Apple Asked Microsoft to Stop Laptop Hunters

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OOOHHHH !!!!!

More of the same !!!! Don't we all love the 30ish years of the MAC vs PC wars we have all been reading about for so long now.

So 30ish years worth of these types of arguments has anyting really new changed in that time >?????? - NOPE -p
 
[citation][nom]brendano257[/nom]I don't buy it, personally I think that Microsoft is taking cheap shots at Apple with these adds. In one of them a kid is looking for one for "gaming" and he spends under 800$, not possible if this kid is playing anything REMOTELY recent. They have a side up on Apple because Apple relies on loyal customers, Windows relies on stupid customers that they can lure into getting a laptop, regardless of weather or not it will perform well. They use tricks like big HD's and just putting FAST! next to any processor, even though they never top 2Ghz for the most part, and for the most part, they pick on uneducated buyers and get them to believe what they're getting is good.Not to mention, these people haven't even taken their laptops home and REALLY used them yet, how you they know?[/citation]
^ Can you say Apple FanBoy LOL...

What about I'm a MAC and I'm a PC adds. Microsoft has the right to defend its company. They picked a best way $$$$$!!!!!!
 
This is kind of funny, Apple air BS commercials for YEARS then they ask MS to not to the same. Hell they even went as far to say that PCs are only good for office work and balancing the budget. anyone remember the kids who got the PC to use it for blogging and listening to music and the PC cries it self to sleep mode at night. Before that commercial I never knew that a PC could not play music and surf the net.
 
"man you just screw yourself there, if you see 90% of apple user are 100% technology uneducated, that is the reason they buy macs in the first place. They don't even realize what they are getting, because when you buy a mac, the spec are in a little, very small sticker on one of the remotely seen side of the box. Because almost non of the mac user knows what are those gibberish."
Aracheb, you could not be more right. That statement right there sums up the entire point of why Macs are selling. Ignorant people are buying them for the sake of simplicity. A computer is a tough investment, you don't just buy a car because it looks cool- you go through security ratings, MPG, reliability. 90% of Mac users do just pick one up so they don't have to educate themselves on where to spend their money.
I think most people buy a Mac out of curiosity.
 
Microsoft better just hope Apple doesn't start a OS upgrade hunter series. At a time when M$ is about to release their costly upgrade to Vista. The mac guy offers a shopper $100 for any retail 64bit upgrade or $150 for any retail full version. Unless a hunter cheats and buys an OEM M$ has no OS below the price. Maybe even a Full retail Family pack hunter series for $200.
 
I got home tonight and there was a Best Buy add in my paper. What do you know they have a macbook for $999 w/ 13.3" screen. It has 2.13Ghz C2D w/ 2GB Ram 160GB Hdd Nvidia 9400m Wireless N Bluetooth, webcam and Mic. On the same page is a Toshiba w/ 16" screen(Bigger)for $749. It has C2D P7350 (I looked it up and it is a 2Ghz, so a little slower) w/ 4Gb Ram (twice as much), 500Gb Hdd (more than 3 times as much), Dedicated ATI 4570 512 DDR3 Ram (not great for hardcore gaming but very good for a laptop and way better than what the mac offers), wireless N, webcam and mic. Is the white laptop that shows the dirt easier than the black toshiba better? Is the service better? My 2 year old vista laptop has never had a problem (which I paid less for 2 years ago than the current rate of the mac, has a C2d 2Ghz 2Gb Ram, ATI HD2400 256Gb dedicaed graphics, 160GB Hdd, 15.6" Screen, HD DVD Rom with super multi burning and lightscribe, a remote for media center control. It is used an average of 4 hours a day) so I never needed the service in the first place. If I am not running the DVD Rom I get more than 3 hours on the battery which when I am on the road and do not have time to recharge I can pop out and replace in a few seconds. So is spending $250 more for a backlit keyboard and bluetooth really worth it? Is the limited selection of software that superior to the windows version? Is the Mac only software really that much better than what you can find for a PC? As for reliability, well at work we had a mac tech come out 4 times in the last year due to software suddenly not working, siezing up because of font issues. The only PC problem we have had is when we suddenly lost power and one of the print servers had the raid controller card reset itself. PC tech guy came in and resolved the issue in 15 minutes. In general I like the way OSX works. I love the expose functions. But in my experience a PC is Cheaper more versatile and more reliable. Also I would be curious how well macs would sell if they followed the same laws that micrsoft has to follow concerning bundling software within the OS?
 
I've got a great example that happened to me today. Friend of mine needed some tutoring for math today so we go out to the library, she takes out her standard issue company dell laptop(15.4" old school centrino) and I take out my hp dv9000, I've had it for a couple years and still runs great.

She loves it, now she isn't computer savvy, but likes the idea that my pc has a 17" screen and 10 key. I decide to go ahead and precede to dells website to show a starter 17" notebook, $499!!! She only needs to do the basic computer stuff and the ten key is a plus for money related spreadsheets she needs to work on. I said if you want apple has a 17" notebook but unfortunately it starts at $2499!!!

C'mon for a lower middle class married woman with two kids and going to school part time, what can she afford? The majority of computer users are more closely related to her than me or anyone who posts on this website.
 
I really don't get it when people add "this is a true" to what they're saying, as if all the stuff they said in the leadup was a lie. Why say it?
 
DjEaZy like I said I like it, but from my experience is really worth $250 more and worse hardware specs? Is it worth the inconviences it does cause with its limitations? As I have stated before my experience have shown a less than satisfactory user experience overall. I am curious and do not know the answer, but what are the hard facts of mac failures to pc failures due the OS? Hardware? and user? I know Mac have fewer than PC because so many PC are made, but what is that rate compared to 1000? Again is that $250 worth it? Some one compared a BMW to a Mac and a PC to a Toyota earlier. With that same logic, Toyota is consistantly rated higher than BMW in consumer reports and JD Power Associates. How about comparing something a little closer in terms of product. The BMW 1 series like the mac is a good looking very capable fun to use. The Volkswagon Golf as the PC, not as sexy but still quality engineering, faster, more cargo space for holding things, more passenger space for accomdating others and cheaper. Which do you buy? If you do not care, have money and just want what the heart desires, you go with the mac. But if you want something that is going to do every thing you need it to do and save money to apply to other things you may need, go with the PC.
 
... and it iz how YOU use the hardware too... how the OS squeezes the most out of it... a good comparison is between XP, Vista, Linux and OSX on the same hardware specs... i have on my laptop XP; Vista and Ubuntu... and must say, Ubuntu iz tha fastest for my needs... but needs differ in every user...
 
[citation][nom]TEAMSWITCHER[/nom]I've got five bucks that Microsoft will pull at least some of the ads. Apple dropped prices recently and the information quoted in the commercials is now inaccurate. [/citation]

What does that have to do with anything? Almost all of Apples ad's have even more misinformation, and that's the way they were originally produced. Like the commercial about how when you get the Windows system you have to do all this "crazy" updates and Anti Virus softare beofre its safe to use.. Yeah, like OSX never get updates or Apple never said that users would be better off running MULTIPLE anti virus's to be safe... Or the commercial where the Windows guy freezes, like an Apple system never locks up or you never have to Force Quit an application. Seeing as how the laptop hunter commercials were 100% accurate to begin with and the fact that Apple is still airing commercials that were NEVER 100% accurate, why would Microsoft need to pull some of these ads now?
 
[citation][nom]brendano257[/nom]I don't buy it, personally I think that Microsoft is taking cheap shots at Apple with these adds. In one of them a kid is looking for one for "gaming" and he spends under 800$, not possible if this kid is playing anything REMOTELY recent. They have a side up on Apple because Apple relies on loyal customers, Windows relies on stupid customers that they can lure into getting a laptop, regardless of weather or not it will perform well. They use tricks like big HD's and just putting FAST! next to any processor, even though they never top 2Ghz for the most part, and for the most part, they pick on uneducated buyers and get them to believe what they're getting is good.Not to mention, these people haven't even taken their laptops home and REALLY used them yet, how you they know?[/citation]

"Apple relys on loyal customers" -Don't you mean rich customers that don't know how badly the are really getting ripped off.

"Windows relies on stupid customers that they can lure into getting a laptop, regardless of weather or not it will perform well." -I just pointed out a very nice Dell for my mother-in-law to buy. It has 4GB of ram a fast bus speed and a 2.2 GHz cpu on sale for $599.99. That laptop is fast and inexpensive. True some people don't know what to look for but generally before someone spends $600+ on a laptop they ask for from a relative or co-worker or just someone that knows enough about computers that a bigger HDD isn't going to make the computer faster. And no she didn't get much of a chance to try the computer before she bought it. But I knew what she needed and how fast it would perform. And really you can say the same thing about an Apple.
 
I dont' see the point of people arguing for Apple's OS. It is simply built for different situation. Windows sacrifice some security because they have to be flexible and compatible with most software and hardware that is out there in the market. Regarding the virus and spyware issue, if I was a programmer that wrote these codes, why would I target Apple's OS which is minority of the market share instead of windows. Its simple economics, I would make much more money targeting windows OS. Same goes for office environments, most business computers run on windows and thus they are targeted. If they were running on Apple's OS, then it would be apple's OS that would be hacked. Apple really has nothing much going for them in the computer market, whether hardware or software. If it had the dominant market share, you can bet your ass that it would be hacked and bombarded with virus. You only need to look at iPhones and iPods to see how easily and widely it is hacked because they are the dominant products in their market.
 
I guess it was ok for Apple to poke fun at PC's but when Microsoft does the same Apple starts crying to it's legal team?

"Please Microsoft, stop running these ads, Steve Jobs hasn't stopped crying all week. We cooked his favorite dish but he didn't even eat it!"

I would write more, but I'm too busy trying not to roll on the floor laughing.
 
I just got done reading a review on another review site (not to upset this one I will not mention the name) that states after OS 10.5.7 it utilizes the GPU and it's ram for the windows and effects such as expose. According to the review you can disable this feature so it uses processor and its ram. It went further on to say with this feature enabled you can only have 9 12mp images from digital camera loaded up in photoshop before problems occur. It also says unlike its windows and other programs Photoshop must be shut down to clear the memory usage. Another words hardware matters with OSX as much as it does with Windows. Linux makes sense since it is free. If a Mac was similar in price to a PC with close hardware specs it would make sense. But the price is way skewed too high unless all you are paying for is the brand image. I have yet to see the valid argument. A poster earlier was right they would have just as many security issues if there were more out there. There would be more out there if there price was reasonable. I have no experience with Linux since it seems beyond my experience level, but I need to just give it a shot and try and learn. Despite this fear Linux makes since to me since I have seen videos of what it can do and the fact it is free. More money for less still escapes me.
 
these stupid laptop hunters commercials are unimaginative and uninspiring. at least the apple ones are funny (and true). all of you "apple-haters" are so defensive; you obviously feel threatened so you try bash the apple brand. let it go. we apple users couldn't give two shits about you or your pc's. Apple is creating the best of everything they are involved in now (ipod/itouch/iphone, etc), and their computers are no different. i enjoy being a member of the 10% minority here. anyone who has bought a mac recently will concur; once you go mac you dont go back (i am sure some loud mouth asshole will try to argue this). the quality, the feel, there is nothing like it. period.
 
I read this a while ago after the first Laptop hunter article came out and I think it was very well said....

"Interesting article, but I think you’ve missed several points about the purpose of these ads.
First, as Fazal mentioned above, current Mac owners are not generally inclined to switch, so advertising to them – as you suggest Microsoft ought to do – would be a complete waste of their money. “Deep pocketed people who buy Macs” will continue to buy Macs, regardless of what Microsoft might put into its advertisements. Even if it were theoretically possible to convince a few of them to switch, the cost per conversion would be far higher than the potential profits. (The only group of current Mac users I can think of who might be seriously tempted to switch to PCs are those who simply have less money to spend on a computer today than they did when they bought their Macs the last time around – and these ads might actually resonate fairly well with that group.)

Second, you seem to be overlooking the fact that Microsoft — unlike Apple – simply doesn’t care how much your computer costs. For all practical purposes, they’ll make the same amount of money on the sale of a $500 PC as they will on the sale of a $2500 PC. Microsoft is perfectly happy to let Dell and the other manufacturers market their own high-end models, with their own money (which, in fact, they’ve been doing); those are the parties who have a tangible stake in convincing people to buy high-priced hardware. While Microsoft certainly won’t mind picking up a license payment for each Adamo that Dell manages to sell, the vast majority of their Windows revenue comes from the much larger volume of low- to mid-range PC sales. So that — logically enough — is what they’re spending their advertising money to try and encourage.

Third, contrary to what people keep claiming, these ads are not about urging people to buy the cheapest computers on the market; they’re pointing out that within any given price range (including price ranges that WOULD allow you to buy some sort of Mac if you wished to, which has been the case in every one of the ads to date), there’s a much wider choice of models and options available in the PC world than you can get from Apple. Even if you’re personally convinced that ALL those choices are inherently worse than an equivalently-priced Mac, a fair-sized portion of the buying public disagrees, and with good reason: this abundance of alternatives allows them to make trade-offs on aspects of the computer that they don’t care so much about, in order to get exactly what they want on the attributes that matter most to them — and to do so within a price range of their choosing.

The first commercial’s scenario of looking for a computer with a 17″ screen is a good example. Because of the way Apple vertically scales all of a machine’s specs from any one of its models to the next-pricier one, in order to get a MacBook with a screen that size, you’d have to spend at least $2800 — for a fabulous machine, admittedly, but if you just wanted that screen to watch DVDs on occasionally, or you simply prefer the larger keyboards that typically accompany large screens, then all the extra computing horsepower you’d have to buy along with the screen on a MacBook would amount to very expensive overkill.

Microsoft and Apple simply operate under different philosophies. Apple assumes that people’s requirements are absolute, and their budgets will stretch to accommodate them. Microsoft assumes that people’s budgets are absolute, and their requirements will bend to accommodate them. Neither company is wrong; they’re just targeting different sets of customers. Apple’s philosophy is consistent with a maker of luxury goods; Microsoft’s is consistent with a maker of mass-market goods. Both approaches make perfect sense, given their respective customer bases.

So, if the two companies have mostly-separate (and mostly-locked-in) constituencies, who are these ads trying to influence? The people on the borderline — those who aren’t fanatical enough about the Mac experience to insist on buying one at any cost, but who have sufficient funds available that they COULD buy one (albeit perhaps a lower-end model) if it turned out to meet their needs. All the ads that have aired so far are basically saying, “Yes, that Mac is beautiful, but do you really NEED it? Couldn’t you get more for your money with a PC?” Which is a reasonable question to ask at any time, but one that’s particularly resonant in a down economy.

I agree with you that the ads won’t drive many new sales, in the sense of causing non-Windows-users to switch, but they do stand a good chance of slowing the exodus that’s been taking place in the other direction over the past few years. They’re a defensive move, but a pretty effective one."

But I too agree that Macs are definitely overpriced. Compared to equivilently spec'd laptops from plenty of manufacturers, you can often get a larger (large screen if you want), faster, more versitile (More "Bells and whistles") laptop for quite a bit less. And I'm always hearing this argument "Well, think of the Mac as the BMW and the PC as the Toyota". I've never quite understood this. Especially when you consider the fact that pretty much 100% of the time, for the same amount of money that you can spend on a Mac, you can get a better spec'd PC. And in addtion to that, majority of time, and as people have already pointed out, you can even get a better spec'd PC for hundreds less than a mac. So wut exactly makes the Mac the BMW? Mac OS X? Nothing against Mac OS X, I've used it and I like, but come on, it's not worth the extra money that you have to spend by going with a Mac. After SP1 Vista wasn't THAT bad at all. And Windows 7 is just awesome imo. And as far as viruses/malware goes, if it means saving hundreds of dollars and getting better hardware, I don't mind making a few extra mouse clicks to download FREE and effective Anti-virus/malware software (For example, Avast! & Spybot Search and Destroy). It has also been proven that you aren't free and clear from viruses on a mac either. I also read that Apple stated that the reason why you pay more for a Mac is because of all the bundled software that comes with it that you would HAVE to buy if you bought a PC. Now, i'll admit, Macs do come with some damn good software. But if that is the reason they cost so much more then I have to say that they are taking it WAY too far assuming that every person that buys a PC (And hell, even Macs) would actually NEED that software. For some people money isn't an object and they can just buy whatever they want. But for a large amount of people, money is an issue and many don't want to have to spend alot of extra money for sub par hardware and software that they wont' every really use. Like the guy I quoted above said, in PC world, in any given price range, there are just way more opions compared to Macs.


 
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