What Do You Think of Apple's Win7 Ad Offensive?

I don't know... the touch screen Media Center interface is pretty fantabulous. As is the Touch Pack, "Play to" features, Internet TV Media Center integration, and HomeGroup stuff.

Then for the Enterprise, you got the fantastic "Direct Access" feature, as well as Branch Cache.

Microsoft would NEVER say that nobody is happier that the Vista era is over than Microsoft itself! Are you serious?

I think both company's ads are misleading and, as a result, annoying. Unfortunately, mudslinging works on an ignorant audience. Personally, I'd rather actually hear Mac talk about the features its OS has, and for Microsoft to talk about Windows', instead of having to watch their juvenile ad-war. After all, I've been using Windows my whole life, but I can find absolutely nothing from Microsoft that details the new features in W7, beyond vague statements of improvement, and I've never seen anything from the Mac side about what their OS does. Bottom line, convince me your product is better because of its positives, not because of your competition's negatives.

And for reference, I've been using Windows since the mid-90s, and none of my PCs during those 15+ years, including my laptop running Vista, have ever had a virus, or crashed because of the OS. But then again, I wouldn't expect my car to run perfect without changing the oil. In the same way, I run basic, regular maintenance on my computers and they always run great.

I think both company's ads are misleading and, as a result, annoying. Unfortunately, mudslinging works on an ignorant audience. Personally, I'd rather actually hear Mac talk about the features its OS has, and for Microsoft to talk about Windows', instead of having to watch their juvenile ad-war. After all, I've been using Windows my whole life, but I can find absolutely nothing from Microsoft that details the new features in W7, beyond vague statements of improvement, and I've never seen anything from the Mac side about what their OS does. Bottom line, convince me your product is better because of its positives, not because of your competition's negatives.

And for reference, I've been using Windows since the mid-90s, and none of my PCs during those 15+ years, including my laptop running Vista, have ever had a virus, or crashed because of the OS. But then again, I wouldn't expect my car to run perfect without changing the oil. In the same way, I run basic, regular maintenance on my computers and they always run great.

Well I am a fan of Apple, but one might ask if it is smart to do this type of ad? They say snakes only attack when they feel threatened. By doing this Apple is clearly showing that it feels threatened by Microsoft, Apple has a loyal base of customers I do not believe they need to get down and dirty.

Of course, the MS ads are Silverlight - hahaha, like anyone is going to download a MS internet video player ... I think that's pretty much Ms' story - out of step in the internet age where no one cares. WIn is an acceptable OS when it's free on a $399 computer - selling $200 full versios - not happening. As noted, MS sales are down for 3 consecutive quarters now - Apple? You know the story ... isn't Apple within a couple billion in sales this quarter behind MS - next year?

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxy and z No i'm just kidding that's not what i think of the apple's win7 ad offence.

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxy and z No i'm just kidding that's not what i think of the apple's win7 ad offence.

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxy and z No i'm just kidding that's not what i think of the apple's win7 ad offence.

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxy and z No i'm just kidding that's not what i think of the apple's win7 ad offence.

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxy and z No i'm just kidding that's not what i think of the apple's win7 ad offence.

The two Microsoft videos above say "Get the latest Microsoft Silverlight plugins to view this video". The three Apple videos played just fine. Need I say more?

Can't even watch the Windows ads. I won't download any of their Microsoft's products, so I cannot compare. Maybe if they were converted to a format that everyone else in the freaking world uses then I could watch them....... Typical Microsoft.

But the Apple ads are great and right to the point. I suspect there are millions that fit that exact target audience.

Can't even watch the Windows ads. I won't download any of their products, so I cannot compare. Maybe if they were converted to a format that everyone else in the freaking world uses then I could watch them....... Typical Microsoft.

But the Apple ads are great and right to the point. I suspect there are millions that fit that exact target audience.

Apple ads were spot on, as usual.

As others noted, the Microsoft ads don't play.

And "AndrewC", the fake Mac user - Apple knows they are #2. So to use another #2 company's strategy, they try harder. They are reaching beyond their existing base to all those XP user. They have to backup to migrate, so why not migrate to the better platfom - Macintosh.

For all you people complaining about having to install special software to watch the Windows ads:

1) You had to install Adobe Flash Player to watch the Mac ads, or did you conveniently forget that part?

2) Whoever wrote this article chose to post the Windows ads in Silverlight format. If you want to watch Windows ads, you can see them on youtube as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hF_K_IFMDU

And there are Windows ads that talk about Windows features. They talk about snap, and in other ads, about taskbar preview. Mac ads talk about features too, though most of them just bash on Windows.

A little searching on youtube brings up the Windows channel, where Microsoft provided these commercials in a format everyone can play:

Collaboration:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2YX6FsoMIY

Jack's Snap
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfQPLxgcGw8

Not sure why the author decided to post the Silverlight links, but it seems a bit unfair to post video formats that people will probably not be able to watch. You can hardly blame Microsoft for this one.

For years i've hated macs and apple. A few months ago I had a macbook pro foisted upon me by the resources dept. ( the assumption was I'd be pleased so consultation wasn't necessary) where I work. I complained and was told I could use my own laptop and bill for it as a replacement. So i decided to use the macbook for a few months and then buy another laptop when some new compelling tech came out. I found out I love this thing...the hardware is first rate, the best I've ever used... and the OS give me an impression of being hardware rather than software - it's so solid. Apple has my business as long as they continue to produce products like this macbook and OSX

@ Spider...

This is why apple is all the rave...

@Spider. I had a similiar experience. I had always used Windows and built my own desktops. Then at my job I had an iMac (one of the newer ones) given to me to work better with QuarkXpress. OMG. The machine is the best. It's so fast and it's smooth. It's so intuitive and I love the shortcut keys. I fell in love with Apple computers and now I own a MBP and my own iMac. I'm never going back to Windows after using that iMac. I never bought into the apple hype, but I wish I did sooner!

@Cy and @Corl

Microsoft - your shills are getting confused. Exactly the same post with two different names?

I'd suggest that you don't pay either of them for their shill posts on this web site.

Mike:
Yes at first I used it to run XP and I was very pleased with the hardware...very clean and ergonomic design..but I was annoyed that windows programs where running on top of OSX in parallel. A colleague created a separate boot partition, but convince me to do all connectivity in OSX for security. After a week i tired of rebooting and just stayed in X. Another week and I just started to use X versions of all programs. It's a nice change and operates how I expect an operating system to operate. I am happy with this system.

I've used Apple computers since '88 and PC's since '90 and the Apple products are simply better. I've never had a virus or bug on any of my PC's, they have always been clean and mostly trouble free, but they just don't feel like they work as well or as easily as my Macs. Honestly, I've never felt the need to move beyond XP, even though Win 7 is the best it's ever been for Windows users. MacOSX 10.5 was the point when I realized I didn't fire up a PC anymore.

As for the apple vs. MS ads, I see that more and more PC users are irked by Apple's ads because they seem like they're married to their computer choice. The amount of hostility toward Apple I encounter while helping people with PC's is tremendous, but ironically these people would die without their iPod and iTunes!

Those Apple ads are just silly ads. Good for a few laughs. No big deal at all. They can't get low-paid diehard Windows users to switch to Macs. In this world there are more poor people who can't afford to pay premium prices for quality or service. No matter how good the ads are, what you can't afford, you can't afford. Otherwise, everyone would be buying Mercedes-Benzes instead of some cheap crap vehicle such as a low-end Kia or Toyota.

Still, the ads are basically Windows PCs vs Apple Macs. Apple isn't making fun about Windows users at all. In one of the ads it portrays a Windows user as an intelligent entity who can make a choice between the two. What's wrong with that. In Broken Promises it's no different than any other company that says it's latest product is an improvement over a previous product. That's always the premise that new products are supposed to deliver better performance or higher stability or anything perceived as being better.

Probably the only Microsoft OS that didn't turn out better than the previous version was Vista and Apple used this as the whole premise of Broken Promises. It's a distortion of the truth. Even as a Mac user, I realize this. I'm only saying these ads mean so little that I don't understand why they would upset anyone, especially Microsoft. Certainly no large corporation is going to change their computers based on these ads so Microsoft and Windows is safe and secure from Apple.

Sean
October 23, 2009 05:31 PM

Can't even watch the Windows ads. I won't download any of their Microsoft's products, so I cannot compare. Maybe if they were converted to a format that everyone else in the freaking world uses then I could watch them....... Typical Microsoft.

HAHAHAHA, you did NOT just complain about MS having proprietary file formats in a MS v mac discussion. Everything apple puts out is irrevocably chemically bound to its hardware and operating system.

Apple has Microsoft envy....

Thanks for article. Everytime like to read you.
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well, it's not hard to see that Apple's ads are just and only about bashing Microsoft's products (which you cant say -in anyway- that they are accurate and relevant!)

i'm wondering when Apple will start to advertise about its own products superiority (if they have any!) ?!

by the way, this blog itself, in Business Week, is an example of Apple's huge advertisement campaign!
i really don't know, what unique superiority does Apple have, beside its ads?!

i wish someday Apple will start talk about its products rather than bashing other companies' products!