Microsoft hits Apple on their own turf
The gauntlet has been thrown down and Microsoft is making it pretty clear that they’re not going to be bullied around by Apple’s advertising tactics. In England at least. Apparently, these booths aren’t just advertisements, but they’re also interactive booths. From AppleInsider:
“It’s a friggin booth where you can record your own I’m a PC video,” he said. “This is outside the Apple Store, Bullring, Birmingham, England.” He added that a trio of Microsoft staffers will be on hand to turn patrons off from the Mac for the next three days.
Microsoft staffers will be there goal-tending! Wow, this is a pretty gutsy move. One would think this is just asking for it – how can things not get intense or even hostile? Of course, it’s perfectly legal for Microsoft to put these booths right in front of Apple stores, but talk about taking it to their house and just invading their turf – ballsy! Steve Ballmer and all his buddies aren’t holding back and are pulling all the stops. What do you guys think? Good idea, bad idea? Let us know!
@ d
Sorry, I had to.
Oops. Desperate, not desparate.
Seriously. Look at that pathetic booth outside that beautiful store. It’s like they’ve gone insane. Fuck! Reminds me of a loser stalking his ex-girlfriend.
Disclaimer #2: I own 3 blackberries, and am buying the Bold Monday night. That’s right, the 3rd, not the 4th. My ATT guy (manager/owner of 4 local Phoenix stores) is hooking me up a day early. I had an iPhone 3G but returned it. Didn’t do everything I needed. Yeah, I **need** cut/paste. And yeah, I want a flash on my camera. And yes, I use STEREO blue tooth. And no, I didn’t find I could type faster on the virtual keyboard.
d Said:
People who understand computers buy PCs, people who don’t understand computers buy Macs, it’s that simple and there is nothing more to it. Now its pretty easy to guess which of the two groups above would be considered the “cool” group.
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You are a jackass. People that understand computers only use PC’s? I guess all of us with degress in computers sciences who are using Linux and Mac’s are just the cool people now. Wow. As a network engineer for the last 17 years, I never thought I’d bee considered the “cool” crowd.
How about PC users are sheep. Sheep that spend most of their time defragging hard drives, chasing malware and viruses, constantly installing patches and praying they don’t crash their servers and create more problems than they resolve. I could go on and on.
How about this? People like me, who know computers, know ALL platforms. We can use Mac’s, PC’s and Linux boxes. We are as comfortable using a command line as we are a mouse. People like me can take our favorite Linux distro on a thumb drive and recover your files for you when your wonders Windows crashes. We can also run, when needed, any version of Windows we like on VMWare on a Mac or Linux box and actually have it run better, faster and more reliably on those than a PC box.
So Mr. I’m A PC Guy, how much do your REALLY know about “computers”…
@D if bluehorseshoe didn’t say it, I SURELY would have. TRUST I was a PC user for MANY years with using MAC’s sporadically in between before I made the permanent switch. ANYTHING I need to do on PC, I can now do on my MAC. I have bought 2 PC’s since I started buying MACS, I promptly took BOTH of them back because NOTHING compares. NOTHING.
@Lucid REM, we spend $2500 on our MACS because they WORK when we want them to how we want them to. In terms of dollars to man hours wasted trying to get our PC’s to work they way they are SUPPOSED to… No Comparison & NO QUESTION we got a better overall value. Not trying to convince you, just letting you know what we are thinking when we spend what we spend.
@FyreStarrter: Well said. Same story with me and my servers and desktops. They Macs and Linux are always running and the PC users are always crying.
I too am in the IT field, for over 10 years now. I run 25 servers out of my office which are all windows based. To say that I am frightened of them crashing and always running patches and updates is ludacris. I have actually never had one go down. Does it mean that I am that good at my job? Not saying that at all. It’s just that so many people are brainwashed into thinking Macs are so much better without ever trying a PC. That is the funny part. It’s like all the Mac guys think they own part of the company or something. Always talking bad about Microsoft and trying to put them down. If I remember correctly, Microsoft is the biggest computer company in the world…must be doing something right. Get off your high horse!!
To each his own.
I have a new HP laptop (w/vista) and my other half has a Mac… I love mine and dislike his greatly and he wouldn’t trade his for the world and does nothing but complain when he is at my house and has to use mine.
Mac vs PC is a war that cannot be won. People like what they like and no one is going to change that.
This MS booth proves 2 things:
1) Just how desperate MS has become, with a product like Vista (but let’s not say the “V” word) and losing so much market share to Apple.
2) How devoid of self-respect MS is (if Apple set up a silly little booth [which they wouldn't do in the first place] outside a Microsoft office, Windows-fanboys would be laughing up a storm as much as Mac users are currently doing about this).
@ fyrestarrter…maybe you should alot some of those funds to learning how to speak correctly…or at least in a typing class!
OWNED!
I WAS WRONG WHEN I THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE APPLE AND MS EMPLOYESS GETTING IN SILLY SLAPFIGHTS. THERE IS A BETTER CHANCE FOR PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST THAN EVER HAVING A NICE CIVIL CONVERSATION BETWEEN MAC GUY AND PC GUY. YOU DON’T NEED TO ATTACK SOMEONE JUST BECAUSE THEIR PREFERENCE IS DIFFERENT THAN YOURS. UNLESS THAT PERSON’S PREFERENCE IS FOR HUMAN BRAINS, IN WHICH CASE THEY ARE A ZOMBIE AND SHOULD HAVE THEIR HEADS BASHED IN.
@Evilhomer, It’s the other way around my friend, everybody starts with PCs, like someone already said by default and that’s for various reasons and the strongest one is because they are way but way cheaper than macs, then they get tired of the bullcrap and spent a little bit more money and get macs, is the same way as when you buy a car, you don’t start with a Ferrari and then buy a honda, you first buy a honda then you get a ferrari , sure you won’t be able to trickout the ferrari like the honda, but in the end you don’t realy need to
You are all crazy, PC = Linux, Windows, etc not Windows only.
Go hard or go home! Microsoft is still king, looks like some people have forgotten.
@ giggty, luv if you did NOT understand what I wrote, then clearly abandon hope all ye who enter here because you are a moron beyond all compare! Ironically enough no one ELSE had any difficulty comprehending. Today is officially giggity is a incoherent drooling nincompoop day!!! Lets all celebrate!!!!
@keymaker, WELL SAID!!!
@Doug indeed you are correct, Peace in the Middle East-a totally achievable goal. Peace between MAC Lover & PC Pros forever unattainable! BUT it’s fun to try lol!!!!
Vygantas, sorry luv but there is NOTHING PC about Linux!!!! A Linux box is a BEAST capable of doing so many things that a PC just will never be able to do!!! I have easily convinced 15-20 (this is a conservative estimate) diehard PC users over the past 2 years to switch over to Mac or Linux & no one is complaining (in fact a Dr. who was having countless issues with his Brand New HP Vista Ultimate Brick bought me a CASE of $75 a bottle champagne just weeks to thank me!!) . These are truly the computers “WITHOUT WALLS”.
Apple should have never started bashing in their ads. Did everyone expect Microsoft to do nothing? I love how some of you are saying its shitty on Micro’s part, but said nothing when Apple started bashing them.
Apple should have never started bashing in their ads. Did everyone expect Microsoft to do nothing? I love how some of you are saying its shitty on Micro’s part, but said nothing when Apple started bashing them.
I have a vista pc and have had no problems out of it whatsoever. to each his own
@Nick actually I think the war is a good idea, it brings issues to the forefront for both manufacturers.
@Glenn actually I am running a modified Version of Vista Ultimate on Vmware & overall its not a bad OS, BUT I was running the standard version of Vista Ultimate before & CONSTANT issues. I really think Vista would be ok if they just took some of the bloatware OUT of it & fixed the coding redundancies.
Nothing is absolute in the world of computers. Face it, we like what we like and that is that!
I love BlackBerry! Hate me-criticize me, but that won’t change my mind. I think Mac’s are cool, but they did do anything for me or my business. Beleive me I jumped the PC ship and gave it a try and they weren’t compatiple with anything that effected me and like of my employees, but PC fit into “MY” life. You may prefer Linux, Mac, Zune, Iphone, Android, Razr, BMW, Mercedes…etc-whatever; makes you happy. Most of us are to quick to judge as oppose to asking why a person chose and orange over the banana.
For years, Microsoft dissed Apple all over the internet with paid shills, bloggers, astroturfers, and Microsoft employee commenters. Apple answers back with “I’m a Mac-I’m a PC”, and Microsoft is incensed. LOL.
Some of the people commenting above are paid by MS. An example of some of the current strategy:
giggity Said: i am seriously tired of the whole microsoft vs apple thing… (establish that you are above the fray)
by the way…i haven’t had any problems with vista either…if you can’t get it to run smoothly your a dumb@$$ (casually slip in the vista shill, and use internet-speak and even LEET.)
LOL.
This is hilarious! I live in Birmingham, England and I looked at that pic and immediately recognised it. That’s funny, I’ll go and check that out tomorrow.
Apple ads putting down PCs are mean spirited and repulsive. What don’t they sell stuff on their strengths? Is it just me or are there people out there who stay away from Apple products because of their ads?