New MS Laptop Hunter Ad

[kaostheory777]

What's in the bag?

At the end of the commercial she has a Laptop in the box and a carrier bag. What's in the carrier bag? My guess would be:

• The Virus Software she needs for the PC
• The £800 video editing software she'll need
• A manual of Windows Error codes
• And a large stick to beat some Sanity back into her

Really folks does Microsoft really expect us to buy the fact that any "Video Artist" would rather be using a PC than a MacBook Pro?

Another example that proves these are (poor) actors and not "real" people!

 

[pdxflint]

OK so i just skim read through this thread so forgive me if this has already been pointed.

I think these MS ads are quite good in getting a point across. Basically not everyone has a lot of money to spend on getting a computer especially with the financial problems the world is having so when they do go and buy one they want to get the most out of their money. The average person might not know what RAM does but they might know/think that more is better. The average person won't know the proclaimed benefits of Mac OSX. The average person goes "oh a Video editor uses that laptop I bet it would be good for me." So what everyone hear needs to remember is that these ads aren't directed at tech savvy people who know about these things but they are directed at people who are short of cash, want the best "specs" with out knowing what is actually better and who don't know much about computers.

So before going "oh why did she buy the HP with 4gigs of ram compared to the Macbook with 2gig when vista drains ram?" or " why did she pick the Hp that cant run final cut" just remember who the ads are aimed at.

Well, I also only read the last couple of pages of comments here... but here goes... I have to kind of disagree with you about Microsoft being good at getting a point across... I think they're really blowing smoke at their target audience - but I will agree with one thing you said - that they do know their intended audience... which is a sad commentary by itself.

My comment on the most recent "Sheila the filmmaker" MS ad:

It's almost painful to watch... painful in a guilty pleasure sort of way, like watching a train wreck. It's kind of sad that MS is targeting ignorant people (their intended cutomers) by portraying other ignorant people in their commercials buying computers. The 'buyers' all seem to want some generic similar benefit (fast processor, comfortable keyboard, big screen, something that can "cut video" or maybe run a word processor, or play games, or play DVD movies... or some other inane benefit, which is played up as somehow a deal-maker or deal-breaker to the ignorant target audience.) So, now MS is bracketing them in different price ranges... still comparing them to Macs - in every single commercial a Macbook or Macbook Pro get's fondled briefly, then dismissed for some completely ridiculous reason. Perpetuating the anti-Mac myths is always part of these commercials, which also shows MS is targeting the ignorant. It's really sad, and more of an indictment of MS for failure to truly respect their own potential customers. Who are they fooling? Really? Some people, of course, but it's not that hard to recognize snake-oil sales techniques when you see them. Hey, if the intended customer doesn't know any better, all the better for the slick sales techniques, (i.e. manipulation of the potential customer with just barely enough truth to allow a big dose of untruth to slide by, or go down without protest.)

Sheila: "Is this graphic card going to be powerful...?"

Retail Fry's guy: "Uhmm hmm!"
(there's an implied 'you betcha!' right there, but never truly stated what that means... Boy, that would make me feel happy if I were shopping video editing hardware... I suppose. <~ironic sarcasm~>)

Sheila: "Wow!"
(clearly from an edit....err, I mean video 'cut'.)

Sheila: "Will it comfort me and make me feel all tingly late at night?"

Retail Fry's guy: "Uhh hmmm! Sure! It'll do whatever you want." (immediately looks away)

Sheila: "Oh.., wow! Wow!" (closes her eyes momentarily, shudders)
"I think I'm buying this computer! No! Wait! I AM buying this computer..."

(Whew! Glad we finally got that figured out. The suspense and drama was just approaching intolerable levels. I can now sleep easy knowing the answer to the big question; what particular brand of PC laptop would be featured in this little version of "Computer Buying For Dummies" non-reality show.

 

[hazza.jockel]

Perpetuating the anti-Mac myths is always part of these commercials

And the I'm A Mac ads don't perpetuate any windows myths? Of course they do. Companies do what they have to to sell a product. In this case MS is targeting people who won't realize these are myths and take them as fact. Just as in some of the I'm a Mac ads.

 

[macffooky]

Freeware is almost non-existant on a Mac as well. Aside from VLC, Perian, and Adium, what decent freeware is there?

On my MBP I have:

Audacity
avidemux
Burn
Carbon Copy Cloner
checksum+
Cog
D-Vision 3
Easyfind
FairMount
Grand Perspective
Handbrake
JollysFastVNC
LiquidCD
MacPar deluxe
Max
MKVtoolnix
MPEG Streamclip
MPlayer OSX Extended
myDVDEdit
Onyx
Plex
RapidSVN
SABnzbd+
SMARTReporter
smcfancontrol
SnapNDrag
TextWrangler
tsmuxer GUI
Tux Paint
UnRarX
VideoMonkey
Winclone
xACT
XLD

along with large number of CLI apps augmented by MacPorts and Wine. The only commercial app I use regularly that I could not just as easily replicate with equivalently convenient freeware is EyeTV.

 

[PlayRadioPlay]

Out of curiosity, did anyone else buy their Mac laptop fully expecting to upgrade the RAM, but then didn't because you were surprised by/satisfied with the speed?

I have a 17" MacBook Pro. I run some pretty huge Logic Pro sessions on it that I create on my Mac Pro, and it handles them really well. I ended up not upgrading the RAM due to the lack of "Man I wish this running faster" feeling.

 

[southernpaws]

Out of curiosity, did anyone else buy their Mac laptop fully expecting to upgrade the RAM, but then didn't because you were surprised by/satisfied with the speed?

::raises hand::

 

[aristotle]

As I mentioned before. Since that laptop in the commercial is running a 64bit OS, it will need all of those 4GB just to be able run most programs that you would normally only require 2GB because most applications are still 32bit and those 32bit applications tend to cause a things called memory fragmentation. I've experienced it with Visual studio.NET 2008 and I had to search the net for a wrapper tool that patches launches VS.NET 2008 with an in memory patch to fix that problem.

Essentially what will happen is your programs will start crashing saying that they are out of memory when there should be plenty available. The situation reminded me of the System 7/8/9 days when you had to allocate a portion of memory to an application.

Windows is terrible at memory management and it gets worse when you try to run 32bit applications on a 64bit windows because of how MSFT messed up Windows on Windows 64 (WOW64). WOW64 is a little bit like Classic which was the environment used to run OS 9 apps on OS X prior to Intel macs but not quite the same.

 

[madrag]

she said "firewire" he he!

 

[Eidorian]

she said "firewire" he he!

Now if Apple only had it on the Aluminium Macbook.

 

[bournecain]

Is it me, or did everyone notice the wallpaper on the MB Pro. It had the Tiger's Wallpaper.

 

[Melrose]

::raises hand::

::raises hand::

 

[polaris20]

iLife ships on OS X discs too, as we are aware...

And iLife is as much as part of OS X as IE and WMP or WLM is to Windows... (and Windows also have their iLife counterparts... Windows Movie Maker, Windows Live Photo Gallery, Windows DVD maker, just to name a few..)

iLife ships on a separate disk than OS X. If you do a reinstall, you don't have to load it. The restore disks that something like an HP would come with reload all the junk on there again though, such as the Norton garbage, Office trial garbage, and tons of other unusable trialware that needs to come off.

Not to mention the other useless apps built into Windows, like the ones you mentioned. If Windows ever got to the point of a good Linux distro where you can pick and choose the apps you want installed, I'd be quite happy.

 

[hotrock3]

She is a filmmaker, well that sucks for her because I am a filmmaker and in the industry 90 percent of the software we use is Final cut pro.
prefer pc over a mac

First off, I am not arguing that a Windows better.

Even though FCP holds 90% market share, it is not better. Avid is far better if you have the money to spend. All the studios still use Avid but they run on Macs now unlike 10 years ago.

 

[pdxflint]

And the I'm A Mac ads don't perpetuate any windows myths? Of course they do. Companies do what they have to to sell a product. In this case MS is targeting people who won't realize these are myths and take them as fact. Just as in some of the I'm a Mac ads.

I think most people watching the I'm A Mac, and I'm A PC ads see humor and generalization in those little sketches - call it a form of satire, if you will. Who hasn't seen SNL, and had a bit of an idea that it was...well...hmmm, not exactly reality or pseudo-reality TV? I'm pretty sure the I'm A Mac ads are taking some creative liberties to make a point, and not really be that offensive. I think you'll have to agree that Hodgeman's PC character would probably win a popularity contest among viewers, and is portrayed as somewhat loveable, and endearing. He just has problems (the Windows myths you mentioned) which just happen to be extremely common for many people - thus they identify with him. That's the whole idea. Most of PC's complaints in the ads are pretty valid, actually, despite being generalized and acted out in some metaphorical manner to make the point. There's more truth than untruth. The myths... aren't really myths when it comes to Windows, are they? It would be kind of hard to perpetuate some myth about systems 90% of the viewers either use, or have used before, extensively. How do you perpetuate a myth to the actual users of Windows? They certainly would be able to dismiss them if they were blatantly BS, but instead they recognize them as true, thus the ads work. Lots of people switching to Macs because someone finally addressed the issues most of them were already having with their computers.

Contrast this to the Laptop Hunter MS ads, which actually try to imply some 'hard' truths about what you can and can't get with a certain $$ amount in the PC vs Mac story by framing it with the "what do you want in a laptop" question up front, then letting a non-Mac knowledgeable person define the qualities that would meet their needs. What a perfect set-up for perpetuating the old anti-Mac myths - let those who only know those 'myths' define the parameters, and then let Microsoft fulfill their wishes. The 'myths' that are used to dismiss Macs are simply ridiculous for the most part. The arguments against Mac (you can hardly call them that) are just thrown it to make it look like they really did consider alternatives to Windows laptops, when anyone who knows even a reasonable amount about Macs would have looked a bit harder - considered the end-user benefits vs. price up front - before ruling them out. There are some valid reasons to choose Windows over Mac. Problem is, Microsoft doesn't really address those issues because they aren't really consumer issues, but more corporate, IT issues. Microsoft knows the Macs are a compelling option, maybe even the best option for the home consumer and creative professional, so they absolutely will fan the flames of ignorance as long as they can... It's worked for them this far, so why stop now?

Ironically, both the I'm A Mac ads and the Laptop Hunter ads are both targeting Windows users. The I'm A Mac ads attempt to educate and enlighten and de-myth the anti-Mac ignorance with humor, while the Laptop Hunter ads do just the opposite - they perpetuate continued ignorance, they attempt to perpetuate a myth. Good for them (Microsoft.) It's business after all. But you have to laugh at what it says about their technology and innovation when this is the business plan. Ironically, it makes them fairly easy to compete with on a technical and innovative level. And Apple's managing their plan very well. Apple doesn't really care if "Sheila, the filmmaker" buys an HP laptop. Somebody's got to make and sell the other 80% of the computers in the world, and they may as well sell them to Sheila and friends.

 

[Lestrange]

Realistic scenario

While I know this was an ad, done with actors, and heavily MS/PC biased, it is still a realistic scenario. So let's assume it's real...

Whatever field she works in, video, audio, design, etc, the simple fact is she's a student...and therefore probably doesn't have a lot of money or space. This would quite obviously rule out a desktop or other dedicated peripherals/entertainment devices such as dvd players and music players. Who can afford or has space for all of these on a student budget? I myself use a 15" laptop for everything from music, chatting, design, dvds, everything, because I can't afford to do otherwise.

Also, the fact that someone is a student probably means they are not going to use professional level hardware, unless they have the money, in which case they would probably have to settle for something lesser but still functional.

Asking for a 17" laptop for under a £1000 even (not dollars!) would be a reasonable request, however Apple just do not do this. I know, I want a Macbook Pro, as it is the only thing that would be adequate. (13" screens do NOT cut it for design work, and I don't have space for a hulking great desktop...and as for the iMac, if I want laptop grade parts in a machine, I'll buy a laptop thanks. =] ) I want to use the Mac OS because I have used it a lot and like it, but Apple's DREADFUL student discount in the UK (5% ?!?!) and vast over-pricing means they're forcing a lot of potential customers to go elsewhere. Sad but true. =[

 

[pdxflint]

While I know this was an ad, done with actors, and heavily MS/PC biased, it is still a realistic scenario. So let's assume it's real...

Whatever field she works in, video, audio, design, etc, the simple fact is she's a student...and therefore probably doesn't have a lot of money or space. This would quite obviously rule out a desktop or other dedicated peripherals/entertainment devices such as dvd players and music players. Who can afford or has space for all of these on a student budget? I myself use a 15" laptop for everything from music, chatting, design, dvds, everything, because I can't afford to do otherwise.

Also, the fact that someone is a student probably means they are not going to use professional level hardware, unless they have the money, in which case they would probably have to settle for something lesser but still functional.

Asking for a 17" laptop for under a £1000 even (not dollars!) would be a reasonable request, however Apple just do not do this. I know, I want a Macbook Pro, as it is the only thing that would be adequate. (13" screens do NOT cut it for design work, and I don't have space for a hulking great desktop...and as for the iMac, if I want laptop grade parts in a machine, I'll buy a laptop thanks. =] ) I want to use the Mac OS because I have used it a lot and like it, but Apple's DREADFUL student discount in the UK (5% ?!?!) and vast over-pricing means they're forcing a lot of potential customers to go elsewhere. Sad but true. =[

Not sure which ad you're referring to - going to assume the first one ($1000) where the girl wants 17" screen for less than $1000... sure. It's obvious. There's no choice but PC/Windows. The premise of the ad is an easy setup. Why go through all the BS? The thing not discussed was, why? What did 17" screen laptop provide to her on that budget, and what were the trade-offs? Probably no better display resolution than Apple's 13" screen offers, and tons of extra bulk and weight. Lousy graphics. Poor battery life. Old technology (at least 1 year old already.) And absolutely no "cool" factor, which has some obvious value to college students. Instead the ad ignores most of these issues (which ultimately do matter to most users,) except for the "cool" factor dig at Apple by saying since she couldn't afford a Macbook Pro 17", she wasn't "cool" enough to "go Apple." How ridiculous. It's easy to see how hard she tried to shoehorn herself into an Apple somehow... right? It's gotta be 17", and under $1000! No other display specs necessary, right?

Sort of like saying I need a new car, and I need it to have 4 doors, a cd player, and auto transmission for under $12k. It won't be a BMW or Mercedes. It won't even be a Toyota or Honda. In fact it can only be some leftover last year's cheap Chevy or Kia hatchback. Let her go, Apple. Who cares. Some customers you can actually make money by doing business with, and some customers just aren't really worth the trouble. The good thing for Microsoft is that they get the same money for their OS regardless of how little profit margin is in the hardware manufacturer's 17" laptop for less than $1000. It's just another way for them to keep the MS tax going strong. Lay it on the hardware makers to figure out how to make money on ridiculously thin margins, which might explain why IBM got out of the business. Can't blame them at all.

 

[applecultvictim]

Oh my...my..my... where did they get this "artist" from the bottom of the barrel where they got that hp too?

I can't bare the idiocy of these ads, she goes in and says 2gb of memory is not good enough but asks if the graphics card is going to be good enough?????!????!!! When it comes to apple she knows 2gb is not good enough but in terms of graphics cards she is a computer illiterate...these adds surely aim at the lowest common denominator....

Btw, where might we see the work of this great "filmmaker" who ll be making films out of their craptastic laptop....

 

[madrag]

Now if Apple only had it on the Aluminium Macbook.

the pun I made was due to the fact that "firewire" is still an apple term; the rest of the world has to pay apple in order to use this term (I think), otherwise they call it its technical term: IEEE 1394

I thought it was funny that she said "firewire"

 

[bruinsrme]

Today I was pricing Dells. Yes they had a sizable selection of coputers for under $800 that would suit a good number of people for many years.

My wife's computer needs would be met on a 1Ghz P3 with XP. So she wants a laptop. Do I really need to spend more than $550 on a laptop for her, let alone over $1000 for her to check email, play card games, and occcassionally upload some pictures?

I really think Apple is providing a disservice to consumers for not givng them a laptop option for around $700, stock holders for targeting a new market sector that could yeild profits, and to themselves for pusing away customers.

Ipods and inexpensive macs golden combo.

 

[blackhand1001]

My works ASUS notebook has 2gigs running vista. It sits at jsut over 1gig of useage at startup.

I run multiple firefox, thunderbird, itunes, torrent application, digsby, flashget, skype, ie7 (gotta ), word etc... and it stays at a gig of useage.

My iMac sits at less useage on startup, but gets to about the gig mark with the apps going...

they seem pretty even to me

Finally someone that understands vistas memory management. It looks like it uses a lot of memory cause it prefetched the mostly used program based on the maount of memory it has total. If it starts to get low on memory it will dump the prefetches and allow the system to use it. Ever wonder why you no longer see that dreaded low on virtual memory message anymore.

 

[DaReal_Dionysus]

Okay this ad is just non-sense.

I work in the film/TV industry(Post Production) and can tell you a few things about a serious film making. I want to know what this idiot of a lady is going to edit those films on. Adobe Premiere? Ha what a laugh, if 2000 is the budget then she is screwed. There are only two real professional caliber editing programs for film on PC and thats Avid & Auto Smoke. Which are completely out of her price range. If this lady would have done her research then she could have bought the Mac and use Final Cut Studio and had everything she needed to do the job.

Microsoft is week i the production industry. Keep the phony film makers out the commercial.

 

[southernpaws]

I think most people watching the I'm A Mac, and I'm A PC ads see humor and generalization in those little sketches - call it a form of satire, if you will. Who hasn't seen SNL, and had a bit of an idea that it was...well...hmmm, not exactly reality or pseudo-reality TV? I'm pretty sure the I'm A Mac ads are taking some creative liberties to make a point, and not really be that offensive.

Ironically, both the I'm A Mac ads and the Laptop Hunter ads are both targeting Windows users. The I'm A Mac ads attempt to educate and enlighten and de-myth the anti-Mac ignorance with humor, while the Laptop Hunter ads do just the opposite - they perpetuate continued ignorance, they attempt to perpetuate a myth.

I like what you had to say. I never had an answer whenever anybody said the "I'm a Mac" ads were committing the same sins of the laptop hunters. that claim never sat right but i couldn't put into words why.

I think you basically got it. The I'm a Mac ads are attempting caricature. the laptop hunters are attempting documentary. Well said.

 

[Macmini1234]

another one

on may 3 at 9:27 eastern time on fox there was a new one with a kid and his mom wanting a gaming computer for 1500.they picked the sony vaio they commented the mac 13.3 inch was too small but the had enough for a bigger mac ? btw mircosoft doesnt make hardware so they advertize sony and HP.Mac Mini ipod touch airport express apple tv macbook pro

 

[twoodcc]

i personally just do not like that hp line.

 

[blackhand1001]

Okay this ad is just non-sense.

I work in the film/TV industry(Post Production) and can tell you a few things about a serious film making. I want to know what this idiot of a lady is going to edit those films on. Adobe Premiere? Ha what a laugh, if 2000 is the budget then she is screwed. There are only two real professional caliber editing programs for film on PC and thats Avid & Auto Smoke. Which are completely out of her price range. If this lady would have done her research then she could have bought the Mac and use Final Cut Studio and had everything she needed to do the job.

Microsoft is week i the production industry. Keep the phony film makers out the commercial.

Umm, do you listen to yourself. Its a commerical. You sound like a complete snob. Its a fictional commercial. Its people like this that taint the Apple name for people who use their products but don't make their whole life dedicated to them. The sad thing is you tink your helping apple by posting stuff like this, but your just feeding the trolls and pushing away potential customers of Apple.