New Microsoft ad finally hits Apple where it hurts: customers’ wallets
We’ve been wondering how long it would take Microsoft to kick things up a notch with its responses to Apple’s I’m a Mac smear series. Times are tough these days and it looks like Microsoft is finally starting to target cost with its latest TV ad. Titled Windows Laptop Hunters, the spot features a young woman named Lauren tasked with finding a laptop that meets her requirements — “speed, a comfortable keyboard and a 17-inch screen” — for under $1,000. If she finds one, be it a Mac or a PC, Microsoft will buy it for her. You know as well as we do that the only way anyone is scoring a new Mac laptop with a 17-inch for under $1,000 is armed robbery, so you can imagine how the commercial plays out. Forgetting the fact that the Best Buy she was shopping in apparently doesn’t charge a sales tax, Lauren ends up with an HP Pavilion for $699.99; a price even the most modest MacBook can’t come close to touching. The model she walked with features a 2.1GHz AMD Turion X2 with 4GB of DDR2 RAM, 320GB hard drive, DVD-RW drive and of course a 1440×900 17-inch display — definitely a solid system.
No, we haven’t quite stooped to the level of a local politician’s attack campaign quite yet, but it’s good to see Microsoft finally showing a little spunk with its response ads. Considering the times, we imagine there are plenty more value-centric ads from Redmond on the way; at least, we hope there are. Hit the jump to watch the full commercial.
Thanks, Don!
we don’t need support, dufus-it doesn’t crash.
Blah, blah, blah.
BlackBerry rules. Mac rules. I’m old(er). I’ve hated all my PCs, desktop and lap – except – my first Dell Lattitude. That was a sweet machine. Every Dell, Sony Vaio, and Compaq I got sucked. Never, ever again PC. Never.
Funny that hottie is so cost conscious, but she drives a VW instead of a Hyundai.
Never PC again. Ever.
Mac. Just. Works. Always.
Very truly yours,
Conrad P. Hernandez, Esq.
Oh. I forgot. Although “lauren” is a hottie, that thing she bought is UGLY. It’s not gonna win any design awards, know what I mean.
Mac computers are functional *and* beautiful. And reliable. PCs are just cheap.
Very truly yours,
Conrad P. Hernandez, Esq.
What the crap are you Mac fanboys doing to your PC’s that REQUIRE reloading the OS? I have a Windows XP install and a disk partition that once held Windows Vista but now holds Windows 7 7048. I never HAD to reinstall but I just wanted to try the beta and I’m loving it. MacOS better watch out. Windows 7 is the TRUTH.
Anyways, yeah, what exactly are you guys doing that get syou all these mysterious viruses that you assume everyone that uses Windows has as well? I have yet to have my system crash on me and I have yet to get a virus that isn’t stopped by either McAfee (that I got from Comcast) or AVG (my Vista/Win 7 install uses only open-source software aside from the OS…just because I felt like trying it).
Please. Fill me in.
Funny how they slate apple hardware in a microsoft ad. Last time I checked only hardware microsofts made was an xbox. Atleast apple is innovative enough to make decent looking products and a proper os, not to mention the iLife suite, QuickTime and iTunes. What does vista have to offer in the form of bundle software. Oh and my mac run microsoft too, shud I really b desperate enough to do so. I gladly pay the price for a well thoughout overall system. As for IT support, a mac just works. Sent from my iPhone.
The new ad misses its target. It takes aim at Apple as a hardware manufacturer but hits HP and other MS partners. Anyone who has shopped knows Apple hardware is expensive. One might expect MS to target the OS rather than the hardware or the expense.
Lessons I take from the ad: (1) The Apple Store is the first place to go when you want to buy a computer. (2) If you can afford them, Apple is clearly the way to go. (3) If you have money for a premium computer, (whether Apple, Vaio, Adamo, or the like) you are cool. (4) If you have to buy HP you aren’t cool. (5) PC brands are all the same, the only criteria to consider is which is the cheapest.
“Random Consumer” my ass. This girl is a paid and scripted actress. Not to mention a soulless ginger who is correct in her statement that she’s not cool enough to be a mac person. Call me a “Fanboy” if you want, but I am so glad I spent the money on a Mac. I like products that work as designed. I was a die hard windows fan for years, until I realized that there was an OS that WORKED….
This might aswell have been a Hp advert. Only reason she got microsoft is cause they run a monopoly in preinstalled OS. Not like she has an option of OSX or Linux. Then again she get a home edition installation and will cost a small fortune should she wana upgrade to one of the other 4 versions of vista, just to find out that windows 7 is on it’s way and need to pay for another upgrade. In the end this ad is still a hardware ad. Since she couldn’t afford a mac she prolly can’t afford a Sony either.
Also has product advertising resorted to them giving money to buy their product? I’m sure if apple paid for the notebook she woulda gone for the mac. Personally I would have bought a Dell or Sony, get rid of vista and install xp.
yeah, that’s me: bitter and angry-over microsoft shit.
anybody stupid enough to buy windows deserves it.
Just wait until ‘Lauren’ realizes the hard way that what she got is Vista 64-bit.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9166635&st=hp+dv7&lp=1&type=product&cp=1&id=1218041148373
Think who ever approved this advert on creativity should get fired, fire their ad agency for a lame brainstorm and should have their macs taken away from them, we all know agencies prefer macs so this bad commercial musta been made on one. Mayb the next ad microsoft will compare the prices of their operating system and office to others.
Hey, she is just like my buddy who got a 17″ Dell for about 2/3rd the cost of a 17″ Macbook Pro. Too bad it’s now running at about 1/3rd the speed it was when he bought it, and his favorite keys are “CTRL-S” to save just before it freezes..buy yes, it did initially cost him less. Your right on the money there!
@ Norm. Exactly. 2 years later my iMac still boots within 30 seconds. Honestly, there is no comparison. Pay now or pay later – with a LOT of frustration.
Very truly yours,
Conrad P. Hernandez, Esq.
@ Marcus
What are the fanboys doing to our PCs that makes them crash?
Gee, Marcus, I don’t know. Am I a “fanboy” Marcus? I’ve owned 10 PCs in my life. All sucked except my first Dell, a Lattitude. I’ve owned one mac, my imac. Ever since I got the imac, no problemss. NONE.
So what did I do to the PCs? I have no idea. I’m not sure waht ram is or rom or any of that shit. I just know what I know. My mac works. My iPhone didn’t punch my ticket. My BlackBerry Bold does. Am I a fanboy??
Very truly yours,
Conrad P. Hernandez, Esq.
this ad stinks! my macbook air gets me laid all the time. and my snazzy black rimmed glasses and supercool clothes make much more suprior than those lame windows users. i have a unibody all aluminum macbook that costs me more than three crappy pc’s that makes me cool. im a cool apple user i look down upon those broke unstylish windows users. my iphone is cool even though i dont know how to use it i just look kool tinkering with it.
I’ve had a sony vaio running vista for over a year and a half. I’ve never really had any problems at all. The pop ups dont bother me (they only come up when something is installing) and I’ve never had a virus on here.
Cost effective, meets my needs, and I can right click? I’m sold.
Apple= over rated crap, unless you are an artist of some kind (music, graphic designer, animator, ect) then its useful. Otherwise, why bother?
I can proudly say I’ve never owned an apple product and dont plan to. Ever.
I’m a pc, and i love my vaio.
that ginger chick probably is in art school judging by her wardrobe. With that being said, she probably owns a Mac because there is not a legit college design or art program that would be manageable on a PC.
Maybe she bought it in Delaware, no sales tax…
Shut up you Apple losers paying $500 for a stupid logo that will be obsolete in 6 months
or you can just use the trackpad click your 2-fingers down and get right click…. do research please before posting false information. thanks in advance buddy
Apple is garbage at everything, and i love how people who remotely think its even good like the fact that they cant right click or adding features that Windows has had for years as new breakthrough tech.
Oh and who the fuck writes viruses for macs…big waste of time considering 8 people in the entire universe use them
Used Vista since beginning of 08 and no reinstalls yet, and zero viruses…maybe some fanboys should get a grip on reality and realize they paid for overpriced mediocre hardware with a manual for OS for imbeciles
oh no i have an apple… im an individual, that looks like all the other individuals… “oh no” “I KNOW”…
Macs are not just for artists and designers. You’d be surprised at the large numbers of hard-core scientists using Macs. But don’t take my word for it. Just go to any molecular biology meeting and count the Mac laptops (typically 50% or more).
Funny how so many people choose Macs when they’re free to buy what they want (as opposed to administrators and salespeople using company laptops).