Apple gets snooty with anti-Vista ads
Threatened? Moi? The previous good humuor of Apple's Mac Guy vs PC Guy ads goes out the window in two commercials released on the net today.
Both take a much more snide and direct tone, taking specific digs at Microsoft’s reluctance to name-check Windows Vista in its recent $US300 million campaign, which initially featured Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates then switched to Windows-using celebrities simply saying “I’m a PC.”
In the first of Apple's ads, "Bean Counter," PC Guy is dressed as an accountant, counting one huge pile of cash, for Vista advertising, and a tiny pile of cash, for fixing Vista issues.
When Mac Guy asks if the small pile of cash will be enough to fix Vista, PC Guy says no, and sweeps that money into the advertising pile, too.
In the second ad, "The V Word," PC Guy holds a buzzer, and buzzes out Mac Guy whenever he says “Vista”, a commentary on Vista’s low-profile in Microsoft’s mega campaign – and a jibe that sits uncomfortably well with CEO Steve Ballmer’s recently-expressed ambivalence about Vista as his company readies Windows 7.
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Comments and questions26
For the record I am a PC (because I have to be at work), but that doesn't mean I don't love these Mac ads. These two in particular have got to be the funniest so far. While comparing a Mac to a PC isn't quite as straight forward as Apple's ads suggest - still I love how they remind us to take our business seriously, but not ourselves...
These new ads are not missing any of the humor of previous ads. John Hodgman and Justin Long make my day every time a new ad comes out. Maybe the problem is that the truth hurts; these ads simply reflect the attitude coming out of the Redmond campus these days.
Like above, I am a PC (partly because of work; mainly because I am a loyal customer of Compaq). Nothing can change the fact that Vista is a piece of crap OS; a real disgrace because there is no excuse for a lack of quality control. Apparently Gates, Ballmer, and the Microsoft Board of Directors all think they are above providing the best for their consumers.
I could agree that Steve Jobs is snooty and snide, but the Apple ad campaign is hilarious, as always.
If everything's so hunky-dory, then why did Drew Barrymore leave Justin? Huh?
I run Vista on a Mac.
I don't get this 'snooty' angle. Mac just stands there and asks an obvious question, PC reacts pretty well as apparent in the real world. Standing back from the ads, Steve Jobs behaves pretty like most high-flyers...somewhat reserved and standoffish. In that position of CEO of a multi-billion dollar company he is effectively under siege 24/7, with all the adulation harassment of a movie star without the need to suck up the the tabloids. As a boss he's bloody tough, but you can't argue about his results.
The Bean Counter ad made it to No 3 on the best 10 TV ads Apple has ever made. ;^)
Snooty? The Apple ads simply point out the obvious. And they certainly didn't have to spend $300M!
1. Why is MS sinking $300M into an ad campaign to prove that Vista is so great? If 90% of the world uses Windows, shouldn't they know that already?
2. And why does MS now only talk about Windows 7 now and not Vista? Again, if Vista really is so great, albeit misunderstood, then what's the problem?
MS seems very insecure lately. Since when does a company with 90% marketshare even mention any competitor?
If MS are so convinced of Vista's superiority: why is XP (which does work pretty well) still available as a "downgrade" option if you buy the premium edition of Vista (a lot of users take that option); and why do M-S keep postponing the end-of-support date for XP?
A company I recently worked for rolled out vista to a trial batch of users on the network. After a couple of frustrating weeks they pulled them back into the XP fold and now have no plans to go to Vista unless they are forced to. Vista offers no technical advantages over XP, it was not seen as stable enough for business, and the costs of hardware network and user upgrades to meet the resource intensive nature of Vista are just too high.
Also - to pg - how well does Vista run on your Mac??
No problem at all on an Intel Mac, which is basically a PC with Apple styling and branding.
Runs fastest using bootcamp, but can be more convenient if you virtualize with Parallels or VMware.
Apple is not being Snooty, just right on target! If the commercial did not have its basis in reality it would not be so hilarious. The fact is Mac is stable, and Vista has problems. But Micros**t wants to bully the world. Thats ok, I fix computers for work BECAUSE of them. Personally my Mac and Linux boxes never have problems. I love the marketing guys at Apple!
These two ads are only pointing out what everyone already knows. Why shouldnt they? Vista is annoying and the sooner they dump it the better. if only Microsoft would do what mac does and not give a flying duck about the old users and just write a good current OS.
Vista works well on right hardware. Will eventually switch to all Vista as older hardware is replaced. Had to switch from Macs because of poor software and hardware support in my industry. Poor software/hardware choices on the Mac side.
As far as advertising is concerned, I see more desperation from Apple than I do from MS. If they are so good why not show their benefits. Lot of negative advertising from Apple.
Although I am not a fan of Mac, as a hardcore gamer I chose to have my Dell XPS loaded with XP Pro. I have seen the result of Vista's non ability to work correctly with several peripherals such as sound cards, video cards, etc. If MS thought it was getting away with pulling a fast one on PC users, they thought wrong, because Vista is nothing more tahn a complete failure just like Millenium Edition was. I hope MS cleans up their act with Windows 7 or else they risk infuriating MS users even further.
I have Vista on a year old laptop now, and I have had no problems with it whatsoever.
The problems I have with Macs are not their software or their hardware, but their business practices. I think competition is good. Competition keeps PC prices low. But only Apple can make computers that run Apple, and I have a huge problem with that. "I'm a Mac" probably doesn't grow the food he eats, sew his own clothes, or make his own shoes.
Yanno what? If Apple keeps up their newest commercial trend of using negative ads (just like our beloved politicians do), I need to see/hear Steve Jobs in every new ad saying "I'm Steve Jobs, and I approved this message."
Seriously now...if you wanna act like a political ad, then have the decency to sound like one.
BTW: I am OS agnostic; I run Windows (XP 32-bit & Vista 64-bit) , OS X, and Red Hat on my various systems. What I intend to accomplish is what determines which OS I use -- not whose ads are funnier.
Although Im a PC guy, I do like the Mac commercials, even the latest ones. They are just too darn funny. The bottom line though, is that Vista with SP1 is now extremely stable and a good OS. I seem to recall another OS that had the same problem and horrible press out of the gates..Hmm,, was it XP? Indeed it was, and it shaped up just fine.
Mac can run Windows. True, but not without adding more expense to an already expensive avenue for computing.
You won't tear me from my PC at those costs, but I acknowledge that Macs are good at what they do.
I think that Apple is being very hypocritical in these ads, look how much they are obviously spending on advertising. There is really nothing wrong with Vista anymore anyway, so the ads Apple has wasted money on are pointless. I can see the humor in the commercials, but I still think they are being very hypocritical and need to check their facts. If Apple put the money they are spending on advertising toward their lack of features, they might actually be able to make their computers worth the money they are asking for them.
Please, tell us how Vista is a "piece of crap OS". Have you used it? Have you administered it? You are a close-minded nut job to think Vista is a "piece of crap."
Ya'll need to lighten up you stuffed shirts that can't see the humor in the Apple ads. I'm a PC user - Win Pro w/SP3. Started out in the 70's with TRSDOS...Dang, I am old, aren't I?
I think the Apple ads are the best I have seen.
Complaining about some other company's advertising budget when you keep your own products overpriced is just rich irony......
The Mac commercials are funny to me, but mainly because they're so defensive in nature. They remind me of the little brother always trying to prove himself.
I've worked in mixed PC/Mac environments for 20 years, and they both have their place. But I can attest that even today, Mac's have as many problems (if not more) than the PC's - even with such purportedly Mac-simplified technologies like Wi-Fi connectivity. Our Mac users wander the halls complaining of sporadic connections to our AirPorts, while the PC users connect to the AirPorts without trouble.
im writing this for a vista laptop now.
vista is a exelent OS compared to Leopard with launched with over 200 bugs/ problems where as Vista launched with about 23.
I think Mac ads are great. I used MS XP all through highschool and college and had sooo many problems! When my hard drive got erased TWICE after spending a buttload of $$ on anti-virus software, I gave up and switched to a Mac.
I will never go back to MS! Mac is simply better. And prettier. And faster. More expensive, yes, but it's so worth it.
And their ads are great.
Are you serious? How many brain cells DON'T you have to come to the conclusion that the break up had anything to do with a commercial? I'm sure they did not base the outcome of their relationship on a company they have nothing (other than acting) to do with.
I've been using PCs for quite a while now...not as long as some, but most assured longer than many...and I remember how so many PC users didn't want to give up good old Windows 98 for XP...they said how much bloat XP had, how the drivers sucked, how it wasn't compatible with all their "regular" software, and how Microsoft would go under unless they made their OS more like the Mac...well, I'm sure all this sounds familiar, and I'm also sure that most of you MacAddicts who read this will sneer in your snobbish Mac fashion, and all...and though I've convinced maybe none of you, I've still built two PCs that run Vista great....for the price of one Mac! GO MICROSOFT....IF YOU MESS WITH THE EMPIRE, THE EMPIRE WILL MESS YOU UP!
Isn't it weird that most of the things that Vista may have a problem with aren't capable on an Apple anyway? It's okay, it's great for pictures and music and writing and blogging and internet. That's all you need to do on computers, right? Sure, but if that's all you need, buy a PC and save 1000 dollars.
As a side note, I've had Vista for over a year and oh my gosh! It only has problems with the poorly programmed Apple programming (iTunes)! Who'd have thought that spending more money on designers and less money on programmers would yield... better designs and worse programming? Get bent Mac. But wait, it's so cool to buy Mac now, I forgot. I should sell my brain and buy a Mac. Do you think I could get enough for my brain? As long as I'm in with the hip, dancing kids, I'll be happy.
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