Apple’s answer to Windows 7 – new ‘Get a Mac’ ads
Apple fanboys may well be very vocal in their love for Steve Jobs and co., but in reality Apple is small-time compared to Microsoft. Macs may be loved by certain niches and demographics but in reality it is Windows-based PCs that continue to dominate the market. With just weeks to go before Windows 7 is released to the general public Apple is becoming increasingly desperate, as its new ‘Get a Mac’ adverts demonstrate.
Any new Windows operating system is obviously big news, not only for Microsoft but also for the millions of people worldwide who use PCs every single day of their lives. Windows 7 is more important than most operating systems because it’s getting a ton of positive press and needs to live up to the hype in order to see off the rapidly aging XP and inspire confidence in Microsoft again after the Vista launch debacle.
Apple’s job is to derail the Windows 7 launch and possibly gain some new customers in the process by trying to persuade the general populace that the latest Windows OS is bad. To that end, it has just released two new ads in its continuing ‘Get a Mac’ ad campaign, otherwise known as ‘Mac vs. PC’.
Both ads are embedded below for your pleasure and derision…
They are both effectively sending out the same message: that using a PC will give you a life of headaches and viruses. While Macs are more secure and stable. Naturally. Both feature an attractive female looking for a new computer, while one features Patrick Warburton, who played David Puddy in 10 episodes of Seinfeld.
The use of females is a clear nod to Microsoft’s ‘Laptop Hunters’ ads, which featured mainly women looking to buy a new computer and listing the many ways in which PCs are superior to Macs. While using Puddy from Seinfeld must surely be Apple’s way of gently poking fun at the rather unsuccessful and wholly lame Microsoft ads featuring Jerry Seinfeld. Has Apple got no original ideas left?
But the obvious bone of contention is the actual message. Although there are less viruses and malware out there targeting Macs, there are still some, and Apple implying there aren’t is bordering on false advertising to my mind. And as a PC user of many years who very rarely experiences headaches or viruses, that argument isn’t going to wash with me.
I have a few responses to the ‘Get a Mac’ campaign. 1. Get a life. 2. Get some new ideas. 3. The answer is “no, I don’t want to get a Mac thank you very much.” Simple.
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August 26th, 2009
I don’t think Apple is particularly “desperate.” that particular observation seems off base amid your other generally good points. It’s a particular stretch to call Apple desperate when you look at Apple sales. Instead, I think this Mac ad is a a pretty solid preemptive strike, reminding people about what Apple sees as Windows 7′s likely problems. We can also soon expect to see ads pointing out the “extra” software expenses involved with Windows 7 (antivirus subscriptions, Office applications, image and video processing applications) that Mac users don’t necessarily incur.
Look: my last three computers have been Vista, Windows XP, and Windows 98 laptops. All great machines. But even as a Windows fan, I am perfectly able to concede that, while Macs are technically susceptible to viruses and malware, we really just need to admit that Mac users right now can safely forgo hassles like antivirus software. Macs are great machines, and they are extremely easy to set up and maintain.
August 26th, 2009
If you look at the earliest Apple Mac/PC ads they were full of content like how easy it was to make a video, the plug and play of accessories, photo albums etc…
The last few have all been about viruses. That’s hardly worth the airtime.
August 26th, 2009
I agree that Apple’s advertising has become fairly narrowly focussed on viruses which is actually quite a cheap shot. There are many other great features on a Mac which, love them or hate them, Apple would do well to focus on. For anybody who’s vaguely creative, a suite of useful applications for recording music and making videos is included, which on Windows you’d have to pay quite a lot extra for. The iLife suite is great. And, most likely, it wouldn’t be any better.
Then there’s the fact that Macs are generally supported for longer with updates, patches and support. There’s better customer support from Apple than you’d generally find elsewhere.
The new adverts seem to be cheap, unoriginal digs at Microsoft which, quite frankly, don’t show the good side of Apple. Sure they’re expensive, but they can be worth it too, especially with OSX Snow Leopard coming out – a pity Apple isn’t showing this. They’ll have trouble if they don’t think of something soon because, having beta tested Windows 7 since its release, its a really solid operating system which, while not as easy to use as OSX for most, is easy enough to use for any competent computer user. They’ll have a fight on their hands as they won’t get Vista backlash customers looking for a life of less hassle, which is how I came to be a Mac user. (And I had my own Vista ordeal, I wasn’t using other peoples’).
August 27th, 2009
“Macs may be loved by certain niches and demographics but in reality it is Windows-based PCs that continue to dominate the market.”
True, true. Of course, you could use the same reasoning to say that Ferrari is “loved by certain niches”, but I don’t believe that such an observation would bother them too much…
(Disclaimer: I neither use a Mac nor [sadly] drive a Ferrari).
August 27th, 2009
“Then there’s the fact that Macs are generally supported for longer with updates, patches and support. There’s better customer support from Apple than you’d generally find elsewhere.”
Extremely selective FUD, and going to be less true going forward. The switch to Intel is already seeing PPC in the rear view mirror. If you live reasonably close to an Apple store and genius bar perhaps. If you’re talking about the ability to get service almost anywhere, not even close.
Business and commerce run on PCs and like everything else, supporting infrastructure and resources expand with the need.
Microsoft has a pretty sizable chunk of revenue tied into support agreements. There are patches for Windows 2000 released this year.
It’s difficult making exact comparisons. It’s certainly a fact a Mac can be a great experience and worth the investment.
There’s a lot to be said for the sheer number of options and choice a PC gives you. Those laptop hunter ads only address the lowest denominator of purchases, knowledgeable folks don’t purchase at big box outlets.
Consumer PCs from those places have a huge amount of unneeded crap that other vendors pay to get put on for a few dollars.
The hassle and virus free spiel is pretty weak and has little impact since XP SP2 and decent, free antivirus. Viruses and malware require the user to do something stupid or be careless.
Windows 7 isn’t Vista lite. Not gonna replace Linux for me.
I’m not seeing the increased ease of OSX myself.
August 31st, 2009
One thing that will impact Microsoft is how secure OS7 is. If consumers find it’s easily assailed by hackers, Apple will continue to assault consumers with its series of ads. If however it is more secure, Microsoft will have taken away a major criticism of Windows.
I do hesitate to believe Window’s users when they tell me that Windows is just as good. To me, it’s just defensiveness and really is a lot like telling me that Chevs and Lexus’ have the same level of quality as you turn on both and drive.
August 31st, 2009
While the Get a Mac ad campaign has become quite dry, regurgitating the same message that “PC’s are troublesome, Macs are perfect,” Microsoft’s Laptop Hunters ad campaign has experienced the same thing. We get it – PC’s are affordable and great computers for the price. But they’re not the same thing as Macs – then enters the expensive car analogy. It’s all about the experience.
Both companies have run entirely out of ideas. Therefore, maybe both of them should just keep quiet until Win7 is released – and Microsoft will have something new to talk about, and Apple will have more flaws to make fun of; mind you, there might not be nearly as many this time around.