Microsoft ups cash limit, takes aim at MacBook Pros in new ad
Following a trio of TV ads that cast Apple's 13-inch MacBook line as impractical purchases for average consumers on budgets between $1000 and $1500, Microsoft on Thursday took aim at the company's professional line of notebooks in a fourth ad that doubles the initial spending limit of its role players.
The latest installment of the "You find it, you keep it" campaign features "Sheila," a self-described filmmaker shopping with a $2000 budget for a notebook with a "fast processor, big screen" and the ability to "cut video." She enters Fry's Electronics "open to any brand," but quickly discounts Apple's $1999 2.4GHz MacBook Pro -- the "best Apple" in her price range -- because it only has 2GB of DDR3 memory.
Sheila ultimately settles on a version of HP's 16-inch HP HDX 16t, which includes 4GB of slower DDR2 memory, a 2.13GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, a NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT with 512MB of video memory, and a display with a maximum resolution of 1366x768, compared to the MacBook Pro's 1440x900 max resolution.
The commercial, which can be seen below, ends before Sheila can begin her search for a viable video editing application to cut her video.
The latest installment of the "You find it, you keep it" campaign features "Sheila," a self-described filmmaker shopping with a $2000 budget for a notebook with a "fast processor, big screen" and the ability to "cut video." She enters Fry's Electronics "open to any brand," but quickly discounts Apple's $1999 2.4GHz MacBook Pro -- the "best Apple" in her price range -- because it only has 2GB of DDR3 memory.
Sheila ultimately settles on a version of HP's 16-inch HP HDX 16t, which includes 4GB of slower DDR2 memory, a 2.13GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, a NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT with 512MB of video memory, and a display with a maximum resolution of 1366x768, compared to the MacBook Pro's 1440x900 max resolution.
The commercial, which can be seen below, ends before Sheila can begin her search for a viable video editing application to cut her video.
Comments
This is one area they should not have gone too, no way does the software or feautres match the Mac Pro, sadly the average dumb user whom this is ad is aimed at wont know the difference.
she can play left4dead on it.
To AppleInsider: FYI, that is a Fry's Electronics, somewhere in Bay Area or SoCal. So it's not a best buy, i'm guessing maybe because of the relationship that microsoft has with best buy. I think there were a few commercials by microsoft during this campaign that filed at best buy. But not recently right?
This is one area they should not have gone too, no way does the software or feautres match the Mac Pro, sadly the average dumb user whom this is ad is aimed at wont know the difference.
But she's a filmmaker... and an artist
(I'm a filmmaker, and an artist, and I use a MacBook Pro)
I dislike that these commercials trick those who are not knowledgeable into buying a pc.
To AppleInsider: FYI, that is a Fry's Electronics, somewhere in Bay Area or SoCal. So it's not a best buy, i'm guessing maybe because of the relationship that microsoft has with best buy. I think there were a few commercials by microsoft during this campaign that filed at best buy. But not recently right?
Thanks!
K
its shocking how deceiving these commercials are. apple should really interview these people a month are two later and ask, so how's that pc working out.
dont all macbooks come standard with 4gb ddr3 memory now?
No. The 2.4 GHz Macbook Pro that the commercial is showing only comes with 2GB of RAM standard. You're thinking of the 2.66 GHz version, which comes with 4GB of RAM standard.
Hardware aside, how much do you think she's going to have to fork out for some software to compare with iMovie?
About $300.
The dumb average user is always screwed when buying computer and in life. Nothing anyone can do to change that. Given that Winblows Sh1tsta needs 4 GB of RAM just to boot up in a reasonable amount of time that argument alone falls apart pretty fast.
Nevermind all the other factors such as viruses, having to reinstall windows and all your applications every 6 months, etc.
I may be wrong, but as far as I understand unless the notebook is running a 64 bit version of windows it can't use more than 2.5 G of that slower 4G. Strangely they don't mention that too often.
You are correct. MS can utilize only 3gb of ram on a 32bit os of vista or xp, but system builders like hp don't ship 32 bit versions of the operating system when offering more than 3gb of ram.
I may be wrong, but as far as I understand unless the notebook is running a 64 bit version of windows it can't use more than 2.5 G of that slower 4G. Strangely they don't mention that too often.
The HDX 16 ships with the 64 bit version of Windows. It can utilize up to 8Gb.
It's actually a very nice machine. No glossy screen, a number pad on the keyboard, HDMI out, memory card slot. The RAM is a little slower, but it's also a LOT less expensive. If it ran OS X, I'd much rather have the HDX 16 than a Macbook Pro. It's nearly the same on the specs it shares, and has extra features that the Macbook does not, for half the price.
do you remember bud light vs miller light? president of beers, king of beers, back and forth nosense a few years ago. no one came out a clear winner, and it was basically a waste of millions in advertising that ended up being a pissing contest.
Apple doesn't need to lower itself into that game. Apple doesn't do well on the defensive especially in this economic climate. Saying, "we are more expensive, but we are better" isn't a good commercial to air at this time. The I'm a mac ads are really well done and they are able to focus on apples strong points, which is ease of use, integration, stability, and security.
The reason microsoft doesn't counter THOSE ads is the same reason apple shouldn't counter the cost ads, they will lose. It's better to stick to what you are good at. Who wants to see some desperate looking Apple ads trying to explain WHY they cost more?
Why wouldn't you buy your own RAM from OWC or something? It'd still be cheaper than movie editing software comparable to iMovie (i.e. Premiere Elements or similar).
RAM is easy as pie to upgrade, even for someone not too familiar with computers...