Apple's Ad Campaign

[Evangelion]

Whatever. I'm sure someone understood my post.

Well, I sure as hell don't. You basically say that the claims made in the ads are true. Some are, and some are not. Yes, OS X is miles ahead of Windows. No, Windows does not crash constantly. I'm actually planning to get a MacIntel, and I would be dual-booting, because Mac simp,y does not let me do all the fun things I could do with Windows. And there are LOTS of people who feel the same way. That is a FACT.

 

[drake]

What BS? I find them to be truly accurate. I'm a very experienced PC user, and virtually all of the problems with Windows mentioned in the ads are true.

Thing is, the problems all exist on the Mac as well but just go by a different name.

 

[EricNau]

While I agree with most of those, I have to disagree with Mac are ready out-of-the-box. Especially the way the ads depict it. I just setup a new MacBook for my girlfriend and I spent 10 minutes with all the registration and initial setup and there were free trials on the Mac as well. IMO Macs are not as ready out-of-the-box as they are claimed to be.

When compared to Windows, Macs are ready out-of-the-box. It may take 5 minutes of registration and one restart for updates, but it took me DAYS to get my PC in order. I installed update after update and had to restart upwards of 5 times.

 

[EricNau]

... No, Windows does not crash constantly. ...

...And when does the ad say that Windows constantly crashes?

 

[BornAgainMac]

I don't think the author is the target for the ads. He is entrenched in Windows so deep that he can never leave Windows. The Ads are targeting the lemmings that need to replace their Windows 98/95/ME/2000 PC at home. Perhaps showing how uncool they are will get them to switch.

 

[Evangelion]

...And when does the ad say that Windows constantly crashes?

In the "Freezing PC"-ad?

 

[toxicbomber]

The first day I installed windows on my mac it had a virus and made it crash. That was Windows XP with service pack 2.... >_> You sir, fail. Now go back into your hole PC fan boy.

 

[chrismccorkle]

I hope Apple keeps this up because they are funny, and true.

Apple, in essence, has nothing to lose.
Keep them coming! Release them in a DMG and include it in the next Software Update.

 

[dsnort]

I switched to Macs in January of this year. Previous to that I had PC's for 10 tears, everything from Windows 95 to XP Home SP2. I find the ads very accurate.

1. In 10 years I never once connnected a perpheral device to a Win box that I wasn't asked to insert an installation disk for drivers or 3rd party software, or both. Everything I've hooked to my Mac "Just Works". Right "Out of the Box".Everything from printers, to digital cameras, analog camcorders, etc, etc, etc( Good thing too since I still haven't found the install disk for my older printer)

2. My PC's didn't need to be restarted everyday. Once or twice a week on average was sufficient. In the six months I've had my iMac, I've never had to restart, and only had it freeze up maybe 3 times. ( Always the same issue, Excel for Mac wouldn't quit when asked to)

I think a lot of people find the Mac character smug because he is pointing out truths that they would like to deny as they challenge their own personal comfortable delusions. I find both he AND the PC character likeable, and see the ads as gentle ribbing.

PS For Evangelion, just because someone doesn't accept your reasoning doesn't mean they are living in denial. That is a cheap and sordid debate tactic, unworthy of reasoned response.

PPS For Timepass. It is spelled "community". If you get a Mac, the dictionary is built in.

 

[Mac Rules]

I gotta say, I think the ads are quite good. Even though I am a current Windows user and waiting until WWDC for a merom MBP, I don't think the ads are entirely correct as previously mentioned, but they are still funny and they do hit some nerves with Windows users....viruses, fun-stuff, out of the box usability. If you own a Mac, then you know how good they are so why worry about these ad campaigns, you've already been pursuaded

Cheers

 

[Killyp]

I think the ads are pretty accurate.

My Dell (top of the range!!!) PC had to be 'restarted' every day in the form of not being able to be Standby'd (is that right?) because it just waked up instantly from standby. It went back to a Dell service center in Bath 4 times for that. Still not fixed. Also, every time I tried to close Cubase SX, it would get 'stuck' and the only way to quit Cubase (which would just sit there with a blank white Windows) was to hold down the power button for 8 seconds as it prevented the computer from shutting down. It still did this after a complete system format (which I used to do every 3 or 4 months).

I didn't actually have any virus protection for the first 2 months, and 2 months after getting the computer, I lost all my work and files. I wonder why? Does the same thing happen on a Mac? No...

My MBP is a million times more fun than my PC. I couldn't install any games on my PC at all as they always stopped Cubase from running (something to do with a registry conflict according to Sound Control) and PCs are generally pretty poor when it comes to doing games without spending big money on hardware. You should see Counter Strike 2 running full res on a 30" Apple Display. WOW!!!!

Really though, if you want to do gaming, get an XBox or Wii. They are dedicated games machines, which is why they are the best for.... gaming!


All that about Windows having to install software for USB devices etc... is very true. Let's look at a recent 'swaparound' I had to do. I didn't have a printer, but we did have a family epson printer and a combi printer/scanner that my mum wasn't using any more. So I take the combi machine down to our family PC, connect it up and surprise surprise, it asks me for a CD to install the software. I insert the CD and while the Microsoft Windows Add New Hardware nonsense is running, it also tries to run the 'AutoRun' installer package, at the same time. I try to cancel one of them, but it doesn't want to. It just hangs. The whole machine is responding slowly, and this is by no means a slow computer. It's got a 2.5 GHz Pentium 4 in it, 2 GB RAM, a Hard Drive which I partitioned into 3, one with XP, one for Apps and another for the virtual memory (swap file). It also had a complete format about 4 months ago. So there I am on this pretty powerful computer waiting for it to start responding again. No option to quit the Microsoft installer, so I try and quit the manufacturer's installer package, which gives me a white window and slows the whole computer right down. I sit there for about 20 mins, hoping the thing will start responding again, but nope, nothing happens. So I power it off at the mains, and power it back up again. Goes through the normal boot process (which is butt-ugly btw) and I log in (which is also already very jerky). I get back to the desktop and this time round, for some reason, the microsoft one asks what I want to do (Auto Search for the software or install from a specific location). I click cancel and it says "The hardware was not installed properly, it may not work" (well duh). I then let the AutoPlay load, and go through the process of that. When that's finished, it says I need to run the Microsoft Add New Hardware wizard (which it just expects me to know is situated in the control panel). I run that and it says it couldn't find any new hardware. So it asks me to go to a list of hardware and I find the uninstalled hardware with a little ? next to it on one of the USB tree branches. I double click on that and FINALLY the printer drivers are installing. It runs to the end OK, and I click FINISH. I try to print a page and... nothing. Oh yeah, it still hasn't set it to be the default printer in the control panel (of course, everybody knows all about that, everyone was born with that knowledge, I'm sure a computer newbie would completely understand that).

FINALLY it's printing!!! Wahay! Well, the scanner part doesn't work yet, but I'm working on that...


So I've mostly go the 'new' family printer (the combi machine) working on our family PC. Now I take the Epson stylus C64 printer from the family PC desk and take it up to my room. I place it on the desk, connect it to the USB hub I use with my MacBook Pro and, nothing happens. Well I try searching for 'drivers' in the System Preferences, but that's useless, so I go into the printer setup. Lowe and behold, it's there, ready to go and it even has a little picture of my printer with it logically named: "Epson Stylus C64", no "COPY1" or anything after the name, just nice and neat. I go into iPhoto, choose a favourite picture of mine (one of me sitting in a friend's dad's Ferrari) and click File > Print. No settings need to be changed and I click the PRINT button. No long wait while it tries to find the printer, it just whirrs into action and starts printing! OS X is just UNBELIEVABLE at working with external hardware, especially in comparison to Windows!

I've used PCs for all my life, and OS X for the past few months and I've done far more on my MBP than I would even want to risk attempting on my Windows/Ubuntu based Dell machine!


Apple are right, Macs do work pretty much 'out of the box'!

 

[Zmmyt]

!double post!

 

[Zmmyt]

I love those ads. Even I had quite some fun with my xp machine (games, movie maker) I would say the ads represent the overall experience with windows machines.

With my PB I never had to worry about 3rd party peripherals (drivers) or viruses. And that's a huge thing for me.

 

[glassbathroom]

I like the ads but I don't think they are very good (if you catch my drift). Great for a mac audience, but too smug for the rest of the world.

 

[jackc]

As people have said before, the ads just don't ring true for PC users. I hated using a Dell as much as anyone here, but to say that a PC is good for spreadsheets and timesheets, and Macs are good for everything else, is just wrong. And the type of PC consumer that would be interested in using iLife knows it.

There's no need for so much embellishment, Macs really are better. Just tell us why.

 

[bradc]

Those ads are far-fetched. I mean if you know how to handle Windows it's awesome too. Windows XP & 2000 are brilliant. I think Apple is trying to appeal inexperienced users here. The ads are a too far from the truth, except the virus issues.

 

[After G]

I don't think the ads are all that far from the truth.

Most of us here probably know how to take care of our computers, OS X, Windows, or Linux. You know, things like updating, turning on the firewall, not downloading things, not opening random e-mails. The problem is that most people don't want to be bothered, or don't know how. They just want their computer to work, and not to crash because they accidentally clicked on "Free cursors for your desktop".

Just compare a Mac lab and a PC lab. How much time does IT spend on the Windows machines versus the Macs? If you have the time, you can get anything to run. You don't spend a bunch of time maintaining your car, or your appliances, or your TV; why should you have to do it for your computer? The computer is a tool, nothing more.

 

[FocusAndEarnIt]

How much time does IT spend on the Windows machines versus the Macs?

Literally.

There was one person managing 500 iMacs/eMacs at my old school.

ONE PERSON.

Compared to my new school... well, that's another story.

 

[WannabeMacUser]

To me the ads are very disrespectful. the term PC means personal computer so Macs ARE PC's (How many times have we heard this?). The ads are bull. What macs CAn do PC's can do just the same.

So macs have fewer viruses. That doesnt mean that they have NO viruses. The pie chart one is bull as well..

What do you mean PC's cant play music, video, internet? Bull! You can also play better games on a PC.

Macs crash as well. They overheat too.

No real difference between macs and pc's except the name and product. The competition is bullcrap.

 

[mduser63]

So macs have fewer viruses. That doesnt mean that they have NO viruses.

Uhh, actually Macs have exactly zero viruses. There were a couple unsuccessful, but over-publicized Trojans with VERY low infection numbers (if any), but no true viruses for Mac OS X.

(Don't take this response to mean I agree with your other points, I just didn't want to take the time to respond to them all.)

 

[LoveMacMini]

I hate the commercials. I mean I already know Mac users in general [on my campus atleast] are self centered trendy pricks.

These commercials just rub it in even more.