Strangely, people who have to travel aren't keen on carrying around a 10lb monster and for that reason alone the case is VERY important.
Consider this - you could buy a faster desktop computer for the same money as your gaming laptop. Of course, the desktop isn't portable and that's pretty much the same issue for your gaming laptop in comparison to the likes of a MacBook Pro (or other professional laptops - they don't have to be Macs).
The one thing that holds Apple back in the gaming market is that gamers love to customize their machines to the extreme.
Wow, graphic designers look like tools, huh? And the Übergeek who buys bits and pieces off Craigslist to build his own laptop system? Yeah, you don't look like a tool at all.
Pot, meet kettle.
Resale? I've been in tech for 20 years and I've never resold any computer. You run it until it's obsolete and move on. Resale? I'm still running Toshibas I bought ten years ago.
And the ad had nothing to so with Macbook Pros. It was basically comparing this:
Apple Macbook
13" screen
2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x1GB
160GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm
SuperDrive 8x (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
Price: $1299
with this:
HP G70
17" widescreen
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor T6400 (2.0GHz)
3GB DDR2 System Memory
250GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
Price: $699
With that said, I see no problem if people want to pay an extra $600 for the Apple brand. People pay extra for labels all the time even though the underlying item is similar. If that glowing logo and the brand image that goes with it is worth $600 of your dollars then go for it.
Thank you for showing us how the manufacturers dupe people into not REALLY looking at the specs.
The MacBook has a 1066MHz frontside bus. The HP is running DDR2 memory, so it clearly isn't up to this speed.
I see you conveniently omitted the fact that the Core 2 Duo in the MacBook is a P7350 as opposed to the HP's cheaper, slower T6400. So here we have the little MacBook, with a very well made aluminium body that has a faster system bus, faster memory, and a more advanced CPU, which would put in the class of a "pro" HP. And the MacBook is Apple's low-end laptop mind you.
Which particular G70 were you looking at? The G70-250us is running a T4200 2.0GHz for $699.99 (HP web site). That huge monitor is only a 1440x900, which Apple used in their old PowerBook G4 from 2005. The MacBook you mentioned uses a 1280x800 pixel monitor. Now the HP does win out in hard drive space, I will give you that. But all in all, the HP is going to be much slower in practice than the MacBook. This comparison shows how people can be so easily duped with a few incomplete specs.
So when you compare your needs to what's available the Pro is 1000 more than her needs. That comparison is fair. Some people just don't realize that the HP meets the needs and the MacBook exceeds them and the two machines are not the same at all relative to each other.
As for selling old Mac's. Yeah, they are so overpriced that it's easier to buy new it seems. In my case it was actually cheaper...Go figure.
The redhead's a heck of a lot cuter than Seinfeld and Gates, to be sure!
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/03/26/apple_selling_8gb_memory_upgrade_kits_for_15_macbook_pros.html
Now that's some expensive memory, and even Crucial sells it for $654 for the same thing. Still, that's a lot more than most memory, but it is special memory for the Mac.
It's pretty darn hard to justify $1200 for a memory upgrade on any computer these days.
Although it may be mainstream to think (Mac versus PC) = (Apple versus MS) it's really not correct. It is hard to buy a laptop/pc without a pre-installed OS but a PC != MS. As a Linux user I thought it was important to point this out. That said, Mac has a more stable OS than MS's crap, it's Unix after all. However, Unix has been available for the PC as free OS (Linux) for many years now. In summary, it all depends what you are doing, what you prefer, etc. Mac may be great for graphic designers, Windows for gamers, Linux for serious geeks and for servers. Neither Mac or MS really belong in the server world IMHO unless you like misery.
Who buys memory from a computer manufacturer? I never have in 20 years of owning a computer. I always go to a third party. You get memory that is just as good or better for a much better price. I agree, Apple really overcharges for their memory. Apple says it's tested to be compatible and meets a higher standard than generic memory cards, but who knows. I buy from Crucial or Kingston or another similar vendor/manufacturer that will stand behind their product and guarantee compatibility.
"Who buys memory from a computer manufacturer?"
The person who doesn't want to void the warranty on their Macintosh laptop buys memory from the OEM. Apple will void the warranty if you do not use Apple approved memory. This is common for most OEM's.
I agree that people go to third party suppliers, but the answer is the same- if you want to maintain your warranty and support from Apple, then you must only use Apple approved components.
That might have been true in the past, but not now. Third party memory does NOT void the warranty, nor does doing it yourself. If I'm wrong, please show me where that policy is stated. I read nothing like that in the info that came with my Apple computer. But hey, if I'm wrong, I'd like to know.
Actually wat he was refering too was the lack of need for hardware upgrades !
because even 5 yr old computers can run Leopard perfectly
unlike Pcs which would require upgrading to get the latest Windows etc.
and added bonus you don't ever need to re-install the O.S either !
Now there are lie and then there are outright lies. I have had six Apple machines over the last fifteen years and bought memory from a third party every time (Apple is too high on the memory). Whenever I have had a tech support related issue, I have told them about the memory every time and at no point did they say "Oh, you bought memory from someone other than us. Sorry, we can't help you as you have voided your warranty even though the memory is USER accessible." Please keep the facts straight. I'm sure someone has ran into that issue, but I'm just stating from personal experience. Voiding a warranty over user serviceable memory, is like Ford voiding your warranty because you bought a battery from Autozone and installed it yourself. How silly indeed!!
Absolute rubbish - this is not true.
Conversely my 4 year old Dell laptop that had XP Pro on it not only runs Vista but Windows 7 Beta, In the Windows world, Vista was and is an exception. I have a 2001 AMD Athalon home brew that will run XP. I believe it will also run Windows 7, although I haven't tested it.
I do agree, however, The redhead is a heck of a lot cuter than any of the previous Apple or Mac commercial stars
Color me shocked! Shocked, I tells ya!
I've been on both sides, I used a PC for the longest time before switching over. How can you explain how a Mac is to someone before they've ever even used one?
I will agree that it is a bit pricey for the initial cost, but in the long run, it's worth it.
"The reason for getting a Mac? It just works."
Except when it doesn't. Apple's forums are full of people who have systems simply don't work. Get over it.
Even Wozniak is in the news because his Mac's installation of iTunes isn't working correctly, giving him odd errors. Again, the old line 'It just works' is inaccurate.
iMovie is useful - terrible interface, but once again you can get alternatives and you'll probably find one preinstalled on your computer.
The vast majority of people, even Mac users, only use Garageband as a simple audio recorder. If they use it at all. In that way, there are heaps of great alternatives for Windows, that don't require you to have a Core 2 Duo or better. (unlike Garageband)
Macs just work; but then, Windows-preinstalled PCs just work, and Linux-preinstalled PCs just work. Your argument is like saying "Macintoshes have cool window effects" - all the other platforms are the same in this regard.
The biggest problem with Macintoshes is that Apple needs you to buy a new computer to keep the cashflow coming in; so they make all the new programs require the latest operating system, and the make the latest operating system work only on recent machines. That's why I stopped buying Macs after 10 years - sure they last a long time, but you'll still have to buy a new machine every couple of years to keep running the latest software.
I personally couldn't use Mac OS X or Windows. Apple's engineers have turned a secure operating system base into a laughing stock of security bloopers, and Microsoft hasn't learnt the v
Clearly no-one expects a 2 door VW Beetle and a 2 door Porsche are going to have the same price or perform the same way. Sure they are both cars and they both have two doors, and they may even be made in the same country, but after you get past the basics, the underlining technology changes dramatically. They have different power plants, different transmission, different suspension, different styling.. I could go on, but you know what I mean.
While it is true that some folks decide they just aren't cool enough to drive a Porsche, there is not a group of journalists and analysts decrying Porsche for being overpriced nor competitors suggesting the excess price is just for the logo on the hood and nothing else.
If you priced comparable features in laptops from Apple, HP, Dell, Sony and others you would find the prices are much the same. Upgrade the HP's motherboard to have the same Bus speeds, the same processors, video cards etc... swap in a hi-res glossy screen with LED lighting, fast disks and memory to suit the faster bus speeds... and suddenly your Windows based machine will cost the same as Apples, or in most cases more.
I have a friend who drives a Beetle, he loves it... but he doesn't for a second expect it to match the performance of a Porsche, neither does any rational person. Why then do rational people expect a laptop costing half as much as another one to be and do the same things, and why isn't anyone calling them on it?
And guess who own those *millions* VW? The less produced Porsche. Ironic isn't it. I'm pretty sure not a lot of people would want to buy an entry level car with $45,000 base without bells and whistles either but Porsche is doing well.
Sorry to burst your bubble but it's a well known fact that Porsche made their money from clever property purchases and share dealing - their car related turnover and indeed profit is dwarfed by that of VW (well, before the bottom dropped out anyway).
Who can resist perky little redheaded Lauren as she flits from PC to PC, basking in the glow from all of those screens full of Vista goodness.
She's a PC, and she got just what she wanted. Paid.
It wasn't a bad ad.
silverlight is actually pretty good
try it first
I have, on Windows 7 beta, on a VM. I keep my Microsoft products in the "sandbox" where they belong.
I'd love to watch the Mac vs PC ads on Apple's website.
Except I need to install Quicktime.
Woops!
That gut wrenching decision was the most trouble that computer ever gave me. I lugged it everywhere for two and half years and it performed very well, giving me far fewer problems than any computer I had owned before it. It has been my daughters laptop for last two years and is still running great, almost five years later.
I replaced the PowerBook with MacBook Pro which has performed even better, and I can run Windows Vista on it, Vista runs surprisingly well. My MacBook Pro cost $2499.00 and I surrendered my credit card without any apprehension What-so-ever. Your first Mac is always the hardest one to buy.
Once you go Mac it's hard to go back !
So, yes, I would agree that the first Mac is the most difficult because it is jumping into the unknown and that's scary stuff, particularly considering the entry price.
Let me get this straight. You have your model customer here heading first to get an Apple... "it's nice, but gosh, it's so expensive!" So then you send her to a generic electronics store, where she discovers, "Hey, this isn't so bad, and it's a lot cheaper!"
From a marketing perspective, congrats, Microsoft: you've just positioned your product as being an inexpensive substitute to a Mac.
Which sends the signal to customers: we're a lot like a Mac but so much less expensive. Which basically marginalizes your brand as second-tier.
FWIW, I'm a Mac user (former PC user) but I don't think I'm being biased in my assessment. From a pure branding perspective, this ad was awful, and frankly cheapening to the MS/Windows brand by portraying it as a second fiddle. MS' kids-making-slideshows/videos ads are much more distinctive and carve out a unique brand positioning. I winced through the entire redhead commercial during the NCAA tourney tonight, though.
Nah, debate it all you like, but the ad is pretty effective in telling its story.
The ordering, instead, seemed to reinforce positive perceptions of Apple. I'm not a raving MS fan myself, but there's significant brand equity there. Acknowledging the perception of Apple as "cool" can work from a marketing perspective -- one rule to overcome negative perception is to acknowledge there's truth in it -- but this was a clunker.
Having her go to Best Buy first, like the computers but say "I've heard Apples are great," then to go there and say, "Hey, this isn't all that different, and look at the price tag" -- would have been more effective, and less of a ding on brand equity.
After Lauren adds anti-virus software, all the other apps that come on a Mac out of the box, and spends several hours removing all the crapware that subsidized her new low-cost PC, she'll wish she'd spent that extra $300 for a Mac.
Nice try, but your facts are simply bogus and out of date. Try a new tactic.
Point is, the Macintosh will not need all those add-ons. That's where the "Microsoft Tax" comes in to play, and even out the playing field. Plus, there's the fact that your average $700 Dell or HP will be broken in a year. I can't tell you how many Dell laptops I've seen with messed up screens and non-responsive track pads.
Interesting - what were they infected with? Details please.
by kelmon March 27, 2009 3:27 AM PDT
"ive seen two macbooks infected this week alone"
Interesting - what were they infected with? Details please."
It was the germs on the keyboards. :)
I keep hearing people say this, but I have never been able to track down this free anti-virus software for PCs. When I google for free anti virus software I get thousands of hits, but they all seem to be scams -first month free, free scan but pay to remove etc. Some of the first hits in fact are things that infect your computer with brutal malware.
This problem extends out to all these "but there are tons of free solutions for Windows" replies. The space is so ridiculously crowded that you can't find anything that actually does what you want -certainly not for free. At least I can't.
I use Avira AntiVir which is actually pretty good even though the free version is nagware
AVG and Vast are also great free antivirus
I don't notice a difference in speed even when it scans the system
There are many free programs for both Windows, Linux and Mac
many are superior to paid apps
I could bore you with the specs, but just know in your heart that my PC will kick any Mac. At first they're embarrased to see Photoshop open in about two-Mississippi on my machine, then they're speechless to learn my rig cost about $900. Yeah, someone got what they paid for alright . . . .
I think he means he configured it on dell's website
Why is MS attacking Apple? It doesn't make sense. Apple is not a competitor, does not allow it's own software to be installed on computers that Windows is sold with. They should be partners.
The only reason attacking Apple that remotely makes sense is that Microsoft's business model requires a quasi monopoly with 3rd-rate buggy products (so that its customers [who are most often NOT the users of MS's products] will pay for the updated products which fix the original bugs, but introduce a batch of their own). Apple is threatening that business model, by taking too much market share, and showing the better alternative.
Congrats, Apple! You're on the right track. Microsoft is panicking.
Oh, and there it is, the "fanboy" that Windows cronies eventually throw out. *Yawn
When I go down the software section, much more software for Windows than MAC. I am a gamer too, much more games for Windows than MAC.
As far as software and hardware and games, PC's are inclusive, MAC's too exclusive...
If I want productivity and fun, I will stick with my PC.
Thanks.
I won't be fooled by Sony or Apple again!
So most people buying Macs will not be using Vista cause they cant stand it !
and even those that use vista will not be using it daily !
than the Wintel PC equivilant but surprisingly had even faster hardware !
and OSX adds a extra value that no other Computer can match !
I agree that Apple expects people wanting a 15-17" laptop to pay a high price but then again most people who want that size will not be yr average user !
I wonder who MS was aiming this ad at the Pc userbase or the Mac userbase !
cause if this was aimed at Mac users the ad was downright bad
why would Mac Users switch ? When the Pc is shown as a Cheaper Inferior platform !
M.S needs some serious help with their marketing !
first the Bill Gates ads that made zero sense to me
then the I'm a Pc campaign which was lame considering MS was calling it's users Pcs{tools} ! Lol!
and now this ad which shows their Product as cheaper and inferior !
maybe this ad wasn't targeted at me !
but think of all the negative publicity to Windows users
it's showing that the PC is less cool and cheaper than a Mac
and yet somehow more and more people r switching to Macs everyday
while Mac vs PC ads show Macs as superior Computers
So PC users will slowly start to think if the Mac is really better ?
and they might try one and feel it's worth it and make the switch !
So far all Ms ads have done as follows -:
Bill gates ads - showing incompetence of the company by making senseless ads that can't be understood by humans !
I'm a Pc campaign - although better ! it's Insulting Pc users indirectly calling them tools {Pcs}
new ad - showing Pcs are for cheapskates and those that are penny wise pound foolish !
Wats with all the negative publicity ?
they are better of saving money and not running these ads
they are like free publicity for the Mac/alternative platforms !
Mac Mini Base Model: $600 - 2.0 Ghz Core 2, 120GB HDD, 1GB Ram, DVD Burner, 9400m, NO MONITOR
Dell Studio Slim Desktop: $599 - 2.8 GHz Core 2, 500GB HDD, 3GB Ram, DVD Burner, Intel GMA 4500, 19" LCD Flat Panel
HP Slimline: $590 - 2.8 GHz Core 2, 320GB HDD, 3GB Ram, DVD Burner, 7100m, 18.1" LCD Flat Panel
Not only do the Windows PC's have more powerful CPU's, much bigger hard drives, and three times as much ram but they also come with 18" or 19" LCD FLAT PANELS.
Stay off drugs bud...
the drugs I'm on would be the nvidia 9400m
which is 5-6 times faster than the crappy intel graphics chip
this makes more difference than faster processors
a 9400m is comparable to many discrete graphics cards !
the hardrive I upgraded myself although not easy it's was worth it
now I have 500GB HD along with my Time capsule 1 TB !
which is more than enough for me !
Ya I know yr going to say that all this Apple stuff is overpriced blah blah
but in the end it saves me time requiring zero configuration
and zero hassles unlike Linksys routers I've used before
but bear in Mind it is a bargain
compared to Prices people pay for convenience like traveling 1st class of buying a luxury car ?
You can have the 9400m. I'll take the 18.1" LCD, larger hard drive, more ram, and faster processor. For $60 more (for both) I can have everything I just listed PLUS a real discrete GPU that runs circles around the 9400m.
Keep clinging to the delusion that you get more performance for your buck with the Mac Mini than you do with the Windows PC. I guess if it makes you feel better about being ripped off on your purchase that is cool with me.
I never said I'll get more performance with the mini
just more so than a comparable dell like the Dell syudio Hybrid etc.
the mini isnt really for performance
it's just a small computer I keep in the living room connected to my TV !
Macs r like a convinience Since I value my time
I'd rather spend wisely on a Mac than have to deal with Windows Tax !
Hey the reason we Mac suers r paying this extra money is not because we Love Apple so much it's just that Windows and PCs r so far behind !
Since you own a Macbook you should probably know that !
Explain this if Macs r such a Ripoff then why do they have so high a resale Value ?
- by jbcahill March 26, 2009 9:31 PM PDT
- When this marketing campaign backfires on Microsoft, and believe me, it's gonna backfire on them big time, maybe the Board of Directors of Microsoft will finally fire Steve Ballmer. When the consumer goes and buys those $700 CHEAPer laptops and get home and get the anti-virus installed, and adware scanners installed along with Vista, the things gonna crawl. And when those cheap plastic crap HP's start to fall apart the consumer is going to hate one company...and it's gonna be Microsoft.
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- by Vegaman_Dan March 26, 2009 9:38 PM PDT
- Based on your comments, it appears that if you represent the average Macintosh user, then you're very very afraid. I don't know why though. It really isn't that important. People will use Macs and PCs based on their needs. It really doesn't matter what you or I think or say.
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- by 3rdalbum March 27, 2009 2:46 AM PDT
- Bad analogy. Macintoshes have exactly the same off-the-shelf as the equivalent PCs, with the exception of one or two little bits that don't really matter much. BMWs use parts that come out of different factories to the parts made for Kia. Made by different suppliers, often designed by BMW themselves. BMW parts don't fit in Kias or vice-versa.
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- by kelmon March 27, 2009 3:34 AM PDT
- I very much doubt that this campaign will backfire on Microsoft. Rather, it tells us what we already know and therefore will likely have absolutely no impact whatsoever.
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- by davidwb March 27, 2009 7:12 AM PDT
- 3rdalbum - it isn't just a matter of the components inside. It is the case, the chassis, the cooling system, and more. If it were just components every manufacturer would have the same basic DOA and return stats. They don't.
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- by liven2 March 27, 2009 7:55 AM PDT
- When looking at this ad I doing some research I think this ad does not hold water... I did some research online and looked for some spec's on the PC she bought (which is crap) !
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- by sanenazok March 27, 2009 10:01 AM PDT
- @liven2: I'm kinda concerned about all the "research" you did in regards to this ad. Sounds like you feel harmed by MS stating that there's a price difference between your computing platform of choice and another one that you don't like. I don't get why you would go through all of this trouble for a computer company. Spend more time with family members.
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- by Renegade Knight March 27, 2009 11:56 AM PDT
- @liven2
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- by pithenumber March 27, 2009 1:20 PM PDT
- @davidwb
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- by adayoldbagel March 28, 2009 12:51 PM PDT
- mac is the best? There is absolutely no evidence for that. Literally, anything a Mac can do, a PC can do better, and PC's do many things Macs cant do at all, like *real* gaming. Also notice that 99% of the business world uses windows. I wonder why.
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- by davrosthedalek March 30, 2009 9:35 AM PDT
- The parts are the same. Except pcs get the newest fastest processors first.
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Showing 1 of 9 pages (448 Comments)Its not just about cost, a $12,000 Kia will get you around for cheap, but some people like to drive a BMW or Lexus. Not just for looks, but because they are better built and have better performance.
With this ad campaign Microsoft is saying hey Windows is crap but the machines are cheap!
Good luck with that.
Please don't feel so threatened by a simple ad.
As for details into hardware specs, the ad never really goes into that however, we found a HP DV7-1245DX notebook with a 17" screen, at Best Buy. The notebook lacks wireless 802.11n, fast Gigabit Ethernet, digital audio inputs and outputs, and weighs 7.75 pounds. Furthermore, the screen resolution is that of Apple's 15" notebooks: 1440 by 900. Technically, it is a 17" notebook in terms of size, but it doesn't have the 17" resolution of Apple's MacBook Pro, which is 1920 by 1200.
Further investigation, I found a co-worker who has that same laptop before getting his new MacBook Pro.. He said...
"has the worst screen I have ever seen in my life. It's the 1440x900 screen and the viewing angles are so poor that even when sitting directly eye level with the screen it is totally washed out. If I go a little bit off-axis the screen results in a negative image. I was using the default settings. Unfortunately I didn't read reviews before i purchased."
However, more importantly the HP notebook runs Windows Vista, which is rated by ChangeWave as having the lowest operating system satisfaction rating in rankings.
To me, this makes this ad particularly interesting that Microsoft would advertise its product by citing the price of the hardware as opposed to its own product. Both the hardware and the OS ARE worth what she paid and she will get the results from it to.... I am sure in 6 months this gal we be a very unhappy customer.
You really need to know what you are comparing and why. If your needs are modest 'crap' specs work just fine and you have no need to pay for more that won't serve your needs.
My Macbook has a worse screen than two older lapotps that I purchased. I actually expected my Mac to have a nice screen. Not medium.
As for Vista (which I don't like) it's interface is better than OS X for my actual use. OS X beats XP. Both OS X and XP are more stable than Vista though. If HP has Vista working right in it's native intall she's good to go.
its what's inside that matters
You care more about the outside that the inside, some people actually value performance
PS. what is MACS spelled backwards?