Microsoft's new Surface ad calls out iPad Air on 'hands free' gestures, multiple user accounts
In what seems to be a never ending stream of vitriol against Apple's iPad, Microsoft on Tuesday released two more commercials bashing the iPad Air over its lack of features compared to the Surface 2.
Screenshot from Microsoft's latest Surface 2 ad.
The ad goes just about as expected, with an A/B comparison of the Surface 2 and Apple's latest iPad Air, but this time Microsoft at least peppered a few new points into its usual "no kickstand and keyboard" drone.
Microsoft's first ad, embedded below, shows the company isn't pulling any punches with the tagline, "Surface has great support for hands-free cooking, iPad doesn't." The Bing Food and Drink app is touted as an optimal solution for all kitchen activities, what with a built-in kickstand to keep the tablet off dirty countertops.
The app's hands-free mode lets users wave their presumably filthy hands in front of the Surface 2's camera to turn pages in a virtual recipe book. According to Bing's website, the air gestures can be used to flip between instructional steps. Now the iPad.
"Free apps on the iPad don't offer the same hands-free technology," the narrator says. "Even after purchasing a hands-free recipe app, the voice command requires a quiet room to work properly."
Microsoft chose iCookbook, a $4.99 voice-controlled recipe app, as its whipping boy. A quick search in the iOS App Store yields a number of alternatives, however, like the $0.99 RecipePad that turns pages when a user bumps the counter.
In the second ad, Microsoft trumpets the Surface 2's multi-user capabilities, which not only allow more than one person to have a customized home screen and apps, but can also monitor other users' activity with auto-generated reports. Apple's iPad does not support said features.
Microsoft's ads are just the latest in a campaign that is more about comparing than focusing on the Surface 2's qualities.
Screenshot from Microsoft's latest Surface 2 ad.
The ad goes just about as expected, with an A/B comparison of the Surface 2 and Apple's latest iPad Air, but this time Microsoft at least peppered a few new points into its usual "no kickstand and keyboard" drone.
Microsoft's first ad, embedded below, shows the company isn't pulling any punches with the tagline, "Surface has great support for hands-free cooking, iPad doesn't." The Bing Food and Drink app is touted as an optimal solution for all kitchen activities, what with a built-in kickstand to keep the tablet off dirty countertops.
The app's hands-free mode lets users wave their presumably filthy hands in front of the Surface 2's camera to turn pages in a virtual recipe book. According to Bing's website, the air gestures can be used to flip between instructional steps. Now the iPad.
"Free apps on the iPad don't offer the same hands-free technology," the narrator says. "Even after purchasing a hands-free recipe app, the voice command requires a quiet room to work properly."
Microsoft chose iCookbook, a $4.99 voice-controlled recipe app, as its whipping boy. A quick search in the iOS App Store yields a number of alternatives, however, like the $0.99 RecipePad that turns pages when a user bumps the counter.
In the second ad, Microsoft trumpets the Surface 2's multi-user capabilities, which not only allow more than one person to have a customized home screen and apps, but can also monitor other users' activity with auto-generated reports. Apple's iPad does not support said features.
Microsoft's ads are just the latest in a campaign that is more about comparing than focusing on the Surface 2's qualities.
Comments
EDIT: I can't think of a single instance where a Google ad even acknowledged Microsoft's existence. To look good some companies feel they have to make their competitors look bad. Kinda speaks to the value of their own product don't you think?
First point doesn't really have anything exclusive to the Surface other than the app coming preloaded and free. I can see the iPads camera position being on the wrong side affecting it slightly but hardly a significant amount.
The second feature hit's on a big complaint I have with Apple. iOS devices have been out for over 5 years now, when are they going to add something like Windows Phones kids corner! Everyone knows kids love playing with these things, there plenty of apps aimed at them to, but there's no way of giving your iPad to your child without the risk there going email, imessage or facetime someone, or go and change a load of settings. A 1.5 year old has no idea what there doing with half the stuff, but they enjoy apps aimed at them. Why can't Apple make it so they can safely use the thing.
These darn tiles have got to go and MS must stop trying to morph the tablet into a desktop.
First point doesn't really have anything exclusive to the Surface other than the app coming preloaded and free. I can see the iPads camera position being on the wrong side affecting it slightly but hardly a significant amount.
The second feature hit's on a big complaint I have with Apple. iOS devices have been out for over 5 years now, when are they going to add something like Windows Phones kids corner! Everyone knows kids love playing with these things, there plenty of apps aimed at them to, but there's no way of giving your iPad to your child without the risk there going email, imessage or facetime someone, or go and change a load of settings. A 1.5 year old has no idea what there doing with half the stuff, but they enjoy apps aimed at them. Why can't Apple make it so they can safely use the thing.
Be patient, Apple's going to introduce something similar to user profiles soon. There patents have been speaking a ton load about them.
This point is going to be a very short lived point Microsoft's making about user profiles.
with Touch ID, user profiles can be done with the convince of a Touch.
Microsoft knows what Apple's going to bring next after Touch ID, hence they decide to shoot at that weakness to take "Maximum" advantage.
Typical Micro-shit ! I wouldn't be bothered about that at all.
About the hands free operation, I do see the very very few times, when such a use case requires hovering your hands over the tablet surface.
But that's a low percentage of people that cant touch there screens with dirty hands. I remember Samsung took at jab at Apple too about this particular point.
Beside that It can even allow the kids to touch certain predefine area of the screen which i see a lot of sense especially to some of the education apps.
Microsoft = work = not fun
Yep. And their latest ad bashing Chromebooks was pathetic. I like the fact that Apple and Google aren't really getting involved in the mudslinging. Hopefully Microsoft's new CEO will get rid of Mark Penn. There's no question he's behind the Scroogled campaign as well as these anti-iPad ads. Microsoft has a chief marketing officer, what do they need him for?
Erm what about the Mac vs PC ad's? Apple kinda started all of this.
Be patient, Apple's going to introduce something similar to user profiles soon. There patents have been speaking a ton load about them.
This point is going to be a very short lived point Microsoft's making about user profiles.
with Touch ID, user profiles can be done with the convince of a Touch.
Microsoft knows what Apple's going to bring next after Touch ID, hence they decide to shoot at that weakness to take "Maximum" advantage.
Typical Micro-shit ! I wouldn't be bothered about that at all.
5 years is pushing the boundaries of being patient, at this point it's more like Apple care more about making huge sums of money rather than giving millions of parents using there product a simple but really useful feature.
Touch ID while sounding cool, would also be useless for this scenario. A 1 year old doesn't have proper finger prints. If it brings user profiles with it then great, but to me it's less about adding whizzy features and more about fixing an issue with an otherwise excellent toy for a child.
It's always easier to attack then it is to defend
Exactly ! If Apple ever decided to make such jab videos at Microsoft, they'll be able to make tons of them !
1) Don't have even 20% of the content (Apps, Books, Music) , compared to iOS (That percentage might even be lesser, i was being generous with 20%
)
2) Not as light as the iPad
3) Not as Thin as the iPad
4) You have traditional Windows still in windows tablets, like when you jump into any office apps.
5) The OS looks boring and becomes an information hog of tiles to look at.
6) Lacks the simplicity of iOS
7) No Air Drop like easy file sharing system.
8) No Air Play like audio / video / screen streaming capability.
9) Customer satisfaction ! This wont get anywhere close to that of Apple's.
10) Customer support isn't anywhere as good as Apple's.
11) Retail Stores, does Microsoft even have those
? Yeah a few here and there, good luck finding them 
12) Most apps on the Surface are designed to work in Landscape mode. Hello what happened to potrait usage of Surface.
The iPad's a pleasure to use in Potrait and Landscape mode, unlike Surface's only "Landscape" mode usage. Feels like holding a wide screen tv in my hands.
There you go that's 12 different Ad's categories Apple can pull off if they want to
The company lost its mojo years ago, and the entire operation needs a complete reset, right down to basic philosophy, i.e., "Why are we here? What is our purpose? What do we believe?" - and then wrap the (hopefully) bold and people-centric answers in a blanket of uncompromising commitment.
I can only think of one truly great example of that, where it worked and worked well. "Hello, I'm a Mac ...."
5 years is pushing the boundaries of being patient, at this point it's more like Apple care more about making huge sums of money rather than giving millions of parents using there product a simple but really useful feature.
People weren't waiting for this feature for 5 years were they??
Quote:
Other than the plain fact that you are not supposed to give your 1 year old child an iPad you're claim is pretty interesting.
The ad's don't do anything about the high return rates I expect they are seeing.
Erm what about the Mac vs PC ad's? Apple kinda started all of this.
Mac vs PC Ad was amusing and entertaining ! These Ads are cheap ass boring !
.