Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple Demands Microsoft Pull Laptop Hunter Ads
- Thread starter WickedRabbit
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Who would have thought it even a few years ago!
So now, it's official - Apple became the new Microsoft. Trigger-happy with a powerful legal team, selling PCs with a reasonably good OS for a massive premium (built in dodgy factories, where employees are underpaid and work illegally long hours, also called sweatshops); and while bullying the competition, threatening when they apply similar tactics.
Once somebody rules that OS X can be legally put on other hardware, they had it. After having a unibody 2.53GHz MB Pro, a bunch of 2.4GHz unibody MB prototypes and a MB Air, all having some fault, my next computer will have the same parts (apart from the trackpad) but supplied by another company. And I will put OS X on it. Sue me, Apple!
Or alternatively, I will keep doing the same - buying a computer and returning it when the faults become so severe that I can argue, they are not fit for purpose.
So now, it's official - Apple became the new Microsoft. Trigger-happy with a powerful legal team, selling PCs with a reasonably good OS for a massive premium (built in dodgy factories, where employees are underpaid and work illegally long hours, also called sweatshops); and while bullying the competition, threatening when they apply similar tactics.
Once somebody rules that OS X can be legally put on other hardware, they had it. After having a unibody 2.53GHz MB Pro, a bunch of 2.4GHz unibody MB prototypes and a MB Air, all having some fault, my next computer will have the same parts (apart from the trackpad) but supplied by another company. And I will put OS X on it. Sue me, Apple!
Or alternatively, I will keep doing the same - buying a computer and returning it when the faults become so severe that I can argue, they are not fit for purpose.
Bring back the "Swithcer" ads with newer versions of the same old PC problems like Ellen Feiss's "beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep!" noise right before her PC crashed and she lost her school report and had to write another one quickly and it wasn't as good and got a lower grade." ad.
I hope Apple legal didn't call MS to say pull down those ads. If they did, they are such tools!
Apple has the creativity to put together a better ad campaign to reply to MS PC laptop hunter ads. They can do a monkey see, monkey do "The Original" ad... Goes something like this... MS sees Apple's OS and going the way of GUI. Monkey see, Monkey do... MS goes the way of the GUI. MS sees Apple raking in cash on the iPod and ITMS. Monkey see, Monkey do... MS comes out with the Zune/and marketplace. MS sees Apple retail stores are a big hit. Monkey see, monkey do... MS to open it's own retail shop near Apple stores because that is where the foot traffic is and maybe a few curious dolts would venture in to check out the MS store also. Apple creates a touchscreen only mobile phone with superior Web browsing experience and ease of use etc. MS's Ballmer laughs, but secretly... Monkey see, Monkey do... Then the "I'm a Mac" guy comes on and says "Why hunt for a cheaply made PC trying to emulate any one of Apple's quality products, when you can have the real thing! (apologies to Coke!)
So Apple, Get To It!. Go Apple!
I agree that Apple's quality has gone completely down the toilet (2 out of my 3 Intel based Macs were defective), but IMO it affects every brand that's moved their manufacturing to China. All Chinese made stuff has dodgy build quality and a high failure rate. QC doesn't exist in that country. And unlike Japan, which had a similar rocky start back in the 50's and 60's, the quality is unlikely to improve, for cultural and political reasons. They'll still be cutting corners and building junk a hundred years from now.
As I can see, most of the radical Apple fanboys feel attacked by the microsoft ads. That means they work. Apple and Microsoft ads are not exactly exact. Apple has ridiculed Windows PC many times. It is called competition. Microsoft just played Apple's game. That means that Microsoft should continue to hammer Apple. They reduced prices of their computers.
Apple started the PC vs Mac ads like a Lion and now they cry like a little girl without mommy.
Apple started the PC vs Mac ads like a Lion and now they cry like a little girl without mommy.
Sounds like BS from Turner.
Are we all going to believe an MS tool now?
Right, Apple's legal team called him and told him that because he says so.
I call BS too. Even if Turner received such a call, it could've been a hoax call.
Why would Apple legal call up Microsoft? It's absurd. That's not going to stop the haters from running riot with this fake story, of course.
Just let them run them Apple. You're not going for these type of customers anyway. These are the people looking for 'cheap'. These are the people who don't give a rats a$$ how their experience is. Parallel this advertising to buying a car..."Lauren...go and find what kind of car you want to buy...under $20,000. So Lauren first goes to the Lexus dealership...I guess I'm not cool enough to get a Lexus." No, you just get what you pay for. Simple as that. Sure, that Kia you can buy will get you there, but what kind of quality experience does that get you? It's a no brainer.
Bs
This is BS. Plain and simple.
My two cents...
Microsoft knows they sell an inferior OS to Apple, so their only selling point is price. I've had a lot of PCs and lots of Macs. You do get what you pay for! Hardware specs are one thing, but real world performance, usability, and reliability are another. I prefer Macs over PCs for these reasons.
This is BS. Plain and simple.
My two cents...
Microsoft knows they sell an inferior OS to Apple, so their only selling point is price. I've had a lot of PCs and lots of Macs. You do get what you pay for! Hardware specs are one thing, but real world performance, usability, and reliability are another. I prefer Macs over PCs for these reasons.
Well, it is obvious that mac does not have blueray so that would be the one thing Microsoft legitimately has over apple. But lets say its a larger screen we are comparing, it could be larger, with a smaller resolution which is just as useful as those large print books.
Windows Experience Scores
What Apple needs to do is make ad's that look very similar to the "laptop hunter ads" except have the user run the Windows Experience score on all those "under $700/$1000" laptops. and then have them run it on a Mac running windows in Boot Camp.... I do this in Best Buy all the time and leave the scores on the screens.
You get what you pay for when it comes to hardware and Mac hardware running Windows (VMWare or Boot Camp) is the same if not better.
I will put my MacBook Pro up against any laptop IN THE SAME PRICE RANGE, apples to apples (pun not intended) comparison.
Basically MS is saying in these laptop hunter ads that "if you want something cheap and poorly constructed, buy a PC. If you want something that is solid and will retain its value over the course of time, buy a Mac". Buy of course, people never see past the price tag.
What Apple needs to do is make ad's that look very similar to the "laptop hunter ads" except have the user run the Windows Experience score on all those "under $700/$1000" laptops. and then have them run it on a Mac running windows in Boot Camp.... I do this in Best Buy all the time and leave the scores on the screens.
You get what you pay for when it comes to hardware and Mac hardware running Windows (VMWare or Boot Camp) is the same if not better.
I will put my MacBook Pro up against any laptop IN THE SAME PRICE RANGE, apples to apples (pun not intended) comparison.
Basically MS is saying in these laptop hunter ads that "if you want something cheap and poorly constructed, buy a PC. If you want something that is solid and will retain its value over the course of time, buy a Mac". Buy of course, people never see past the price tag.
Bad Move
That was a bad move on Apple's part. That phone call pretty much gave Microsoft what they wanted, redemption for the I'm a Mac ads. And we'll see how stable & productive windows 7 will be, I'm a Mac ads may have a lot less to make fun of.
That was a bad move on Apple's part. That phone call pretty much gave Microsoft what they wanted, redemption for the I'm a Mac ads. And we'll see how stable & productive windows 7 will be, I'm a Mac ads may have a lot less to make fun of.
I call BS on this
First, I think this didn't happen. As an attorney, even if you make a phone call, you usually follow up with a letter (unless your request in that phone call is completely ridiculous, and I guess this qualifies).
Second, there is nothing inaccurate in these ads. They were accurate at the time they were produced, Apple changes things, thus a multi-million dollar ad campaign that is in the middle of its national and local spot run on television. So...next time a "Get a Mac" ads begin their run pointing out a flaw in Windows and Microsoft changes with a service pack update to address it, Apple should pull all those ads immediately? Please stop believing that Apple is so honorable and noble.
Also, what do you make of all those 13 inch macbook owners that bought their unibody macbooks to find out a month later it was converted to a macbook pro, better battery, sd card slot etc...I took advantage of the 15 inch MBP price drop myself, but I know several people upset with that new 13 inch macbook pro leaving them in the dust.
First, I think this didn't happen. As an attorney, even if you make a phone call, you usually follow up with a letter (unless your request in that phone call is completely ridiculous, and I guess this qualifies).
Second, there is nothing inaccurate in these ads. They were accurate at the time they were produced, Apple changes things, thus a multi-million dollar ad campaign that is in the middle of its national and local spot run on television. So...next time a "Get a Mac" ads begin their run pointing out a flaw in Windows and Microsoft changes with a service pack update to address it, Apple should pull all those ads immediately? Please stop believing that Apple is so honorable and noble.
Also, what do you make of all those 13 inch macbook owners that bought their unibody macbooks to find out a month later it was converted to a macbook pro, better battery, sd card slot etc...I took advantage of the 15 inch MBP price drop myself, but I know several people upset with that new 13 inch macbook pro leaving them in the dust.
Ummm, no. In the end, I still have a computer that works 10x better than the 7-8 PCs I owned.
Seriously, I would go through 1 laptop every 2 years with PCs. I've had the same MPB for ~3 years and it's still speedy and has no problems...
Anyone remember how bad this ad was? BILL & JERRY
So now the only way to get at apple is to post the Laptop Hunters ads... But lets look at some history here; apple has been happily bashing Microsoft for years with their "I'm a Mac and I'm a PC" ads - The only problem is that the Apple ads had a semblance of truth to them while the Laptop Hunters ads always had a stench of misrepresentation.
But the bottom line - for Microsoft to be aiming ads at Apple considering the actual market share... Microsoft must be very worried that they are loosing grip. (And IMHO Microsoft products are still vastly overpriced especially if you consider their turnover). I'm more than happy to pay more for superior product - but look the superior product is cheaper... Amazon Prices: OS X Leopard: $109.99 - Windows Vista Ultimate with SP1: $202.99 (Oh and Vista does not ship with anything that resembles Garage Band or iPhoto I wonder how much that additional software will cost once you have purchased your cheaper, plastic laptop).
Anyway just some of my thoughts on the matter
So now the only way to get at apple is to post the Laptop Hunters ads... But lets look at some history here; apple has been happily bashing Microsoft for years with their "I'm a Mac and I'm a PC" ads - The only problem is that the Apple ads had a semblance of truth to them while the Laptop Hunters ads always had a stench of misrepresentation.
But the bottom line - for Microsoft to be aiming ads at Apple considering the actual market share... Microsoft must be very worried that they are loosing grip. (And IMHO Microsoft products are still vastly overpriced especially if you consider their turnover). I'm more than happy to pay more for superior product - but look the superior product is cheaper... Amazon Prices: OS X Leopard: $109.99 - Windows Vista Ultimate with SP1: $202.99 (Oh and Vista does not ship with anything that resembles Garage Band or iPhoto I wonder how much that additional software will cost once you have purchased your cheaper, plastic laptop).
Anyway just some of my thoughts on the matter
Apple needs a kick in the butt
I hope MS keeps these adds going! Apple has been pretty lazy with their laptop and iMac designs. We are paying a premium and Apple is not adding features that have been in the PC market for quite a while!
- Where is Blu-Ray?
- How about some HDMI ports on the laptops and Mac Mini?
- How about a Core-i7 chip in the iMacs?
- How about an option for a 10K RPM drive in the iMacs?
- How about support for TRUE HD on the Apple TV? What is is now, something like 750X550?
- How about built in support for TV Tuners? Windows Media Center is friggin awesome! (See above for HDMI)
- How about support for more card readers in both the laptops AND the iMac? (BTW, thank you OH SO MUCH for at least adding SD to the laptops ABOUT 4 YEARS AFTER it was readily available on PCs!)
I have an iMac and MacBook Pro 15, and use them both for iPhoto and iMovie. I send the photos and movies to an AppleTV and love how it all works together.
But, I am NOT an Apple Fan-Boy. MS has a point about the price difference and the better selection on PCs. There is a MUCH BETTER selection of software on PCs, and Vista/Windows 7 are very nice OSes, especially considering Windows Media Center.
I can't wait for MS to setup stores right near Apple stores. I always thought they need to show Media Center more as it is a KILLER App and is something that Apple doesn't have. I hope MS does a GREAT job with it.
Apple needs this kind of kick in the pants.
BTW, those of you comparing Macs to BMWs should stop. BMWs are some of the worse built cars on the road. They have the same number of defects as Chryslers. Check it out. It is why BMW gives you 3 years of free maintenance with the car!
I hope MS keeps these adds going! Apple has been pretty lazy with their laptop and iMac designs. We are paying a premium and Apple is not adding features that have been in the PC market for quite a while!
- Where is Blu-Ray?
- How about some HDMI ports on the laptops and Mac Mini?
- How about a Core-i7 chip in the iMacs?
- How about an option for a 10K RPM drive in the iMacs?
- How about support for TRUE HD on the Apple TV? What is is now, something like 750X550?
- How about built in support for TV Tuners? Windows Media Center is friggin awesome! (See above for HDMI)
- How about support for more card readers in both the laptops AND the iMac? (BTW, thank you OH SO MUCH for at least adding SD to the laptops ABOUT 4 YEARS AFTER it was readily available on PCs!)
I have an iMac and MacBook Pro 15, and use them both for iPhoto and iMovie. I send the photos and movies to an AppleTV and love how it all works together.
But, I am NOT an Apple Fan-Boy. MS has a point about the price difference and the better selection on PCs. There is a MUCH BETTER selection of software on PCs, and Vista/Windows 7 are very nice OSes, especially considering Windows Media Center.
I can't wait for MS to setup stores right near Apple stores. I always thought they need to show Media Center more as it is a KILLER App and is something that Apple doesn't have. I hope MS does a GREAT job with it.
Apple needs this kind of kick in the pants.
BTW, those of you comparing Macs to BMWs should stop. BMWs are some of the worse built cars on the road. They have the same number of defects as Chryslers. Check it out. It is why BMW gives you 3 years of free maintenance with the car!