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Apple Wanted Microsoft Ads Yanked

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Re: Apple Wanted Microsoft Ads Yanked

#31

Post by jpierce420 »

jemmons wrote: post #17
jpierce420 wrote: post #11

I don't see where Apple gets off charging more for their computers. They're garbage. That reminds me of the youtube video of the guy flipping out because his Apple crashed again. If one has the choice between a PC and a Mac with similar hardware features, and pays the extra money for the Mac, they freaking deserve it. And saying you buy the Mac because OS X is better? Are you freakin' kidding me? That's the most ridi…

Care to give us any data points to back up your broad unsubstantiated claims? They're certainly at odds with my own experience.

This is also a company that once tried to get a patent on GUIs, windowing systems. They thought they should be the only ones around to produce a machine with a graphical desktop. Thank God that didn't happen, the computing world would be a horrible place. Why don't you tell me why paying more for the same hardware specs for the Mac should be justified? Because it 'looks' better? Are you all that superficial? I could understand if the Mac outperformed the PC, but it clearly doesn't. Linux is good for servers, Windows is good for a desktop, and I guess a Mac is good for 'looking good'. It's not like I'm the only one with this opinion, read the facts. Windows has what, like 86% of the desktop market? Even Vista sold more units than OS X. Don't give me the crap about Windows is so popular because it comes pre-installed, OS X runs on Apple computers, if these people wanted OS X they'd have bought an Apple. Also, with that market share, there is obviously a crapload of repeat customers. If PCs were so bad, why do people continue to buy them? There's just this little inner circle of die-hard Apple fans, who throw a fit about any harsh word said about the products. And boy, do they love their Macs. But answer me this: Why is this group so small compared to the PC market?

Re: Apple Wanted Microsoft Ads Yanked

#32

Post by potatolicious »

poppysan wrote: post #26
potatolicious wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You just nailed it on the head. The only other PC manufacturer with decent build is Lenovo with the ThinkPads - and those will run you a pretty penny also (well, $1100+ for a decent setup anyway) Quality stuff costs money, hardly a surprise, but what is surprising is how many people believe there is a free lunch to be had. You would not believe the number of people I've talked to who insist that BMWs have the same pa…

It depends on what you value as quality. Many of the things you guys have mentioned is either cosmetic, or used to preserve my computer far past its average lifespan...(with advancements in tech I have to get a new computer at least every 5 yrs. The cheapest PC with non brand hardware will last you that easily... Cae in point, I bought my cousin an emachines computer for $299 three years ago, and the only problem she…

Quality is quality - and much of it is non-functional. The car analogy is really apt here.

I can buy a Toyota for $20K that will get me to work at the same time as I could if driving a BMW. It costs a hell of a lot less for the same functionality, and if we believe the reliability numbers, will last me just as long (if not longer) than the BMW - certainly longer than I plan to own the car anyways.

So why would anyone in their right mind buy a BMW? Or really anything more expensive than a Toyota? User experience. Maybe I like the extra frilly features like dual-zone climate control, power seats, in-dash GPS, projected HUD, or whatever. Or maybe I like the fact that the interior has a lot better fit and finish than the Toyota, and is made from far better materials. Maybe I like the fact that it sits low on the ground and doesn't feel like it's going to float off the ground at anything above 70mph.

These are the factors and the features that people easily discount, but add untold amounts of satisfaction to the user experience. Whether it's worth the extra cash is up to you, but the difference is there, and not always easy to notice if you're only ever looking at the spec sheet.

To bring it back to laptop-land, my old PC was thick, clunky, heavy, had tons of flimsy plastic flaps covering the ports, and the screen hinge was loose and floppy. Was it usable? Of course. Could I get work done on it? Naturally. Did it have similar or better specs than the Macs of its day? Yes. But in the end it was a poor user experience.

Re: Apple Wanted Microsoft Ads Yanked

#33

Post by jpierce420 »

poppysan wrote: post #27
bitwize wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

With a Mac, you get stuff done. With a PC, you get less stuff done, as you run into all the issues that come up with cargo-cult technology. I don't know about you, but I nuke-and-pave any laptop I come into possession of with Linux or NetBSD. Shit gets done on my laptops.

Exactly... This is really off base...

If 'getting stuff done' means wasting time, then yeah, you're getting stuff done.

Re: Apple Wanted Microsoft Ads Yanked

#34

Post by ynniv »

anigbrowl wrote: post #5
loumf wrote: post #4

The worst thing about the ads is that at the end, they pay for the PC. If Lauren knew they were going to give her $1,000 -- she probably would have bought the Mac. That part of the ad makes no sense.

It's you, not the ad. The setup is 'I want X features at $Y','Yeah? OK, you find we'll reimburse you.' There is a Mac available at $Y, but not with the features she's committed to.

Some of their "required" features aren't well thought out. An intelligent consumer wouldn't insist on a car with 400 horsepower that costs less than $10,000. Yes, it is possible, if you are willing to sacrifice safety, gas mileage, product lifespan, and the ability to turn. There are well rounded laptops that run Windows and will serve consumers for years to come, but the bottom dollar "bargains" this campaign focuses on are only going to make consumers unhappy in a year or two.

Re: Apple Wanted Microsoft Ads Yanked

#35

Post by philwelch »

jpierce420 wrote: post #29
jemmons wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Care to give us any data points to back up your broad unsubstantiated claims? They're certainly at odds with my own experience.

Hehe, I knew I'd lose some points for that one. All the die-hard apple users constantly bash what I use, so I decided to give 'em some back. If its so great, why is its market share at such a low percentage? I realize its all personal preference, while you like your Mac, I can't stand the sight of one, but I've obviously used both and a PC is far superior. Its really more about how I despise Apple as a whole, more th…

You didn't lose points for saying anything controversial, you lost points for writing flamey, unfocused posts filled with unsubstantiated claims about Macs.

Re: Apple Wanted Microsoft Ads Yanked

#36

Post by umjames »

ynniv wrote: post #21

What bothers me about these ads is the rigid set of arbitrary features the consumer "has to have". A laptop is a complicated technical product, so certain features are going to affect the price tag. A $700 laptop is reasonable, but a $700 laptop with a 17" screen is going to be making hefty compromises somewhere else. I have never seen a commercial where battery life, weight, durability, maintenance, or lifespan was…

Not to mention that in the ads they either:

1. Say the laptop has everything they need, but never tell you what that "everything" is, or, 2. Say the one thing that they want the laptop for, as if you only do one thing per laptop.

Also, when they mention software, you either don't see the laptop supposedly running it, or you only see the desktop with no apps running.

What isn't being talked about is that no matter how great your hardware specs are, if the software you're running doesn't take advantage of it or use it efficiently, you won't see the benefits as an end user.

Instead of getting the ads pulled, Apple should be using their commercials to show their software being used (like in the iPhone commercials) and explaining the TCO benefits of having a Mac.

Re: Apple Wanted Microsoft Ads Yanked

#37

Post by likpok »

poppysan wrote: post #18
mdasen wrote: post #10

It's not surprising. Most of Microsoft's attempts at advertising make them look stupid. The Gates/Seinfeld ads? They just made the company look aimless. They made the company look like they didn't know what people wanted or why Apple was doing well. These new "laptop hunter" ads hit Apple where it hurts. While one can argue that Apple's computers don't cost more than an identically spec'd PC, the problem is that very…

I agree with most of your points except one: I recently switched back to PC, and am amazed at the hardware i can get for the price. I can get a superior PC (operating system preference aside) for FAR less than a MAC. But, that being said, I am so used to OSX that I prefer it over windows XP at the moment. But I have recently enjoyed the simple breadth of things I have been missing out on (gaming and game design, add-…

Preferring OSX to XP is somewhat of a no-brainer at this point, as XP is about 10 years old. A fairer comparison might be the Win7 RC (perhaps, I don't know about breadth of driver support).

Re: Apple Wanted Microsoft Ads Yanked

#38

Post by drewcrawford »

mdasen wrote: post #10

It's not surprising. Most of Microsoft's attempts at advertising make them look stupid. The Gates/Seinfeld ads? They just made the company look aimless. They made the company look like they didn't know what people wanted or why Apple was doing well. These new "laptop hunter" ads hit Apple where it hurts. While one can argue that Apple's computers don't cost more than an identically spec'd PC, the problem is that very…

This is a huge sampling space fail, but anecdotally, the other day I sent my macbook into Apple care. They replaced the logic board, heatsink arm, display, and half the case (the latter for a cosmetic issue that was absolutely not under warranty). The machine was out of my hands for exactly 22 hours (fedex priority ftw). I paid $0 for this service (applecare was $300 several years ago).

All of that to say, find me a manufacturer that will replace 70% of your system in 22 hours including courier time almost three years after it was sold. You can only do that if your reliability is way high, because you spent a lot of money on quality components to begin with, instead of poor-boying it with sweatshop chips.

Re: Apple Wanted Microsoft Ads Yanked

#39

Post by jemmons »

jpierce420 wrote: post #31
jemmons wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Care to give us any data points to back up your broad unsubstantiated claims? They're certainly at odds with my own experience.

This is also a company that once tried to get a patent on GUIs, windowing systems. They thought they should be the only ones around to produce a machine with a graphical desktop. Thank God that didn't happen, the computing world would be a horrible place. Why don't you tell me why paying more for the same hardware specs for the Mac should be justified? Because it 'looks' better? Are you all that superficial? I could…

Why don't you tell me why paying more for the same hardware specs for the Mac should be justified?

I'm not trying to convince you of anything. The burden of proof lies with you.

Read the facts. Windows has what, like 86% of the desktop market?

I think you might be confusing facts with statistics? In any market you choose to look at, you can find a high-quality alternative to the commodity product offering that has a minority of the market share. BMW is the oft-quoted example in the automobile industry. It would be a mistake to claim "A BMW clearly doesn't outperform a Ford Taurus because there are so many more Fords on the road." Their relative market share clearly has no bearing on their respective performance.

Re: Apple Wanted Microsoft Ads Yanked

#40

Post by jemmons »

jpierce420 wrote: post #29
jemmons wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Care to give us any data points to back up your broad unsubstantiated claims? They're certainly at odds with my own experience.

Hehe, I knew I'd lose some points for that one. All the die-hard apple users constantly bash what I use, so I decided to give 'em some back. If its so great, why is its market share at such a low percentage? I realize its all personal preference, while you like your Mac, I can't stand the sight of one, but I've obviously used both and a PC is far superior. Its really more about how I despise Apple as a whole, more th…

I've obviously used both

I think it's far from obvious when you've been unable to point to one concrete (even biased and opinionated!) example of why you think a Macintosh computer is inferior to the technology you choose to use.

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