New Microsoft Ad Says Being Sexy Isn't Everything

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I'll first post this, so I don't get entangled into Mac/PC debates 😀

I like these Microsoft ads. I like the "Life without walls" message. And I like how they pretty normaly tell everyone that they DO have a choice, and that choice is HUGE. This is the No1 message these adds give to general public..

Guy enters store and there are dozens of different models -> CHOICE
Life without walls -> CHOICE
Sexy is nice if you like it but you have.. -> CHOICE

And at the end, they tell you that MICROSOFT (& Windows) give you this huge freedom of CHOICE.

So I don't think this is bad way to advertise. Microsoft isn't about letting people know that Windows exist, everyone knows about Microsoft and Windows. It's about brand management, and making sure that people start believing that Microsoft Windows is about taking care about customers needs, no matter how big or small they are. Making sure that people change their view of "Windows is bad" "Microsoft is evil".

So yes, this is well spent money. Ofcourse, 300 mil is way too much for any campaign, but I guess that's the price if you want to change minds of hundereds of millions of people :) But it's investition in (brand!) future as well.

OK, now I can go read comments and start flaming in MAc vs PC debates , heheh 😉 😀
 
[citation][nom]allanpennyfarthing[/nom]This is possibly one of the worst ad campaigns in history. The apple ads (i'm a mac, i'm a pc) are not at all about how sexy a mac is (although they are sexy). The ads are about functionality, the earliest ones were about not having viruses or crashing. This is Microsoft's version of the anti-Obama ad calling him the world's biggest celebrity, and ignoring all of his substantive policies. Just because something looks good, does not mean that it is functionally better on the inside. Apple's ads have never been about what processor you get, the hardware is a platform on which the software functionality is served. Microsoft still doesn't get it, and they only make software.[/citation]

OK, I've got to say this - this is perfect example of thinking about computers in a VERY WRONG way. Computers ARE a platform, a complete product. This is exactly the thing that Apple doesn't get, and in my opinion big part of anti-Apple side of these ads.

For the last 5 years or so Apple sells LOOKS and OSX. But they completely fail in the rest of the equation, specialy on the desktop. Good PC, be it Apple or any other, is only as good as it's weakest part. And if they sell a 2500$ desktop that has 50$ graphics card in it - than it failed. And let's make it clear, Apple is selling PLATFORM more than any other PC manufacturer in the world. Why? Because it is extending on devices like phones, mp3 players, portable video players, TV-boxes and so on. And they want you to buy everything-Apple once you're caugh onto just one of their products. So if you have strategy that is so much "platform-driven" and you can't even make your center product (PC) balanced and well designed (technicaly, not in the looks), than you're not doing a good business.

So it's a very good thing what MS does in these ads - basicaly showing people that you can buy various laptops that look like they were "made just for you", and making sure that you tell people that this variety is NOT something that Apple provides.

IMHO, this is smart marketing. Heavily on the psychology of the non-techie masses.. Advanced users know this already, in one way or another.
 
I remember when Microsoft said they were pushing $300 into advertising and everyone starting to talk negative about it. I always wondered how much Apple puts into its advertising. That one actor is getting bigger and I doubt the 15% off Apple stuff is the only thing he gets paid and the commercials are everywhere. I neutral about the Apple and PC thing, I think they both have their places.
 
[citation][nom]absentandy[/nom]Microsoft - being a software company is totally missing the point here. I mean kudos to HP for getting free adverts!Not trying to start anything here, but Jobs was right when he said it's all about "software software software". Why is Microsoft advertising hardware?[/citation]

Because it's not all about software. It's all about balancing needs of a user with software functions AND hardware behind it.
As an example, you can imagine perfect software for video editing costing 500$. And than you install it on sub-standard laptop hardware, let's say Celeron of some kind, with 512MB RAM and integrated SiS VGA.. So hardware not costing much more than this one video editing app. Will the user get a good expirience? What about exchanging this setup for a way better desktop PC that costs 750$ but offers better CPU, much more RAM (which comes cheap), and a discrete GPU. Now use a 50$ video editing app on this, and I guess that user will be liking it much more. Why? Because of the overall expirience. He spent less money, and gets a jobe done quicker, even though software doesn't have all the bells and whisles.. but it has good hardware behind it.

Balance - a holy grail of computing.
Basicaly holy grail of everything..
You sure wouldn't want to drive Smart with 18" wheels (just example :) ). Well, maybe someone would like it at first, maybe it would look good from outside, but I doubt he'd get far driving it 😀
 
[citation][nom]onerec[/nom]come on guys, APPLE is selling products with high prices but the hardware is not good enough. Its like a person with a nice look but have no money.[/citation]
what the hell kind of remark is that.
 
I agree, Jane, they should be advertising Windows 7 more - a commercial that runs the same time length as these Giampaulo/Lauren ones would be plenty of time to explain Windows 7's new features and advantages over Vista/XP.

But still, I feel like Microsoft should be doing both - defending itself against Apple while advertising their software. So far, it's been more of the former.
 
[citation][nom]GreatWalrus[/nom]I agree, Jane, they should be advertising Windows 7 more - a commercial that runs the same time length as these Giampaulo/Lauren ones would be plenty of time to explain Windows 7's new features and advantages over Vista/XP.But still, I feel like Microsoft should be doing both - defending itself against Apple while advertising their software. So far, it's been more of the former.[/citation]

I don't get why MS is wasting its time/money to be honest. As many people before me have pointed out, Apple is but a small share of the market. Surely ignoring it would be more productive than trying to defend the company by stooping to Apple's level (not a fan of the Mac/PC ads)?
 
Instead of worrying about all this stuff, Microsoft should just name "Windows 7", "Windows XP2". Then they can save the 300 million and hire some good creative talent to fix the things people hate the most about windows, boot up time, and windows updates.
 
I think it would be interesting to see a thorough listing of computers with the exact specifications (to a reasonable extent) of a given Apple PC to a Windows-based PC, and the difference in price.

This would give a more accurate depiction of what the so-called "Apple Premium" actually is.


Most of the reason I personally build my computers is because, at least for me, it's a lot simpler than going between brands, trying to find which one has the right specs for me, or any choice of the brand of components.
Instead, I just head to NewEgg, find the best processor for my budget. Then I find the best motherboard that works with that processor, and allows for desired components. I can also choose freely between Intel, AMD, Nvidia, ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, OCZ, et cetra ad nauseum.

However, this same reason of having too much to look through in order to simply buy a laptop or desktop is hugely complicated with the vast amount of choice, at least for some. If you want a Mac, you go to their website, and find the right one. If you want a Windows-based PC, you go to Dell and find the best one. Then you go to Lenovo and find the best one. Then you go to Gateway and find the best one. Then you go to HP and find the best one. Then you go to MSI and find the best one. Then you go to ASUS and find the best one. Then you go to...

Then you compare the best ones from each of these companies. Then you finally make a decision.
 
I can think of one great reason why they are marketing their ads like this an not trying to push a product they have... they're trying to prevent further migration to apple. I probably have the figures wrong but I think I heard that since Vista's release, the mac marketshare has gone from 4% up to 10% or something like that. MS just wants to preserve their user base so that when they do release Win7 most of the people who would have bought it haven't already gotten sucked into the apple regime. I tried a mac for about a year and a half but as an administrator, it was just all backwards the way I had to do things in my environment. I couldn't even have a successful terminal session on a Unix server because I couldn't map my F-keys... So I migrated back to Win XP pro. I even used the retail copy I bought to run on vmware fusion on the mac :)
 
Another series of comments by Apple haters and gamers. From what I've been able to tell gamers make up the constituency of Tom's Hardware. What gamer would be caught dead using a Mac?

For anyone who cares the Advantages of Macs are their weaknesses.
ie. The same company makes both Hardware and software. so no driver disks. But you only get to select a few platforms.
My Mac Pro came Sans crapware which takes considerable time to remove. But I've also heard that this exists with high end Windows Laptops from Alienware and others.
Macs are less susceptible to Viruses mainly because they are less popular. I'm really a a Unix/Linux/BSD guy so I like the fact that I can get a bash shell on a Mac without installing a 3rd party app, even if it is free.

Less licensing hassle when you have to install the OS. which is a result of the same manufacturer making hardware and software. I run into this problem all the time when installing Microsoft products, aka guilty until proven innocent. BTW I can say the same thing about using a Real Red Hat installation vs. Centos.




 
[citation][nom]JMcEntegart[/nom]I don't get why MS is wasting its time/money to be honest. As many people before me have pointed out, Apple is but a small share of the market. Surely ignoring it would be more productive than trying to defend the company by stooping to Apple's level (not a fan of the Mac/PC ads)?[/citation]

Yeah, I agree with you on that. I am a big disliker of the MAC/PC ads, and pretty much any attack ad out there.

Maybe it should be a more passive approach, like on the Microsoft/Windows website, put a feature comparison of Windows (version here) vs Mac OS X. That is what most companies do, and I feel it is somewhat reasonable - of course companies tend to leave out features the other company has and they don't :).

One of my least favorite things about this new commercial is that they kept the same background music. Man am I getting tired of hearing it :\
 
@GreatWalrus - why advertise Win7 if it's not available yet? Not a smart move for any company.

@skine - if you'd like to see an "apples to apples" comparision, why not make it yourself? :) Google a bit, and find a perfect match for Mac of your choice, than post it here.. with a price difference 😉 And, sure, it's more work.. but I'd always make some extra exercise than paying twice the money just cos I'm lazy. Sure, someone with more money will just buy first thing he(she sees on the shelf (dooh!)
I could make the list for you, but a) I'd get bashed for it.. 😀 b) it would be based on prices from one country, and others would have to make their own for their countries, as prices in US, UK, Germany and China are very much NOT the same. I'm sure that in US ratio between Win vs Apple boxes are most certainly not as bad as in Croatia where I live. Which means I have even less reasons to go for Apple than US residents.
 
Those marketing guys are really smart. By making ads that attack the competition, they instigate the rivalry from users of one platform against the other and that makes people less susceptible to a change of heart and platform.

Just ignore them and buy the product that pleases you the most, end of story.
 
I think a better analogy for onerec would be, "It's like a woman that is smoking hot, but looks at you blankly when you ask her where the the Great Wall of China is located, and she doesn't know." For the record, I use PC's and a Mac(at work). I have no problems with the Mac and I'm glad that my boss at work uses it as I don't have to worry about him screwing it up as the OS as default is secure. But for my personal use, I use a PC. I'm a gamer, and where as the Mac is getting much better on the gaming front, it still isn't the same as a PC. When they catch up completely and offer the same games on Mac at the same time as the PC, then I will consider switching.
 
[citation][nom]LuxZg[/nom]@GreatWalrus - why advertise Win7 if it's not available yet? Not a smart move for any company.[/citation]

Kind of like movie previews? I don't know. Can you explain to me why it is not a smart move?
 
That’s the best PC commercial I have seen yet. If I were considering a Mac (which I wouldn’t) I think this commercial would make me do some more research instead of just believing all the Apply hype.

Also I like the fact that the commercial is based on PC’s, not Windows… It really drives home the fact that there are a lot more options with PC’s then Mac’s.

I think M$ has done the whole PC world a favor with this add. HP, Dell, ECT. Should be give M$ a pat on the back for the assistance in advertising/sales.

 
[citation][nom]GreatWalrus[/nom]Kind of like movie previews? I don't know. Can you explain to me why it is not a smart move?[/citation]

Movie previews are just teasers, and it's not entirely same. If people start seeing Windows 7 stuff everywhere, they'll start going to shops insisting that they get Win7. Or even returning PCs to shops because "they only have Vista on them!".. Lots of potential problems.
As for "teasers", those are made through Win7 beta, a lot of shows, articles, talks, interviews, blogs etc. It's marketing as well 😉

Oh, and @skine again, here is a quick list of Mac vs PC in price, but I must underline that this is based on croatian retail prices! So Croatian Apple Store vs do-it-myself home made computers based on "shopping around" prices. No extra rebates or one-time offers here, just normal prices though. We rarely get those in Croatia anyway.

So, I'm comparing a Mac Pro One which at current US $ and european € conversion rates costs exactly 3725,86$ or 2756,63€.
http://store.apple.hr/IMC-Apple-Store/WebObjects/Asto.woa/wa/stockPageByName?name=Mac Pro
2.66GHz Quad - Core Intel Xeon , 8MB L3 cache
3 GB (3 x 1 GB) 1066 MHz DDR3 ECC
640GB HDD (SATA 7200 rpm)
18x SuperDrive (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 s 512 MB GDDR3
1x PCI Express 2.0 x16, 2x PCI Express 2.0 x4
Mighty Mouse, keyboard
OS X

Now, I'm comparing it to DIY PC that has almost same hardware, with two exceptions. I've put in Q9400 CPU and DDR2 instead of Xeon and DDR3. You'll lose some performance here cos it has 6MB cache vs 8MB, but on the other hand ECC memory is slower than regular.. So I guess it won't matter much.
Intel Core 2 Quad, Q9400, Socket 775, 2.66GHz
8GB (4x 2GB) DDR2 1066 MHz
WD 640GB AAKS 7200rpm
LG DVDRW 22x +/-/DL/RAM ...
Leadtek 9500GT 512MB GDDR3
Gigabyte EP45-DS3R, P45
Logitech RX1500 + Logitech Media keyboard 600
MS Windows Vista Home Premium 64bit
any case for about 50$
Chieftec power supply 550W
--
TOTAL: 1080$ or 800€
Almost 3.5x the price of Mac Pro One!

OK, now let's see what you can buy for the price of Mac Pro One, again DIY build.. I know some of the components are not best chosen, but I simply went with hardware that's ~3x more expensive in their own category:
Intel Core i7, 940, Socket 1366, 2.93GHz
Corsair 6GB, DDR3, (3x2GB), 1333MHz - TWO TIMES (12GB)
Western Digital 1TB, SATA300, 7200rpm, 32MB cache, 3.5" - TWO (2TB)
Pioneer BDC-202, Blu-ray ROM/DVD±RW, serial ATA
XFX VGA PCIE16 GTX295 1792MB - TWO (SLI)
GA-EX58-Extreme S.1366
Logitech MX620 Cordless Laser Mouse + Logitech G15 gaming kbd
Vista Ultimate 64-bit
Any Thermaltake, Coolermaster, Antec or similar case .. for roughly 200$
Cooler Master Real Power Pro M850W
--
TOTAL:
3871$ or 2864€

OK, what I'd probably do if I was really building such machine. I know that PSU is probably too weak for this setup, but I'd use just one GTX295 card anyway, as SLI would never scale that well on 4x SLI anyway, and it's 628$ per card.. This would save me upgrading PSU as well. And I could buy 4 more 1TB drives for example (6TB in total, not bad vs 640GB in Mac). I'd also go with Home Premium instead of Ultimate, it's 2x cheaper and almost no difference. There would be numerous other tweaks and changes.. but I'm not gonna waste too much time on this :)

So in comparision vs Mac One, for the same price you'd get:
- slightly better CPU
- 4x more RAM, and a faster RAM at that, allowing overclocking and all that goes with it
- way more storage.. 4x-10x more, depending on choice of where you want to pour your money in
- uncomparable graphics performance, totally crushing that shitty GT120/9500GT
- BluRay ROM, while keeping DVDRW compatibility; I've skipped on BluRay writers as I'd rather have 6TB of HDDs than lousy BluRay-RW drive
- MBO that alows clocking that i7 CPU to the heavens (vs un-clockable Mac)
- real mouse and keyboard, and not the excuse of kbd that ships with Macs

What does Mac have in defence? Style? Depends.. I'd probably pick up case that looks 5x better TO ME than Mac does. OS X? Sure.. but I don't care. I'd rather play with Win 7 beta/RC1 untill final comes out, and than I'd buy that instead of buying Vista right now.

What's left in defence? Nothing. Zero.

Oh, and don't get me the "reliability" and "warranty" speaches pls.. most of these components have 3-5 year warranty, some have lifetime. Compared to 1 year from Mac.

OK, enough Mac bashing.. have fun ppl! And have fun skine 😉 I hope you like my builds :)
 
I found it is a perfect time for MS to push the sell of VISA system, since:
1) vista is relative much more stable and problem free from before
2) a lot of people geting a new vista system now may end up paying extra money to upgrad to win 7 in the near future. From MS point of view this is a great timing to have the chance to charge people twice... 😉
 
Most of apples mac sales come from colleges.

Depending on macs market share I'm going to guess it's around 15% (I don't know for sure.

Now supposedly colleges provide 50% of macs sales so.

About 7% of macs sales are from people being *FORCED* by their college to get a mac.

Fail.
 
It's kind of silly how Tom's Hardare is posting news about macbook pro price bashing so soon after one of their editors purchased one for about 3 grand. I bet she feels like a heel now :/ I saw plenty of HP laptops with 17" screens at Costco yesterday for around $1000. The only thing I don't like about microsoft is how they have several different versions of the same o/s. So you gotta fork out an extra couple hundred bucks or something for Ultimate, that is just retarded.
 
I see a lot of people commenting about how Microsoft is advertising for PC and not themselves. Lets not forget who attached Microsoft to "PC", it was Mac attack adds. What Microsoft did was basically put a positive spin on the "PC" attachment. IMO the Mac attack adds have helped Microsoft garnish an attachment that would have taken much more work to accomplish by themselves. Attack adds are a dangerous animal, Apply pretty much shot themselves in the foot when they made Microsoft = PC. Just like Microsoft might be some how shooting themselves by attacking Apple.

The consistency of HP's advertised in the ads is a bit fishy. But whose to say HP isn't paying them for it.
 
[citation][nom]rooket[/nom]The only thing I don't like about microsoft is how they have several different versions of the same o/s. So you gotta fork out an extra couple hundred bucks or something for Ultimate, that is just retarded.[/citation]

Why? I guess you would like Vista Ultimate to be the only edition and cost the same amount as Vista Starter?
Do you complain when they tell you that BMW has 4 or 5 different engine options, and 3 different packages of equipment? Nope. So why being annoyed by Microsoft decision to have several different OSs?

Only way around it would be that you can purchase OS in "components", meaning 5$ for IE, 5$ for MS Paint, 30$ for Backup, 15$ for Windows Update, 1$ for Notepad etc. Now that would make some cheap but usefull builds ;D
 
Umm, yeah... MS made its fortune on supporting non-proprietary IBM-Compatible systems. While Apple stayed alive by locking companies and schools into 5+ year contracts requiring purchase and maintenance of increasingly expensive proprietary parts and systems. It makes sense for MS to advertise their OS on another companies hardware. Its how they started and a big part of what keeps them going.
 
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