Microsoft's Ad Campaigns: Have They Changed Your Mind?

There is one major flaw in the reasoning here. Microsoft isn't selling anything cheaper. They are touting the affordability of hardware makers. HP, Dell, Toshiba...those are the companies offering a "cheaper" solution. Windows still costs more than OS X. Especially if you factor in your "bang for buck" aspect. Sure. I can walk out of Best Buy with a less expensive PC. I can take it home and boot it up into Windows Vista. Then I can pull my hair out wondering why I can't make it work as seamlessly as my Apple product. Where is the true value in that. My time and sanity are worth far more than the $100-$200 I MIGHT save going the Windows/HP route. I bought both a Dell and Apple laptop within a few weeks of each other in 2004. After 2 years, the Dell was a slug. I had wiped and reinstalled Win XP twice in attempts to regain some semblance of usability. In that same time, my MacBook was running as if it were fresh out of the box. It is 2009 and I am still using that same MacBook. I have reinstalled OS X once (just to start fresh and use this machine as a media server). I had since bought a new MacBook for everyday use, but not out of necessity. I just wanted some of the new technology and features that had come along over those 4-5 years. Now where is the value of that Microsoft based option? In the garbage I assume. I recycled it in 2007.

NO!

So Mr Turner's comment has been confirmed? Sounds more likely that he was joking, or that he got pranked.

Did the ads change my mind? Yes, sort of, it reinforced my opinion of PC buyers being pennywise and pound foolish.

No. The first comment for me sums it up. I also use Ubuntu Linux and that is far better than Windows. I will not support or waste my time on a company such as Microsoft.

I would love to get an Apple computer but I like the PC due to the fact that there is an infinite amount of SW out there for it. Plus, I barely use the PC to its full extent and most people that I know that have MACs have them for the fashion statement and not because they use them for what they are meant for, such as graphics, design and video. There is no argument that PCs are a pain in the ass but do most people really need a $1,000 plus MAC, I think not.

Apple trumps PC in a lot of ways. At least you never have to worry about viruses creeping on your machine. It's graphics is much better than anything else out there. It all depends on if you want quality or have no choice- always letting the price determine what you're choosing and not what you really want.

Erfan Hettini
America's Ambassador of Entrepreneurship
www.fire-your-employer.com

My big problem with this ad campaign is that it is based on products that are not made by Microsoft. If they produced the same ad showing people buying the Zune instead of an iPod or buying the XBox instead of the PS3, then I would not have a problem. (Fact is most people continue to buy iPods in spite of the fact that they are more expensive than the Zune)

The customers in the ads are usually looking for long battery life, large displays, low prices, etc... In other words, hardware. None of the ads show someone making their decision because of a Microsoft product on the laptop. Why are they taking credit for people choosing products made by Sony, HP, Dell, etc... that have nothing to do with Microsoft? Their previous short-lived I'm a PC campaign showing kids making slideshows and such was far more effective.

As your own BW columnist has pointed out the PC is cheap, but not a better deal.

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2009/tc20090415_602968.htm
Mac vs. PC: What You Don't Get for $699
A 17-in. PC may cost a lot less than a 17-in. Mac. But you get less, too, including security, multimedia tools, and, some say, satisfaction

Absolutely not.
The most cost effective system in Linux. I won't get into the malware picture.

I've been involved in PC support for over a decade... that's why all my home computers are Macs. I got sick of constantly babysitting Windows. All my Macs work great and when I have an issue I can normally fix it in a few minutes. I can't tell you how many times I've attempted to configure or troubleshoot issues in Windows that left me scratching my head for hours. Windows is still too high-maintenance for me. The added expense of Macs is well worth it when you factor in peace of mind. My only caveat is that you learn to properly secure your Macs as they are more vulnerable from a security standpoint out of the box than a Windows PC (go figure). Use strong passwords, shut down any non-essential system services, and USE THE BUILT-IN FIREWALL AND TURN ON THE STEALTH FEATURE. And, after you've done all that, PUT IT BEHIND A ROUTER USING WPA2 ENCRYPTION, preferably an Apple Airport Extreme or Time Capsule. You can go to sleep well knowing that there are fewer hackers looking to take over Apple systems and, even if they zero in on your network, it'll be a tough target. You can make your Apple network pretty secure with a half-hour of good work. Windows has too many backdoors.

Apple is only a high end product. Not enough software to get value, unless using in creative department.

Been moving back towards the PC and away from Apple. The worm is eating away!

It is worthwhile to remember that Microsoft does not make PC's. In that context Microsoft is defending, at its own expense, a broader and more inclusive hardware/software community. Apple on the other hand is a very closed community.

$800 for a Mac Mini (no keyboard, no mouse, no display, no speaker, etc. and it overheats), give me a break! Regardless of details, with Apple the consumer always gets less and pays more.

Question: Did Microsoft's lawyers use implied legal action against Apple for it's I'm a Mac/I'm a PC ads? Again, Microsoft does not make PC's.

Apple ought to change their name again, to Lawyer Inc.

I disagree with the first poster who claims windows isnt as seamless as mac. I use both OSX & Vista. I feel that windows is much easier for pretty much anything. I love the windows experience.

To Carl: What PC on the planet matches Apple in quality? Who else makes a PC milled from a solid block of aluminum? For that matter, is Windows even close to Mac OS X in quality, technology or ease of use? I own a Mac mini and it runs continuously... how can it overheat when the entire aluminum chassis acts as heatsink? And I paid $600 even with the extra memory. As I stated before, peace of mind is worth the extra cost.

I am a Creative Director for a multimedia company and we use PC's and couldn't be happier. Anyone who says they don't do graphics as well hasn't run AfterEffects or Photoshop on a PC! Plus, the value for the dollar is substantial (even if the value is coming from the hardware manufacturer and not the OS), which allows us to have more equipment and work faster. I'm not saying that Macs don't work just as well for other people out there, just defending the PC. People get stuck on pride and don't consider that everyone uses what is most comfortable to them. Why hate PC's or Macs (or Linux, etc)? It's nice to have choices and I like to see the companies strive to outdo each other - it gives greater value to us as the consumer.

There's little doubt that Macs are a little overpriced. That's the benefit of having a popular brand name - you can enjoy better margins.

I think Microsoft's ad campaign will soon be studied in business schools for its effectiveness.

The Seinfeld ads succeeded in changing the frame of reference and people's perception of Microsoft as a corporate product.

The follow-up ads did a great job at turning Microsoft a little cooler.

So where's the comment from Apple's marketing dept? Something fishy about this "news."

"Who else makes a PC milled from a solid block of aluminum?"

http://www.adamobydell.com/

seriously? the seinfeld ads were terrible, it was like your parents try to be cool again. PC hardware is cheaper yes, apples charges you a premium to run OS X, which is a much better experience than windows.

seriously? the seinfeld ads were terrible, it was like your parents try to be cool again. PC hardware is cheaper yes, apples charges you a premium to run OS X, which is a much better experience than windows.

seriously? the seinfeld ads were terrible, it was like your parents try to be cool again. PC hardware is cheaper yes, apples charges you a premium to run OS X, which is a much better experience than windows.

A Mercedes is more expensive than a Kia yet people still buy a Benz. Why?

I'm a new Mac Pro user - just switched from a pc. You can: Keep XP, Keep Vista & Keep 7. These commercials are a joke unless you're looking for a cheap computer - see the analogy yet?. My experiences with OS X are all positive. This thing works flawlessly 100% of the time whereas all the PC's I've ever owned have had their share of lockups, bluescreens and crashes.

Yes, I'm a new Apple user and I switched from the PC platform. and NO, I won't be switching back.

I've finally found a computer that makes me look forward to using it.

I will never give anyone grief over their personal computer choice. Everyone is different. PC's have their place. They are generally better gaming machines. I am not a gamer. Apple makes the better product in my opinion. People give them grief for being "closed". But that is what makes them better IMHO. Windows and PC's in general pride them selves on their openness. But they suffer bugs because they will let just anything access the system. Apple controls that allowing their systems to run at a much more stable level. Sure, I might have to go to a couple more stores/sites to find a compatible product. So what. I do not turn on my brand new Apple system and immediately feel the need to reload to remove all the junk PC maker's pimped themselves out for. No AOL... No ads... Just the system as it was supposed to be. Clean. I support Windows systems 40+ hours a week in my IT job. I go home to Apple to enjoy computing. Not troubleshooting.

Josh - that is a nice looking Dell. It just shows the influence that Apple products have on the design teams across all computing platforms. Just like the iPod. Apple made something shiny and cool and the rest of the electronics companies have been tripping over each other trying to match it.

Josh - I just spec'd that Dell Adamo. Talk about premium pricing! The cheapest build (w/ 1.2 Intel Core 2 Duo, 128 SSD, 2GB DDR3) is $1998. Since this is aimed at the MacBook Air (no built in optical drive), I decided to do a comparison. 2.3 Intel Core 2 Duo, 128 SSD and 2GB DDR3...$1799. Twice the processor and all you lose is some USB ports. Where is that PC value Microsoft is selling now?

Never claimed it was a better value; just answering a question ;-)

OS X will never challenge Windows until it is de-coupled from Apple hardware. I know you can have a hackintosh, but it is a project of its own mainly targeted to techie audience. I run Virtual Box on my MacBook Pro to run windows. I am impressed by OS X's no non-sense memory management. If you can buy a Mac and install VM with Windows on it. Macs live longer..

If computational power and certain other elements are not primary, which is completely OK, just buy a HP out of BestBuy.

It is not what you buy.. but what works for you and how you use it. I am happy with what I have.

Bbb Glad you are enjoying your new mac that works perfectly 100% of the time. I hope you don`t have the problem my daughter had after getting a Mac update; her computer crashed then she had to reinstall her os/x. If she had know about the web site Macfixit, where all the other Mac users with 100% perfect running computers go to get their computers up and running so they can get back online to continue their bashing of everything Microsoft. My two computers running Vista and Windows 7 have never had any of those problems you listed. My 5 year old laptop running Windows 7 is also running great. But maybe it's just me

It is all about value to me. There is a lot of value in an apple computer as it is currently priced. In addition, you don't often hear about how long Apple products last. I have an emac from 2004 still going strong. In B-school I saw a lot of old Powerbooks and iBooks still used. Windows Pcs seemingly wear out quickly, and I have a few PC friends complain about having to replace their laptops every other year.
Also, the apple computers at my child's school were ancient and still being used. The woman in charge of computers there raved about their longevity.