Apple Demands Microsoft Pull Laptop Hunter Ads

[8CoreWhore]

Apple's point is - the ads show specific prices for specific models at Fry's. Those models and prices have since changed and MS is engaging in deceptive advertising. MS has a responsibility to be accurate. That said, no doubt the telephone call is being misrepresented.

 

[upinflames900]

Well IMO Windows 2000 and Windows XP were both great operating systems. Office has been the top productivity suite for more than a decade. I know die-hard Apple fans who love Outlook so much they run Windows in a virtual machine just so they can use it.

I'm looking forward to seeing Exchange support in Snow Leopard. Maybe that can persuade a few more people they don't need VMware Fusion to run a decent email client in OS X.

XP was decent after a long string of updates...and up until recently there hasn't been a competitor in the office suite market. BTW it was more of a joke than anything.

 

[nüb]

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.

Yeah. Iffy at best. I think the ads are misleading, as she basically bought a paper weight that will require replacement in a year or two. I think the educated consumer will buy a Mac over a PC at this point.

On a side note, Apple has ALWAYS been about creatives and creative professionals. I've been using them for 20 years (granted I grew up with one). I've watched it take years to make Macs "cool" and now they are more popular than ever. I love them as an artistic (and professional) extension of my person. Personally, I don't really care if someone wants to go and get a soulless piece of junk. For me, I care about appearance of fonts, windows, icons, GUI, seamless accessory (MIDI, audio, etc) integration...the list goes on. I have friends with PC's and don't have the time to put up with what they do. I surprised they do.

 

[upinflames900]

Based on Apple's success over the past few years, apparently people see the cheap PC that's sitting on their desk, think about the complete hell it's given them for the past 3 years, and decide that "cheaper" may not be the best strategy anymore...

Good point... I didn't think that way I guess because I have a mac lol...

 

[ikramerica]

Why do you have to run Disk Utility often?

If you have 10.4+, the daily/weekly/monthly tasks are handled for you. There are literally no tasks you need to run manually on a regular basis on the Mac.

Because people are still thinking that what they did in 10.2 is something they need to do in 10.5?

Repair permissions is not needed. You can do it if you want, but it's not required.

The only routine task I have to perform on a Mac is to tell time machine to use the right disk, as it seems to forget quite a bit. But that's it.

 

[LagunaSol]

Again, this is a PC vs Mac ad. Not a PS3 vs 360 ad. Stating a PC has Blu-Ray where a Mac doesn't won't hurt 360 sales as well.......

But you're telling people that "Blu-Ray is a big plus." So when they're looking at gaming consoles, they naturally think "Blu-Ray is a big plus." How could they not believe it? Microsoft said it!

And there they see a PS3 with Blu-Ray and an Xbox 360 without. Hmm, what to do, what to do...

 

[LEStudios]

Great post and exactly.

I love the ads to be honest and I do think they are effective, it just further continues the notion that Macs are too pricey and don't offer enough choice, and it doesn't take long to see that.

I can't believe people on this website is defending Microsoft? What are guys retarded or what? This is Microsoft who knowingly sold Xbox 360s and knew that it was prone to RROD, this also the same company responsible for screwing up people computers with Windows Vista and my opinion leaving holes in the OS that retains a Virus so Security companies can make Billions off of selling people like you Virus Protection Software. You actually wasting your time of giving them credit? I'm pretty sure Steve Ballmers is going to give you a great reward maybe you get the Zune HD 10% off.

 

[314631]

I'm not sure what that has to do with the anti-Apple rage that dominates the Engadget comments board...

I don't believe Engadget is dominated by anti-apple sentiment at all. There's just a lot more positive energy towards Microsoft all of a sudden because they are now producing products people want to use on a variety of cool partner devices.

 

[yellowmuffins]

I don't see why this is all such a big deal. Yeah Macs are more expensive than PCs... you get what you pay for. It's like trying to compare a BMW with a Ford, you could advertise all day about how much cheaper and better (in the terms of mpg/storage capacity) the Ford is, but at the end of the day anyone with half a brain knows that if you have the cash you get the bimmer.

 

[314631]

XP was decent after a long string of updates...and up until recently there hasn't been a competitor in the office suite market. BTW it was more of a joke than anything.

i know but I had to bite

 

[upinflames900]

i know but I had to bite

Okay no problem lol

 

[pmoeser]

A load of baloney

There is no way Apple legal would have phoned MSFT to pull an ad.

This is yet another nonsensical comment (bordering on a lie) from a MSFT exec.

If (and it is a big if) Apple wanted to do something they felt they had a legal basis for, they would have written to them.

 

[bruinsrme]

I don't see why this is all such a big deal. Yeah Macs are more expensive than PCs... you get what you pay for. It's like trying to compare a BMW with a Ford, you could advertise all day about how much cheaper and better (in the terms of mpg/storage capacity) the Ford is, but at the end of the day anyone with half a brain knows that if you have the cash you get the bimmer.

But the BMW doesn't come with the same engine and supporting components as the ford.

 

[jebbe]

This whole discussion is just retarded in so many ways. Most of the laptops out there are no different then any others, except for some basic hardware. Which a PC laptop and a Mac laptop can share the same.

The ONLY difference is the operating system, people may not buy a mac simply cause they don't like the operating system and vice versa.

The way they're portrayed in the commercials are simply for the ignorant consumers out there. Anyone with a brain in their head will look at what the laptop can actually do and do it well. Some things a PC can do better and some things a Mac can do better. It's a battle that'll never end until one buys out the other.

 

[zFrenchy]

i like Pc hunter adds...... it made apple lower their laptops.
Its a win win for me

 

[LagunaSol]

I can't believe people on this website is defending Microsoft?

Because defending Microsoft, as slimy as they may be, "proves" that you're not an Apple sheep or fanatic or cultist or something???

I don't worship Apple and there are plenty of things they do that bug me (no dock bundled with my iPhone? WTF???), but Microsoft are among the biggest weasels the business world has ever known (ask any court in the civilized world) and they deserve to be scorned and avoided. I do not purchase their products and I look at anything they do or say with suspicion. Because that's what they've earned through their own actions.

To some people that makes me a nutjob. Whatever.

 

[upinflames900]

There is no way Apple legal would have phoned MSFT to pull an ad.

This is yet another nonsensical comment (bordering on a lie) from a MSFT exec.

If (and it is a big if) Apple wanted to do something they felt they had a legal basis for, they would have written to them.

Yea I also question this as a true story...why would they call?

 

[Codemonkey]

... so 2003

Apple Fanboys are so 2003. I guess if we were to take a cue out of say, American culture, prejudice takes many, many years to purge from society. More years than we know.

I wonder how long it will take for Apple users to accept and tolerate that there is more than one solution for people's computing needs.

Pick the right tool for the job, get over yourself and ****. I use Windows 2000, Windows XP Pro, Windows Vista Business and OS X every day, successfully, for different reasons. They all have their place. All my builds are done right, all are as stable as they can be - enough with the anecdotal unsubstantiated remarks and the double-standard trust in advertising. It's old and very transparent.

My passion is Apple. Chances are I will extoll the virtues if asked, and lead by example the rest of the time. Going on the defensive every time the competition might actually challenge you shows everyone around you just how weak a foundation you stand on.

 

[LagunaSol]

The ONLY difference is the operating system

Set a MacBook Pro down on the table next to an HP laptop and tell me the only difference is the operating system.

 

[Bevz]

Oh bugger, I guess this means we'll be seeing more of those really annoying
adverts.... Well done apple! (assuming Microsoft didn't just make it all up of course)

 

[jav6454]

how do you know if this is even true? That same executive in that same speech also said the Laptop Hunter ads were completely unscripted. This has been proven to be a complete lie.

What are you talking about. I am not questioning whether they are scripted or not. I could care less of that.

 

[jbernie]

First of all, will a legal department from big companies call you? Highly unlikely. Most of them will contact you via fax/letter. So I smell publicity stunts. MS, could you just put Ballmer jumping around again? That is more entertaining.

A letter is probably the correct form of communication... but do you really think Apple wants Microsoft to have a letter from them asking for the ads to be stopped? That would be the wallpaper on every MS office in the world over a few days. Great motivational poster

Apple's problem is simply any Microsoft add can make them look expensive as their prices start at US$600 for the mini and no other model starts below $999. There is lots of fudge room for someone to get a PC for less than a Mac, it is pretty much a given unless they are shopping only at Sony.

Microsoft is focusing on cost, not which product is better, right now lower cost is a pretty good selling point at the moment.

 

[jav6454]

It's amazing how uniformed MS is about Apple products, and how uninformed so many people are about WHY MS ads are false and different than the "mac v. pc" ads.

Ease of use, "better" claims, things like that are subjective. But price is OBJECTIVE. MS, when they created their ads, was not lying about price. But they continued to run the ads after Apple lowered their prices and upgraded their products, and by doing so, MS was acting in bad faith. They were falsely advertising, an actionable civil crime in every state in the USA. They can be fined. By refusing Apple's request to pull or alter the specific ads that make false claims, MS may have dug themselves a hole.

The main ad in question is the filmmaker who claims that there is "only one model under $2000, and it has 2GB of RAM." That is a FALSE claim, and MS continued to run that ad for weeks after knowing it was false, including during the NBA finals. That's blatant.

As for prices being cut "$100 or something" that's just an MS tool not knowing his competition. Prices were cut by far more, and features were added, including the oh so important 4GB of RAM.

That makes MS's advertising objectively false, not subjectively false. That's the difference, and that MS ignored this request means they are very likely liable for their actions. Each and every time this ad ran after being notified of the claim, they could be fined by every state it ran in, as well as be required to pay Apple damages.

That the MS tool is bragging about breaking the law is hilarious. He should be proud...

I love that statement so much.

Yes, I agree, running an ad saying your rival has this when it is clearly not the case is blatant false advertising and there are penalties for that. It has surprised me that Apple hasn't done anything yet, considering they have their lawyers on Speed Dial

 

[billystlyes]

Set a MacBook Pro down on the table next to an HP laptop and tell me the only difference is the operating system.

No, but the screen on the MacBook Pro will have so much glare that you'll wish it had the screen on the HP.

Sorry, but Apple is coming off like the little spoiled brat that picks on the bully and then goes crying back to mommy when they hit back.

Oh well, as long as they keep lower prices and come back with matte displays I'll be happy.

 

[dscuber9000]

Uh what? The HD DVD vs Blu-Ray war is over and MS conceded defeat. So I don't see how hyping Blu-Ray would hurt the 360 sales......

How are they bashing the 360? It wasn't a PC vs gaming console ad, it is a PC vs Mac ad where PC games are more prevalent then Mac games.

The last three years, we've heard nothing from Sony but how awesome Blu-Ray is making the PS3, and how behind the 360 and Wii are for using DVD. Microsoft used to blow off Blu-Ray, even calling it an expensive luxury.

These laptop hunter ads show people drooling over Blu-Ray, which as a hard-core gamer, I found strange for Microsoft to show. It seems like the two divisions are on two different pages.