New Mac vs. PC advert responds to Microsoft with lies
Here’s some news for you: PCs are all bound to crash regularly, get infected with viruses and malware, and cause numerous headaches for their users. Macs, on the other hand, are perfect – never crashing, never having any problems, and never going wrong. At least that’s what Apple wants you to think.
I don’t know about you but I’m loving the Microsoft vs. Apple advertising war a lot more since Microsoft found its balls and took the battle to Apple. The ‘Laptop Hunters‘ ads went on the offensive, calling Apple Macs out for being the only-for-the-cool, over-expensive computers that they are.
With its new campaign, Microsoft managed to invoke some of the spirit of the Mac vs. PC commercials Apple has been pushing for years. And it’s nice to now see the tables being turned. Apple hasn’t taken it lying down, however, and its brand new Mac vs. PC advert directly responds to the ‘Laptop Hunters’ ads before adding a pack of lies cherry on the top.
The ad takes the concept of a consumer looking to buy a new computer and tries to mock Microsoft’s ad campaign. We have a range of PCs all lined-up and well, Mac, all of which try to tempt Megan with their wares. So begins Megan’s list of wants and needs, which knock out the PCs one-by-one.
The last necessity is a computer that “works without crashing, viruses or a ton of headaches.” Cue the remaining PCs wandering off and leaving Megan to the slightly sordid advances of Mac. I didn’t think Apple could stoop any lower or get anymore smug and condescending in their attempts to woo consumers but it’s managed it here without too much effort.
The problem is that the facts don’t add up. Do Windows-based PCs really crash more than Apple Macs do? Maybe in the first few months after Vista was released this was true, but now? I very much doubt it. Viruses are, of course, almost entirely limited to Windows PCs but by use of some unobtrusive software, much of which is free, and sensible surfing option, most PC owners will avoid any problems.
More telling than the fact Apple is either lying or at least stretching the truth is the fact it has chosen to directly respond to Microsoft in the first place. That has got to be seen as a victory for the ‘Laptop Hunters’ adverts because they have clearly scared Apple sufficiently that the company feels the need to fight back.
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May 14th, 2009
1. Do Windows PCs crash more often than Mac OS X computers?
Based on my experience: YES. I use an HP Pavilion dv9000 for work and a MacBook at home; both get about 4-6 hours of use per day. The MacBook has not crashed in the past six months (and has not been rebooted, either). The HP crashes once a week, BSOD usually due to a driver not being happy at being put to sleep. The HP has to be rebooted at 2-3 times per week to correct things that get out of whack. I’m an IT professional, and I like Windows and OS X differently and fairly equally, but it’s a no-brainer to objectively say that Windows simply crashes more often. Period.
2. Viruses? Windows: in the past 5 years, I’ve had 2 run-ins with Windows viruses, 0 zero with Mac viruses.
3. Headaches?
Windows: driver problems with Vista; power options issues with Vista; sleep issues with Vista; loss of NAS drive connectivity on wakeup with Vista; loss of network printer connectivity if printer turned off and on due to unexplained port changes; registry problems; OS upgrade problems.
Mac OS X: sluggishness when apps with large RAM footprints are open too long. (The Mac will retain connectivity to the printer, thanks Bonjour, and NAS drive under all circumstances, those are my biggest headaches in Windows that the Mac avoids.) That’s about it for Mac headaches.
Bottom line: the Mac ad is not exaggerating or lying, not based on my personal experience. Like I said, I like Windows and Mac OS differently and for different reasons, but the points the Mac ad is making are valid. Microsoft would do well to steer its advertising toward its actual strengths rather than claiming the Mac ad is “lying.”
May 14th, 2009
Dave Parrack on an anti Apple rant again? Really, the guy never fails to amaze me.
Macs crash less than Windows PCs. Fact. Vista is definitely better now than it was upon release, and credit to Microsoft for that. But Windows PCs still crash, even with their latest updates. My computer with XP also still crashes occasionally, yet my macbook has never crashed once on me.
Macs don’t get viruses easily; they come bundled with pirated software on the incredibly rare occasion they pop up. Meanwhile, thousands of new Windows viruses and new variants of viruses appear every week for Vista, XP etc. This is simply a fact, and while many of us are careful on the web, others aren’t. I fix computers in my spare time for friends and it is amazing how many people don’t run regular virus scans and rely on the standard Windows firewall. I agree, as a person who knows about computers and viruses etc to be careful and run adequate protection software, but there are many people who are not so ICT literate.
So generally speaking, yes, Macs are MUCH less prone to crashing and get far less viruses. It isn’t a low blow, its just using tongue in cheek humour. Apple has always come up with witty adverts and this time they’ve poked fun at a Microsoft advert. That’s not a victory for Windows, that’s Apple using Microsoft’s campaign to its advantage.
Dave Parrack, stop being such a Microsoft fanboy, they’re not perfect and neither are Apple.
May 14th, 2009
Well, i don’t have any “technical” experience per se, but, i do have experience with both platforms in regards to Gaming/Photoshop/Video Editing/Sound Editing/General Usage…
I agree with Simon, and sorry Dave, i know you love to hate Apple, but Windows for me has crash MANY times, especially when doing Photo editing/more particularly moreso with Video editing i always at least once CTD, or even have to reboot the whole computer….i run Vista 64/4gb RAM/E8500/ATI 48701GB GPU…im not underpowered so to speak…Apple’s computers simply are better in the Photo/Video editing…
Gaming…hands down PC….i think though, this pertains more to the fact that Windows is the dominant OS of choice for 99.9% of all game developers, and thus code accordingly, with Macs being an after thought still…but nonetheless, the advantage here goes to PCs.
General Use…well this one is subjective. I on one hand, again run Vista64, and aside from the usual crashes, of which, since i’ve had my latest rig for about 4-5 months now, have crashed about 3-4 times on just general usage..In terms of viruses, i have not got one virus yet, not on this system or my last rig, which lasted me 5 years, and not once did i get a virus…So, the verdict for me on General Use, is: Tie, it all depends and is too subjective, example being Simon got viruses on his PC, while i’ve yet to get one on mine.
Upgradeability/Adaptability: This is where i favor the PC…it is much easier to have a “future proof”<–as much as can be, system than a Mac. Macs are really limited on what you can do, whereas the PC, you can upgrade almost any thing you want, as long as your motherboard supports it.Advantage PC
May 14th, 2009
The only time my windows PCs crash is when I am fiddling with overclocking my Video Card (ATI 4890 1gb). Even then, it is not a full crash, just a VC restore that requires a reboot.
My PC is properly cooled and clean. It literally never crashes without provocation as mentioned above.
I have run XP pro and XP 64 for the past 3 years, with basic maintenance (AVG, CCleaner, Spybot, Adaware: All free). I have avoided vista, primarily because I never crash, and I can run every program I want on my setup.
Because I have a modicum of PC understanding, I can run my computer with similar reliability to any mac.
Is the 50-200% price difference worth it to me? Not at all (plus I am a gamer) so Macs only equal rip off to me. For someone who is ignorant and just want something to turn on and use as is, Macs are the way to go.
So take pride in your lowest common denominator device, and I will take pride in being able to do what I want with my PCs.
May 14th, 2009
Hey guys,
Lets not forget the RIDICULOUS moment in the windows “laptop shopper” commercial where the women says “I do video editing and need a lot of power for that will this computer do that (<—-points to some mid-grade HP laptop with an integrated video card) and then the “tech consultant” says “oh yes definitely. And then the lady walks out with a computer that will A. Barely run Pinnacle Studios, B. Crash while running Pinnacle, and C. take 6 hours to render a DVD from Pinnacle (or any other video editing software..just used Pinnacle as an example). Good job “PC”. You really pWned Apple with that one! All they could say in that commercial was AGAINST Apple was: “oh this Apple only has 2GB of ram that wont do” WTF? PC=FAIL. Ive worked on PCs and Macs for almost 10 years now, lets stop beating around the bush and face the facts: Macs=Win.
May 14th, 2009
Josh,
How about running the Mac Ads through your truth-o-meter? How is that Genius going to help me if I live 150 miles from an Apple store?
What’s funny is reading all this indignation about the fine points of any Microsoft spot, but having a PC unable to recognize a digital camera or the spots that show PC saying he has spreadsheets for fun while Mac makes a photo album are “clever”. It would have more truthful if PC had looked up and said “Sorry Mac, I was playing [insert any current top ten game here] and didn’t hear you. LOL.
Facts are Macs are a 10% niche market that shoulder a tiny slice of the computing load that allows modern civilization to function. Not saying they are poor quality, poorly designed or poorly supported. However, you don’t see them used in mission critical applications.
There is nothing close to enterprise level support or service. PCs, using the definition of the OS not being OSX, run the Internet, allow you to access your bank accounts, medical info, and communicate all around the world.
You have a small selection of hardware and get the features and options Apple decides is best in that model. I’m not exactly sure how 90% versus 10% is fail.
The often bandied about argument that PCs are BSOD’ed, locked up, virus infected and ready to fall apart at any second crap boxes is unsupportable on sheer numbers. It takes swallowing the idea that people who build and operate businesses are imbeciles, willingly spending billions of dollars on equipment and software that constantly wastes payroll on idled workers and held hostage by a clever cabal of IT guys who are afraid of not being needed.
The amount of ego, smug and condescending vanity it takes to actually believe this scenario is mind boggling.
If you are unable to keep a Windows machine from crashing regularly, it’s probably best someone else makes the decisions of what hardware you get and OS features decisions.
The Microsoft Ads are aimed at regular retail customers and are about choices and options, not just price.
BTW, I’m a Linux user with no great love for Microsoft or their competition stifling business practices. It doesn’t mean my common sense and ability to observe is impaired.
May 17th, 2009
Here’s my question? What piece of **** pc’s are you people running? I have been using Vista since before it’s official release and only got a bsod 1 time. On top of that I am a HARDCORE user… HD video editing in premier, special effects in after effects, flash development, web dev in eclipse, watch bluerays/dvd’s, games, … the list goes on.
Then there’s my media center pc. On that box i serve all of my media content(including hdtv) to 3 xbox 360’s simultaniously, run a web serve, ftp, svn, vpn, …
NONE of my gear crashes or EVER gives me a problem. Than again, I’m not dumb enough to think that a windows distro released by HP is going to be stable. RTM only biotch!
May 17th, 2009
@Aqaaverse
“How is that Genius going to help me if I live 150 miles from an Apple store?”
- you call Apple Service and they either
1. explain on the phone how to fix any problem
2. send a courier to pickup your computer and then send it back fixed very quickly
Apple Service is one reason why Apple products consistently have much higher user satisfaction ratings than any other computer maker (or OS developer for that matter).
I guess if you do not have a telephone you will be left out of this wonderful customer service.
“PCs, using the definition of the OS not being OSX, run the Internet, allow you to access your bank accounts, medical info, and communicate all around the world.”
This point is completely irrelevant – most consumers use client computers, not servers as you point out later in your comment.
And your point is also just plain out wrong. PCs (personal computers) do not run the internet. Servers do. Servers are not Personal Computers – they are Servers.
The 10% overall share is hardly a “niche” anymore (where you got the figure is a whole separate discussion).
Fact of the mater is that Macs are just better, easier to use, more productive, last longer, and are cooler (cool as in hip or styling) than PCs. That is why all normal non system admin types of people should buy macs and not windows pcs. Linux people should still continue to use Linux (or BSD for that matter).
If normal non-system admin types of people (= 99% of people out there) want to play games that are only available on windows, they should get a copy of Windows and run it with BootCamp on their Mac.
May 17th, 2009
@Aquaadverse,
“However, you don’t see [macs] used in mission critical applications.”
Oh, and you do see Microsoft software deployed in mission critical applications, don’t you – with predictable results.
“The often bandied about argument that PCs are BSOD’ed, locked up, virus infected and ready to fall apart at any second crap boxes is unsupportable on sheer numbers.”
I read just the other day that it is estimated that 40% of PCs are zombies – around 320,000,000. What sort of number would you call that?
“It takes swallowing the idea that people who build and operate businesses are imbeciles, willingly spending billions of dollars on equipment and software that constantly wastes payroll on idled workers and held hostage by a clever cabal of IT guys who are afraid of not being needed.”
Perhaps you/ve never worked for a business, but that’s exactly the way it is.
“BTW, I’m a Linux user [...]”
Well then stop posting tripe.
May 20th, 2009
“Do Windows-based PCs really crash more than Apple Macs do?”
Let’s see:
“Shutting down is even worse. While it doesn’t take as long to achieve, my PC often chooses this time to crash, forcing me to switch it off manually and risk damaging the system in the process.”
That’s the statement of a guy who writes a very pro Microsoft blog. People writing about computers are expected to be a little better at maintaining their boxes than the average customer, aren’t they? From my personal experience that’s not such a rare event, Windows often seems to have its processes not returning 0 on shutdown.
What do such writers expect the Laurens of this world to do, when their laptops’ systems get damaged in the process? They might not even know that the malfunctioning they are experiencing is related to the failed shutdown. All they did was clicking the button in the GUI and because that didn’t work, they pushed the real one. No big deal and there wasn’t really an alternative to it.
Finally they call in, that’s when hardware and software vendors start playing ping-pong with them: Software guy says its the hardware, hardware guy says its the software or a virus, or whatever, just not him. The fact that the OEMs operate on razor thin margins doesn’t really help to thoroughly investigate what went wrong, either. There’s just not enough money left to diagnose a problem that could be literally everything. Frustration grows, and if there isn’t a nerd amongst family or friends, Geek Squad has a new customer.
Apple can’t point at someone else, and that’s Apple’s customers’ advantage. And they don’t have to: They know exactly what hardware their OS will be running on. Microsoft has chosen otherwise: They allowed their OS to run on everything, and suddenly companies, that would have never been able to provide an OS of their own, were becoming computer manufacturers. More supply, more competition, lower prices and DOS/Windows took the market by storm.
But, of course, this business model is a maintenance nightmare. Cars were as crappy as Windows if they were build that way. An engine from one vendor, a gearbox from another and a chassis from jet another and so on. And if one vendor took the time to tune a system to make it less bad, it will end up in the shelves competing against cars that offer newer parts at lower prices, so that isn’t an option, since you address customers that don’t know better and are easily impressed by bullet-point-spec-sheets.
The whole Windows ecosystem is flawed by design. The Windows computer is the only mass market product that is build this way. And there’s a reason nobody else does it like this in other industries. It just doesn’t work. And a few vocal comments from people who, more or less know how to fix their stuff won’t change that for the majority of customers.
And here we are, with the market leader by far, after 7 years of work went into his flagship product, left with nothing else to say about it other than that it comes on the cheaper boxes. And with Mr. Parrack calling it a victory that the elephant finally got the mouse to pay attention to him. Up is down. Black is white.
Oh, that blogger with the shutdown issues was also Dave Parrack, by the way. The full article is called “Windows 7 fails to help PCs start-up and shutdown”, found on this site, of course.
May 25th, 2009
LOL. Must’a hit a nerve. I understand Hugh, he is so far around the bend with MS is teh devil tired spiel it would take waterboarding at Gitmo to get through. Keep tossing out those 40% zombie unattributed factoids with vapor logic of all the crashed mission critical apps and zero examples. I’ll await your 3 or 4 links after you cherry pick them out of the hundreds from your web search. I always found Aussies to be reasonable and pragmatic. You must live in the territory where owners are fine with wasting money and workers love being impotent with no chance of making productivity bonuses.
Wow, Apple has an 80% customer satisfaction rate. They also have people who camp out overnight and pee themselves in anticipation when the Apple Store goes offline awaiting news of what Apple thinks they deserve. Pure marketing BS. When they get used for all tasks and environments we’ll talk. Otherwise we’re standing outside a concert letting out and asking the people to admit they wasted money with the “Did you like it?” question.
Guess what? Our service contract with our PC vendor has a technician at the door with a part, usually within 24 hours if it can’t be resolved over the phone.. Internationally.
Our servers, which are just PCs optimized for through put and redundancy, use no strange exotic parts. It’s really nice you think they are meaningless, except none of those client machines wouldn’t even get on the net for you to post your message.
I think a machine going out and idling hundreds or thousands of individual rigs is more impressive with much higher responsibility. But then, I’m not brainwashed that Microsoft builds computers. Apple does make Xservers right?
Apple is legendary for refusing to acknowledge issues. You can find people complaining their postings are removed from the company forums.
Hardware manufactures write drivers. OEMs supply the installed OS with them already integrated. it’s nothing like chaos free for all you imply. The correct analogy is Windows, OSX or Linux is the fuel.
Apple doesn’t manufacture special processors, hard drives or anything else. The components come from the same factories supplying PC builders. All they do is write the code that calls the function in the firmware of the device. Apple hasn’t been trumpeting any hardware advantages since they were forced to use Intel, the hardware they were saying was inferior.
Microsoft doesn’t build computers. Exxon doesn’t build automobiles.
The specs of the fuel are given to the designers and engineers who make decisions on quality and price points and targeted market. Certain segments will go for econoboxes, others for raw power and some for handling.
The difference is with a PC I’m able to grab a work vehicle with a powerful engine and transmission without being forced to pay for Corinthian leather seats the workers will tear up and render useless.
There is no difference running Windows on a Mac or a Dell from a system standpoint. You write the drivers allowing the device to communicate with the OS. If you have a Nvidia video card, Nvidia engineers write the drivers for both.
Using your whole Windows ecosystem is flawed argument, this must be really embarrassing:
http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?story=20090514084512945
Not germane cause it’s servers?
http://www.macfixitforums.com/ubbthreads.php/ubb/postlist/Board/63
Here some from the mothership:
http://discussions.apple.com/category.jspa?categoryID=235
Now extrapolate to a 90% share. Might need to make a free meth IV drip a perk for the Geniuses.
The current Apple ads in the States end up with lockups, viruses and freezes as the only selling point. Opps. Using the same arguments and rational kinda pops the smug balloon. The same process Apple uses to make their PCs run Windows is the same one Dell, HP or Emachines uses. Just because you are willing to swallow Jobs marketing genius claim that Microsoft makes computers and is forced to include support for all the hardware, it’s just not true. That’s not how it works.
Thin margins make every decision more important to manufacturers. It drove the process of forcing greater efficiencies. Every single company that built proprietary hardware to run their OS is gone, or like Apple, was forced to beg a seat on the Gates bandwagon. Welcome to his nightmare. 30 years and the only one who wasn’t forced to radically alter strategy was Microsoft. Letting others assume the risk and burden, being content to reap the benefits of hardware Darwinism has been a real stupid business decision. Even now, buying a Mac hurts Dell far more than Redmond. Maybe he loses a $50 OEM license, maybe he sells a $75 license used in Bootcamp or VM’ed with OSX. No one buys a Mac and it’s a 100% Apple loss. Yeah, what a moron.
I have Linux, Windows and OSX installed on my Dell laptop. The Broadcom NIC, Intel 950GM video and Intel dual core CPU allows me to use the Apple vanilla kernel to pull updates directly from Apple. Pretty nice of Jobs to build Dell support into OSX, eh?
I’m going to wait until Apple gets all the bugs out of 10.5.7 update.
Feel free to continue to believe the world is full of idiots unable to lift their heads up high enough for the Microsoft scales to fall off their eyes.
The drool cup messes up their Nerdy striped shirts and forces them to continue to live frustrated lives of pathetic desperation in their Mother’s basement unlike you fruity Illuminati. Once you realize Microsoft doesn’t build computers, and it’s an advantage, the argument falls apart unless it’s religion for you.