In Microsoft’s latest commercial, a girl goes looking for a 17inch laptop priced under $1000. If she can find one that meets her criteria, Microsoft foots the bill. At one point in the commercial, the girl goes into an Apple Store only to come out and say that the only sub-$1000 laptop for sale had a 13 inch screen. Seconds later, she proclaims in an attempt at irony, “I’m just not cool enough to be a Mac person.”
Wow. Is Apple in Microsoft’s head or what?! The sad thing is that Microsoft still doesn’t get it. From their vantage point, a PC and Mac machine are exactly the same, and the only reason Apple is seeing an increase in market share is because people are purchasing Macs in droves in an effort to be “cool”. Also, there’s a distinct difference between buying something because you think it’s cool, and buying something because you think it will make you cool.
March 27th, 2009 at 9:25 am
And the reason why the notebook is under $1000…
http://www.9to5mac.com/hp-microsoft-ad-broken-down
… yeah. I’m gonna stick with Macs.
March 27th, 2009 at 10:45 am
Or buying a computer that simply works, a Mac of course.
March 27th, 2009 at 10:45 am
Or buying a computer that simply works, a Mac of course.
March 27th, 2009 at 11:24 am
As much as we Mac users may understand and comment that there is no comparison here, this commercial isn’t aimed at us. It’s aimed at Windows users, and to them price is the most important concern. Until Apple lowers its prices to a more competitive level, they will be turning away more and more prospective switchers.
March 27th, 2009 at 11:30 am
Give her a few years after owning several 17″ Windows laptops.
Its like AIG asking us to invest in their product….sounds good, unless you’ve owned one before.
March 27th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
So Lauren is on a budget, and gets a budget computer. No news here.
Funny how she doesn’t think this way about cars, though. She is seen driving a VW Beetle, not some budget car (and with the thousands she would have saved, she could have gotten the Mac laptop she really wanted in the first place).
Which goes to show that in cars and computers, not all brands are equal. You get what you pay for.
March 27th, 2009 at 11:34 pm
One of Apple’s many strengths is that it’s perceived to be a hip, cool, awesome product but is a minority platform. And there is another platform that is perceived to not be hip, cool, awesome but is a majority platform.
MS is pulling a gopper tactic by portraying itself (a dominant, oppressive force) as being victimized by Apple, a minority group with little power. Carl Rove did it, and it worked to get Bush selected the first time, but failed the next when it was a futile attempt to help gopper Rightwingers generate outrage and chagrin toward “elitists,” these being anyone that is more educated, has a better job, so-called “big shots,” or anyone that is perceived to be better connected and has more privileges.
Hey, victimhood is popular among those who feel threatened; It makes them wallow in self-pity and rage which allows them to experience satisfaction from all of the entertaining excitement churned up.
March 29th, 2009 at 11:29 am
Nice shot of the Apple store in the ad.