Apple Demands Microsoft Pull Laptop Hunter Ads

[opinioncircle]

I'm glad MS stepped up its game with these ads. Apple went a little too, if you ask me, and MS had to answer as the giant that it is.

I don't think that what MS did was false advertising as a poster said in the earlier pages. The ads were shot before the price decrease, and arguably remain true even to this day.

 

[bytethese]

*sigh*

Now I may be a little "Apple fanboyish" since I switched over in 2006, but I'm no idiot. The Mac ads directly target Windows, sure. But none have any false claims that I am aware of. The Laptop Hunter ads specifically state "get X for under $x", which perhaps at the time was true, but no longer. Also, the way the ads marginalized Mac computers as "all about ascetics" and "not about computing power". I call BS. The reason I WENT to Apple in the first place was the computing power. After much research, I chose to get a Mac (my first one) in 2006 for when I went back to college to finish my undergrad. Sure the Apple was pricier than other laptops. Heck, I even had a discount on a Lenovo T60 laptop and could have gone with it for $600 cheaper than the 15" Macbook Pro I chose instead. Was the T60 wide screen? Nope. Was it 15", nope. Did it have a built in camera? Nope. Did it have an IR remote and similar Front Row experience? Nope. Did it have an illuminated keyboard? Nope. Did it have digital audio output? Nope. Did it have a magnetically attached power cord? Nope. Did it have a DVD-RW? Nope.

I felt the upgraded materials and components justified the price and went with the Macbook Pro. I have now purchased my 2nd Mac since I am now in grad school, a 13" Macbook Pro. All said and done, I got the 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB RAM model for $1199. I believe this is a fair price for what I have.

Not that I have ever shopped there but I do love their tagline: "SYMS: An Educated Consumer Is Our Best Customer".

I believe even if there was a marginal difference in price, with the Apple coming in slightly higher, I would still choose Apple due to their quality and quality of service.

 

[jdechko]

I highly doubt that this is real. Apple legal would not have called. They would have sent a letter to the Microsoft Legal department first.

 

[Norco]

I don't mind the commercials. They're a relatively late fire-back from the "I'm a Mac" commercials.

That was when the woman wanted a laptop to do professional video editing and made a face when the Apple ONLY came with 2GB of Ram for the price. Firstly 2GB is quite a bit of RAM. Second, that disgusted look on her face! That was just... very annoying.

Beyond that, didn't have a problem with them. Sure, the actors would say "To me Macs are more about looking nice than actual function" but that's a an opinion so it's all good.

The one thing I did agree with the commercials on, was when the mother and kid find a PC with BluRay... something I don't see in Apples yet.

I think that ad was the worst one by far. She's a moron and I'd hate to see anything she'd ever create. Filmmaker, hahahahaha!

The whole Apple vs. MS debate can be summed up by 2 lines spoken at the very end of the 'Pirates of Silicon Valley' movie.

Steve Jobs: We're better than you are! We have better stuff.
Bill Gates: You don't get it, Steve. That doesn't matter!

 

[bndoarn]

If this is real than that's one of the most immature moves i've seen made by Apple.

 

[dernhelm]

I felt the upgraded materials and components justified the price and went with the Macbook Pro. I have now purchased my 2nd Mac since I am now in grad school, a 13" Macbook Pro. All said and done, I got the 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB RAM model for $1199. I believe this is a fair price for what I have.

Exactly. Apple products are competitive once you understand what you are getting. People who don't care or don't know the difference can save a little money and buy an HP or Dell for cheaper (initial cost, anyway).

People who know what they are getting, and it matters to them, choose Apple. And I'm not talking about marketing people or graphics designers. I'm talking about hot and heavy .Net developers. I'm one of them as are thee of my colleagues.

 

[BongoBanger]

There is a reason Apple is a branding powerhouse. Their ads work on different levels. Apple does a great job telling its brand story, which is consistent and made very clear over the long term.

Apple have a massive brand presence in the US. This is not the case in other countries. For example, Microsoft recaptured the top spot in a key brand recogniton survey in the UK from Google who are now third. Apple are ninth.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8149460.stm

It seems, at least in the UK, that the I'm a PC campaign has been more effective than Apple's advertising.

 

[Shasterball]

Ya, thinking this is definitely not real. Trust me, legal doesn't call. Not with big companies.

 

[Aries326]

Very bizarre story. Sounds like BS to me. Maybe someone called with a very specific complaint about a particular claim? Even that sounds iffy.

And that's the reason he knows they are effective? Because Apple legal called? They don't have metrics that tell them whether this ad money was well spent? If there is truth to this at all this is something small that was blown out of proportion.

The story is bizarre. It sounds contrived. Maybe someone posing as Apple Legal called. Please, produce a name as to who you spoke with.

What makes me laugh the most is that if Turner was doing cartwheels over such a ridiculous phone call, he must not have had that much to be happy about over his career at MS.

Anyway, as a Apple fan, I have to honestly say, Apple laptops are more expensive. But if you look at the total package, including the software package, OS, design of hardware and user experience, Apple laptops are superior - if you can afford it.

I can't afford a Apple laptop so I bought a $500 Dell 1525 but it is now running OS X. Does everything work on it like a Apple laptop? Sure, it does. Is it as sexy as a Macbook? Nope. But at least I saved a few hundred dollars.

As an aside, I do plan on buying a real MacBook Pro 15" in a month when I start my new job.

Doing this hackintosh experiment has reminded me how much fun it was to work with Macs. It's time to go back. My last Mac was a PB5300!!!

 

[LEStudios]

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!

How bout you go take sorry a** to Wal-Mart and go buy a PC!

 

[genovelle]

I'm no advertising or legal guru, but since the entire Mac lineup of laptops got revamped a few weeks ago, and some made cheaper, could the Laptop Hunter ads be construed as false advertising? I mean that in a legal sense. Some of them do quote a price on the Macs.

If in fact the call did go down, it was probably more like "stop running those false ads or we will sue you over it."

Here's how Im thinking of it. Imagine if McDonalds ran a commercial telling people that a Whopper cost 20 bucks. I got a funny feeling that would be a problem.

I agree. And when you find out that you chose not to buy the better product because you saw an ad that lied by saying the price was much higher than it was, how upset would you be. If Kia ran an ad saying their car was $10,000 cheaper than a Lexus, the Lexus's is really only $2000 more. Would you be happy about buying the Kia?

 

[spazzcat]

I highly doubt that this is real. Apple legal would not have called. They would have sent a letter to the Microsoft Legal department first.

That is what I was thinking, when have you ever heard of a legal department calling...

 

[Shasterball]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8149460.stm

It seems, at least in the UK, that the I'm a PC campaign has been more effective than Apple's advertising.

Ummm, first, Apple went from not top 10 last year to #9 this year. Maybe their ads are working?

Second, Encyclopaedia Britannica is #10??? Really? Haha. Gots to love the UK.

Third, no offense, but this is the UK. It's a much smaller market and many companies spend a lot less $$ advertising there (although I have no idea what % of advertising $$ Apple spends there).

 

[Shasterball]

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!

Not added because of laziness or on purpose???? (Hint: it's the latter).

 

[coleridge78]

Ummm, first, Apple went from not top 10 last year to #9 this year. Maybe their ads are working?

Second, Encyclopaedia Britannica is #10??? Really? Haha. Gots to love the UK.

Third, no offense, but this is the UK. It's a much smaller market and many companies spend a lot less $$ advertising there (although I have no idea what % of advertising $$ Apple spends there).

Yeah. I love the UK, if it were possible I'd want to live there. I even like watching some of their TV, which everyone trashes. But one thing I've noticed in that TV watching is that there are only six ads on television:

1. BP talking about how green they are.
2. Tesco. Tesco, Tesco, Tesco.
3. Asda (Wal-Mart) bashing Tesco.
4. Virgin Mobile, Virgin Mobile, Virgin Mobile.
5. Orange bashing Virgin Mobile.
6. Promos for tonight's prime-time lineup.

Oh, and Jamie what's-his-name and Lord Hugh McFearnly on Grand Thyme MacGregor or whatever he's called going on about organic chicken.

Now, their PRINT and street advertising in the big cities is a lot more diverse and interesting than the US. But the country-wide visible TV buys do not represent a broad spectrum of companies.

 

[Goona]

Apple have a massive brand presence in the US. This is not the case in other countries. For example, Microsoft recaptured the top spot in a key brand recogniton survey in the UK from Google who are now third. Apple are ninth.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8149460.stm

It seems, at least in the UK, that the I'm a PC campaign has been more effective than Apple's advertising.

You have produced one country, you need to conduct some survey from different countries for your argument to hold weight.

 

[Wikinerd]

Most users tend to ignore challenge prompts in general.

You'll commonly get a support request and they've be in an endless loop with a dialog box. They never read what the information in the box in the first place which had relevant, plain text information on what the problem was.

Doctors, professors, students, receptionists...

Exactly. For the normal person the UAC may constitute more of a vulnerability than it is security.

Apple have a massive brand presence in the US. This is not the case in other countries. For example, Microsoft recaptured the top spot in a key brand recogniton survey in the UK from Google who are now third. Apple are ninth.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8149460.stm

It seems, at least in the UK, that the I'm a PC campaign has been more effective than Apple's advertising.

Famous? or infamous?

 

[pika2000]

Regardless of how everybody feels about this "news," it accomplished its goal, attracting tech blogs and forums to discuss the laptop ads. So, imo it's a publicity stunts, and it is a success. Mission accomplished.

 

[madmax_2069]

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.

Are you serious

Its a little App called Front Row (its been out since October 2005) and its OS X equivalent to MS Windows media center (which is another flavor of OS in itself unlike OS X)

with OS X you only need one version to get that feature wile you go and pay a premium just for the media center program on windows come on now get with the program and stay on topic if you can

back on topic

I for one think it was retarded for Apple to do this ( that is if they did). MS hasn't called apple to try and get them to stop making the Get a Mac ads, Apple has got a set of balls in doing this ( that is again if they did do this)

 

[tonkaxxtuph]

if Obama can, why can't Apple?

Obama sued to have negative adds against him stopped...so why can't Apple do the same. Heck why can't any company do the same. This America! If we don't like it, take it to court!

 

[ericinboston]

Apple prices never quoted, so why complain?

One of the top 5 golden rules of advertising is to NEVER state your competitor's price because prices always fluctuate.

The MS ads never quoted any prices and simply had the customers browse the Macs and generally state "nah, too pricey for my budget" or "I feel I can get more bang from my buck if I do not choose Apple"

What a lame remark from Apple to have the ads pulled. Boo hoo...as others have stated here, nobody cried to Apple after years of the I'm A Mac campaign.


-Eric

 

[Kat King123]

ha i could care less if they cost more money, money isn't a problem for me right now i would be happy if more people buy pcs because then i feel like more of a rebel for having a mac

 

[Wikinerd]

And, yes, this call is true.

Hey, how come you're so sure?

You work at Microsoft? Or you're "industrial sabotaging" @ Apple's Legal department?

 

[coleridge78]

Obama sued to have negative adds against him stopped...so why can't Apple do the same. Heck why can't any company do the same. This America! If we don't like it, take it to court!

Do you not understand the difference between "negative" and "misrepresenting plain facts", such as a price?

 

[freebooter]

Never thought I'd ever write this but, good for MS. Apple charges too much, I think, and seems to be obsessed with limiting buyers' options and equipment functionality to increase profits. Great for investors, not so good for consumers. As a consumer, I hope MS and others find further ways to drive some sense into Apple.