i think its funny that apple, possibly the most conceited company on earth, fessed up that mobileme isn't up to par pretty quickly. Microsoft, instead of admitting vista sucks, tries to say it flat out doesn't. Sounds amazingly foolish.
I'm sure any MobileMe user will beg to differ. Sure Micro$oft took a longer time to admit failure, but Apple's time to respond was still unacceptably long...especially the second outage for the "1% of users" who could not access their email for over a week!!!!!!!!!
No functioning company would allow it's brand to be sullied like this, and no functioning company would sit on it's hands while AAPL's market share doubles in the process. MSFT has got serious systemic problems that are only going to get worse.
Granted, they'll live off their fat for years, but Elvis has left the building.
As long as they are allowed to operate with a monopoly, they will outlast Apple.
i think its funny that apple, possibly the most conceited company on earth, fessed up that mobileme isn't up to par pretty quickly. Microsoft, instead of admitting vista sucks, tries to say it flat out doesn't. Sounds amazingly foolish.
Also, I think we can prettymuch all agree that vista is the laughingstock of the tech world, and windows mobile is a pile of trash.
Microsoft's new push should be for windows 7, which should be unix based, superfast, have completely modularized components (you can remove/add anything you like), and allow people to share components over social networks.
but it won't. Can't wait till apple does that though
Vista is a very good OS and better in some respects to OSX. When I tried it in mid-2007 it wasn't the OS itself that was giving me problems but the drivers. Many drivers completely crashed the system. I believe that if I gave it another try today I'd love it.
The same was said about OSX 10.0 when it first came out. It was slow (spinning beach ball), lacked true compatibility with classic apps, and crashed often. Many years later we have an awesome OS (starting with 10.2) that we take for granted.
Vista was a major overhaul and showed in its immaturity when it was released. I believe it deserves some respect. It is Boot Camp worthy.
Vista is a very good OS and better in some respects to OSX.
I don't want to start a flame war, but I spend about half my time in Windows (at work) and the other half in OS X (at home), and there are a *few* things I like better in Windows:
- Load/save dialogs are better than OS X
- Font rendering is cleaner/clearer
- Windows Explorer is a better file manager than Finder
- Table controls, tree controls, and sliders look better
- Disc burning is more intuitive
But overall I prefer OS X. You can't expect something to be better in every single aspect because some things are tradeoffs.
No functioning company would allow it's brand to be sullied like this, and no functioning company would sit on it's hands while AAPL's market share doubles in the process. MSFT has got serious systemic problems that are only going to get worse.
Granted, they'll live off their fat for years, but Elvis has left the building.
No. Even if Windows were to die, and that's a pretty big if, Microsoft is everywhere else and would continue to grow. Were Windows to get into any serious trouble, Microsoft would eventually do a rewrite. Windows X?
Vista is a very good OS and better in some respects to OSX. When I tried it in mid-2007 it wasn't the OS itself that was giving me problems but the drivers. Many drivers completely crashed the system. I believe that if I gave it another try today I'd love it.
The same was said about OSX 10.0 when it first came out. It was slow (spinning beach ball), lacked true compatibility with classic apps, and crashed often. Many years later we have an awesome OS (starting with 10.2) that we take for granted.
Vista was a major overhaul and showed in its immaturity when it was released. I believe it deserves some respect. It is Boot Camp worthy.
With respect, you simply don't get it. Vista isn't an overhaul worthy of comparison to OS X. OS X was a complete rewrite, ground up stuff. Sure, a bit of NeXT here and there, but no OS 9. Yes, 10.0, 10.1 and hell I disagree, I think 10.2 too were incomplete. But that is irrelevant.
Baring perhaps being able to use Microsoft's DirectX and baring aesthetics, no part of any current version of Windows is measurably "better" than OS X. I challenge you to provide concrete examples that are specific to Vista that aren't already available in XP.
Vista remains a significant liability and a great deal of why is found in (a) the legacy code within Vista and (b) drivers that don't play nice with one another. Microsoft is working to address the latter concern, which is great but they also need to do what Apple did and now is a good time.
Ground up. It's time for a new Windows. And ya know what, I like to consider myself a Mac fanatic, but it is quality that grabs me the most. Microsoft could even win me over were they ever to do this, right.
Apple should just incorporate it in their ads by having Hodgman run on the set and out of breath and the Mac guy asks where PC has been and PC can say "moonlighting for MS as a PC. (a brief pause) Literally!" (I think that succinctly says it all)
That's brilliant X2.
Even though I laughed at MS Seinfeld ad because it is irrelevant, I starting to see their message (I think), Oh well, just another attempt on Msoft screwing things up. Lets see how MS does the new ad this time. Im taking my popcorn! who want???
Oh yea, and its interesting to see people who is going to post a video of a PC and saying Im better then Mac (the only users that I can think of is gamers and computer modders)
Vista is not a complete overhaul, there is even techniques how to make your current Windows XP to look exactly like Windows Vista without having to install StarDock (or something like that)
This thread is fun, but ppl are kinda missing the big picture...
The way these things work is usually a progression along these lines:
Step 1: IGNORE
Step 2: RIDICULE
Step 3: ATTACK
Step 4: COPY
Step 5: STEAL
When Apple first started to gain marketshare against Microsoft in the desktop PC market, MS's first response was to utterly ignore it. Which is part of the reason they're having to dig themselves out of a hole, image-wise. And why Apple has been able to define MS's 'PC' image so effectively in the form of Mr. Hodgman.
Then, when Apple started to do better and better, MS ridiculed it. Remember Ballmer's mocking comments about Apple being "the little guy" with 2% of the market? They weren't an accident. The party line was, "Don't take Apple seriously."
That didn't work either. So, now we're in the 'attack' phase. MS will ostensibly be attacking Apple's defining of MS's image. However, that of course will draw all the more attention to it. MS may also decide to attack the Mac or Apple directly, which legitimizes Apple and the Mac as viable alternatives.
If these attempts fail, the next step will be to COPY. Yes, funny I know, considering that that is all MS does, particularly to Apple. But, this will be a much more PUBLIC copying of Apple then what has come before. MS will suddenly become the "user experience company". They will talk, in a slightly different way of course, about "humanizing" computer technology, and making PCs "for the rest of us", in effect. You get the idea.
And, assuming MS is successful in this 'mother of all copycats' effort, they will then have STOLEN Apple's image, MS will have 'ALWAYS' been the user-experience company, according to their zillions of ads, thus completing the eternal five-step progression--> Ignore. Ridicule. Attack. Copy. Steal.
I do not necessarily think they will succeed, but this is how these things usually progress, and this is what MS will TRY to do. It's up to Apple to counter it effectively, and I don't think ppl quite grok that it may not be the 'Harlem Globetrotters vs New Jersey Generals' contest it has been up to this point. Ineffectual Jerry Seinfeld ads or no.
It'd be an incredible waste if they don't bring Seinfeld back. $10 million for two short spots? He didn't make that kind of money even on his own show.
He GOT WAY to much (Much more then 10 million when the show sold). The show was not worth 10 million when it sold, let alone nearly 1 BILLION???
Getting rid of him, is a good thing, but it's not going to matter who they get ?
I'm sure any MobileMe user will beg to differ. Sure Micro$oft took a longer time to admit failure, but Apple's time to respond was still unacceptably long...especially the second outage for the "1% of users" who could not access their email for over a week!!!!!!!!!
And now Apple is issues with many printers not working with 10.5
Vista is a very good OS and better in some respects to OSX. When I tried it in mid-2007 it wasn't the OS itself that was giving me problems but the drivers......
Vista was a major overhaul and showed in its immaturity when it was released. I believe it deserves some respect. It is Boot Camp worthy.
You are way off base.
You are also spouting the pure MicroSoft line.
"There is nothing wrong with Vista, it's just a perception problem"
If THAT were true, they could've fixed their "issues" long long ago with a simple bunch of ads.
They can "call" it perception issues, but if that's all it was, all the companies (Dell, Gateway, eMachine, HP....etc) would've fought back because THEY are the ones getting their head handed to them and NOT MicroSoft. Sure MicroSoft loses some market share but the battle is REALLY for the life and health of the HARDWARE makers.
So far, MicroSoft successfully uses the hardware makers as an extension of their organization. So when the product sickens their efforts, it's a problem back at MicroSoft. They fought like crazy to kill XP, and did NOT want to have Dell have an "Upgrade" on their website that essentially was "Pay us 50 bucks extra and we'll take vista off and put xp back on your new PC". The failure is at the hardware companies, MicroSoft is trying to protect their relationship with THOSE companies. This is not so much Apple vs. MicroSoft as it is MicroSoft losing control of the hardware mono-architecture. Other unix based solution, open source products, the world is going to crack. As it does, the old "Does it run Windows, because I know if it runs windows all my software will work...." model is dead.
The old model is NOT dead because OS X is killing Vista. (I do think that is happening....)
The old model is dead because most people run stuff off the internet rather than as a desktop application.
A final note for all you people that want to screen by screen compare Vista to OS X.
It doesn't matter.
Nobody is going to get rid of their three thousand dollar Dell two years early and "Get a Mac" because the finder is pretty or not, or because spotlight is a must have. But the tenth time in one year you have to reinstall Windows because your trojans, viruses, and popup ads have taken over....... well THAT'S what is wrong with Vista. It's trash.
It can be the best OS in the world in a remote setting, but people are online.
One of the funniest "Get a Mac" ads was the security one, "Allow or ..." with the secret service standing behind him. OMG. Talk about a lame solution in Vista. Their marketing approach is to allow "innovation" by making ways in the OS for pieces of code from partner developers to attach and act as a part of the OS. An absolutely brillant way to allow virus activity. For MS to spend SO MUCH TIME, to bring a new OS to market and to have the security model be "Ask the user if they really want stuff to happen" is something I still laugh at every time I think about it.
The next version of Windows, had better be really designed and not thrown together.
And if it doesn't fix the fundamental problem of how they are leaking like a submarine with a screen door..... that one will be less adopted than Vista.
The number of companies that have so far taken a pass on Vista, will turn into a list of companies that have taken a permanant pass on it as they decide to skip it for the Vista replacement. (after it comes out, after SP1 and SP2 come out, and after they evaluate it)
This means sometime in 2010, Vista's replacement will be making headway.
MicroSoft is going to need more than an Ad campaign to help their hardware partners if they expect those companies to hold the "MicroSoft Only" OS choice.
The richest companies in the Microsoft world, are the virus/trojan protection companies.
Until THAT changes, don't focus so much on how clean the fonts are.....
Jeez Microsoft - isn't it enough that you copy all Apple's user interface ideas? Now you have to copy their ad campaign too?
How else can they ever come up (or have ever come up) with anything even half way decent other than ripping off Apple? Mind you, the psychology of this is a bit dubious. They are working on the principle that everyone knows the Mac ad to understand theirs if they spook Mr PC. So in effect endorsing the Mac ad ...
I can't wait to see "real PC users" sending in their videos of them using PCs.
Cheeto fingers and Star Wars t-shirts anyone?
This fits in very well with what I was going to post.
I personally think the best ad campaign Microsoft could use would be to feed off the stereotype of Mac users/aficionados being arrogant and self-righteous. Make PC users appear down-to-earth whereas Mac users appear as fashion victims. I think that would connect with people more than these trying-too-hard-to-reinvent-their-image style ads.
It would have to be done in a somewhat subtle (not hokey) way though. Which isn't really Microsoft's style.
It'd be an incredible waste if they don't bring Seinfeld back. $10 million for two short spots? He didn't make that kind of money even on his own show.
Despite how they Microsoft is spinning this as merely being the first phase of an ad campaign that is now "over," anyone can see that actually these ads were actually "cancelled."
There are rumours of at least two more episodes "in the can" that will never see the light of day, so that's four commercials for 10 million and that's fairly standard rates.
I just hope we don't have to wait until we are in the retirement home for the ones that were never aired to leak out. I think they are lousy advertisements but I'd still love to see them.
This fits in very well with what I was going to post.
I personally think the best ad campaign Microsoft could use would be to feed off the stereotype of Mac users/aficionados being arrogant and self-righteous. Make PC users appear down-to-earth whereas Mac users appear as fashion victims. I think that would connect with people more than these trying-too-hard-to-reinvent-their-image style ads.
It would have to be done in a somewhat subtle (not hokey) way though. Which isn't really Microsoft's style.
Agreed. What's funny is how awful and predictable Microsoft is at advertising. They really just don't get it do they? It's almost unbelievable how bad they are at interaction.
I could come up with tons of ads making fun of Macs. We are easy. We are pricks who have a hatred for anything un-Mac. I would play up the fact that there are still websites I cannot use with Safari. There are tons of games that will never come out for Mac. These are minor issues, but still. A Mac has some, and I say that lightly, deficiencies.
I could come up with tons of ads making fun of Macs. We are easy. We are pricks who have a hatred for anything un-Mac.
Even beyond that. Have the Mac user pull up in an Audi/BMW (with built-in iPod integration), being very smug about the latest music to come out of <pick your fashion capitol>, talking about "haute" architecture/design, being dismissive of any opinions the PC user has. Make the Mac user seem obsessive in their following of high-end culture, and really play up that feeling one gets when they encounter someone like that. Make the PC user intelligent, but have a much more approachable and common-sense outlook on things.
Hey Microsoft, want to pay me 10 million to write your next ad campaign?
Also beginning Thursday night, the Redmond, Wash.-based software giant will invite visitors to the website to upload videos and photos that will demonstrate "how they, too, are PCs."
lol. I hope there is no "approval" process. Cause I think Mac users would have more fun with that then the people who are "passionate" about their PC.
And after PC users fight WMP and reboot a couple of times they will have lost their video and the rest of their hard drive to a virus anyway. So I'm predicting the majority of PC users won't get to post a video at all!
Comments
i think its funny that apple, possibly the most conceited company on earth, fessed up that mobileme isn't up to par pretty quickly. Microsoft, instead of admitting vista sucks, tries to say it flat out doesn't. Sounds amazingly foolish.
I'm sure any MobileMe user will beg to differ. Sure Micro$oft took a longer time to admit failure, but Apple's time to respond was still unacceptably long...especially the second outage for the "1% of users" who could not access their email for over a week!!!!!!!!!
No functioning company would allow it's brand to be sullied like this, and no functioning company would sit on it's hands while AAPL's market share doubles in the process. MSFT has got serious systemic problems that are only going to get worse.
Granted, they'll live off their fat for years, but Elvis has left the building.
As long as they are allowed to operate with a monopoly, they will outlast Apple.
i think its funny that apple, possibly the most conceited company on earth, fessed up that mobileme isn't up to par pretty quickly. Microsoft, instead of admitting vista sucks, tries to say it flat out doesn't. Sounds amazingly foolish.
Also, I think we can prettymuch all agree that vista is the laughingstock of the tech world, and windows mobile is a pile of trash.
Microsoft's new push should be for windows 7, which should be unix based, superfast, have completely modularized components (you can remove/add anything you like), and allow people to share components over social networks.
but it won't. Can't wait till apple does that though
Vista is a very good OS and better in some respects to OSX. When I tried it in mid-2007 it wasn't the OS itself that was giving me problems but the drivers. Many drivers completely crashed the system. I believe that if I gave it another try today I'd love it.
The same was said about OSX 10.0 when it first came out. It was slow (spinning beach ball), lacked true compatibility with classic apps, and crashed often. Many years later we have an awesome OS (starting with 10.2) that we take for granted.
Vista was a major overhaul and showed in its immaturity when it was released. I believe it deserves some respect. It is Boot Camp worthy.
Vista is a very good OS and better in some respects to OSX.
I don't want to start a flame war, but I spend about half my time in Windows (at work) and the other half in OS X (at home), and there are a *few* things I like better in Windows:
- Load/save dialogs are better than OS X
- Font rendering is cleaner/clearer
- Windows Explorer is a better file manager than Finder
- Table controls, tree controls, and sliders look better
- Disc burning is more intuitive
But overall I prefer OS X. You can't expect something to be better in every single aspect because some things are tradeoffs.
No functioning company would allow it's brand to be sullied like this, and no functioning company would sit on it's hands while AAPL's market share doubles in the process. MSFT has got serious systemic problems that are only going to get worse.
Granted, they'll live off their fat for years, but Elvis has left the building.
No. Even if Windows were to die, and that's a pretty big if, Microsoft is everywhere else and would continue to grow. Were Windows to get into any serious trouble, Microsoft would eventually do a rewrite. Windows X?
Vista is a very good OS and better in some respects to OSX. When I tried it in mid-2007 it wasn't the OS itself that was giving me problems but the drivers. Many drivers completely crashed the system. I believe that if I gave it another try today I'd love it.
The same was said about OSX 10.0 when it first came out. It was slow (spinning beach ball), lacked true compatibility with classic apps, and crashed often. Many years later we have an awesome OS (starting with 10.2) that we take for granted.
Vista was a major overhaul and showed in its immaturity when it was released. I believe it deserves some respect. It is Boot Camp worthy.
With respect, you simply don't get it. Vista isn't an overhaul worthy of comparison to OS X. OS X was a complete rewrite, ground up stuff. Sure, a bit of NeXT here and there, but no OS 9. Yes, 10.0, 10.1 and hell I disagree, I think 10.2 too were incomplete. But that is irrelevant.
Baring perhaps being able to use Microsoft's DirectX and baring aesthetics, no part of any current version of Windows is measurably "better" than OS X. I challenge you to provide concrete examples that are specific to Vista that aren't already available in XP.
Vista remains a significant liability and a great deal of why is found in (a) the legacy code within Vista and (b) drivers that don't play nice with one another. Microsoft is working to address the latter concern, which is great but they also need to do what Apple did and now is a good time.
Ground up. It's time for a new Windows. And ya know what, I like to consider myself a Mac fanatic, but it is quality that grabs me the most. Microsoft could even win me over were they ever to do this, right.
Apple should just incorporate it in their ads by having Hodgman run on the set and out of breath and the Mac guy asks where PC has been and PC can say "moonlighting for MS as a PC. (a brief pause) Literally!" (I think that succinctly says it all)
That's brilliant X2.
Even though I laughed at MS Seinfeld ad because it is irrelevant, I starting to see their message (I think), Oh well, just another attempt on Msoft screwing things up. Lets see how MS does the new ad this time. Im taking my popcorn! who want???
Oh yea, and its interesting to see people who is going to post a video of a PC and saying Im better then Mac (the only users that I can think of is gamers and computer modders)
Vista is not a complete overhaul, there is even techniques how to make your current Windows XP to look exactly like Windows Vista without having to install StarDock (or something like that)
Apple should come up with some kind of ad pointing out that Macs can run Microsoft Windows too. Maybe something like this:
http://mammals.org/movies/us/apple/g...nt_480x272.mov
Then everything Microsoft says that makes Windows great is just one more reason to get a Mac, and enjoy all the Microsoft goodness alongside your OS X
Phrase it as being able to "choose" between OS X and Windows on one machine, and any Microsoft ads about walls begin to look especially silly.
They already have such an ad: the "Touché" ad from the Get a Mac campaign, from 2006.
It's on the Apple website.
http://www.apple.com/getamac/ads/
When you look at all of the ads together, it's easy to see how brilliant they really are. No wonder that MS's feelings are hurt...
The way these things work is usually a progression along these lines:
Step 1: IGNORE
Step 2: RIDICULE
Step 3: ATTACK
Step 4: COPY
Step 5: STEAL
When Apple first started to gain marketshare against Microsoft in the desktop PC market, MS's first response was to utterly ignore it. Which is part of the reason they're having to dig themselves out of a hole, image-wise. And why Apple has been able to define MS's 'PC' image so effectively in the form of Mr. Hodgman.
Then, when Apple started to do better and better, MS ridiculed it. Remember Ballmer's mocking comments about Apple being "the little guy" with 2% of the market? They weren't an accident. The party line was, "Don't take Apple seriously."
That didn't work either. So, now we're in the 'attack' phase. MS will ostensibly be attacking Apple's defining of MS's image. However, that of course will draw all the more attention to it. MS may also decide to attack the Mac or Apple directly, which legitimizes Apple and the Mac as viable alternatives.
If these attempts fail, the next step will be to COPY. Yes, funny I know, considering that that is all MS does, particularly to Apple. But, this will be a much more PUBLIC copying of Apple then what has come before. MS will suddenly become the "user experience company". They will talk, in a slightly different way of course, about "humanizing" computer technology, and making PCs "for the rest of us", in effect. You get the idea.
And, assuming MS is successful in this 'mother of all copycats' effort, they will then have STOLEN Apple's image, MS will have 'ALWAYS' been the user-experience company, according to their zillions of ads, thus completing the eternal five-step progression--> Ignore. Ridicule. Attack. Copy. Steal.
I do not necessarily think they will succeed, but this is how these things usually progress, and this is what MS will TRY to do. It's up to Apple to counter it effectively, and I don't think ppl quite grok that it may not be the 'Harlem Globetrotters vs New Jersey Generals' contest it has been up to this point. Ineffectual Jerry Seinfeld ads or no.
...
Step 1: IGNORE
Step 2: RIDICULE
Step 3: ATTACK
Step 4: COPY
Step 5: STEAL
Wow, interesting and you get this from your observation or from a source?
It'd be an incredible waste if they don't bring Seinfeld back. $10 million for two short spots? He didn't make that kind of money even on his own show.
He GOT WAY to much (Much more then 10 million when the show sold). The show was not worth 10 million when it sold, let alone nearly 1 BILLION???
Getting rid of him, is a good thing, but it's not going to matter who they get ?
I'm sure any MobileMe user will beg to differ. Sure Micro$oft took a longer time to admit failure, but Apple's time to respond was still unacceptably long...especially the second outage for the "1% of users" who could not access their email for over a week!!!!!!!!!
And now Apple is issues with many printers not working with 10.5
error -9632
But there is a cure ?
Vista is a very good OS and better in some respects to OSX. When I tried it in mid-2007 it wasn't the OS itself that was giving me problems but the drivers......
Vista was a major overhaul and showed in its immaturity when it was released. I believe it deserves some respect. It is Boot Camp worthy.
You are way off base.
You are also spouting the pure MicroSoft line.
"There is nothing wrong with Vista, it's just a perception problem"
If THAT were true, they could've fixed their "issues" long long ago with a simple bunch of ads.
They can "call" it perception issues, but if that's all it was, all the companies (Dell, Gateway, eMachine, HP....etc) would've fought back because THEY are the ones getting their head handed to them and NOT MicroSoft. Sure MicroSoft loses some market share but the battle is REALLY for the life and health of the HARDWARE makers.
So far, MicroSoft successfully uses the hardware makers as an extension of their organization. So when the product sickens their efforts, it's a problem back at MicroSoft. They fought like crazy to kill XP, and did NOT want to have Dell have an "Upgrade" on their website that essentially was "Pay us 50 bucks extra and we'll take vista off and put xp back on your new PC". The failure is at the hardware companies, MicroSoft is trying to protect their relationship with THOSE companies. This is not so much Apple vs. MicroSoft as it is MicroSoft losing control of the hardware mono-architecture. Other unix based solution, open source products, the world is going to crack. As it does, the old "Does it run Windows, because I know if it runs windows all my software will work...." model is dead.
The old model is NOT dead because OS X is killing Vista. (I do think that is happening....)
The old model is dead because most people run stuff off the internet rather than as a desktop application.
A final note for all you people that want to screen by screen compare Vista to OS X.
It doesn't matter.
Nobody is going to get rid of their three thousand dollar Dell two years early and "Get a Mac" because the finder is pretty or not, or because spotlight is a must have. But the tenth time in one year you have to reinstall Windows because your trojans, viruses, and popup ads have taken over....... well THAT'S what is wrong with Vista. It's trash.
It can be the best OS in the world in a remote setting, but people are online.
One of the funniest "Get a Mac" ads was the security one, "Allow or ..." with the secret service standing behind him. OMG. Talk about a lame solution in Vista. Their marketing approach is to allow "innovation" by making ways in the OS for pieces of code from partner developers to attach and act as a part of the OS. An absolutely brillant way to allow virus activity. For MS to spend SO MUCH TIME, to bring a new OS to market and to have the security model be "Ask the user if they really want stuff to happen" is something I still laugh at every time I think about it.
The next version of Windows, had better be really designed and not thrown together.
And if it doesn't fix the fundamental problem of how they are leaking like a submarine with a screen door..... that one will be less adopted than Vista.
The number of companies that have so far taken a pass on Vista, will turn into a list of companies that have taken a permanant pass on it as they decide to skip it for the Vista replacement. (after it comes out, after SP1 and SP2 come out, and after they evaluate it)
This means sometime in 2010, Vista's replacement will be making headway.
MicroSoft is going to need more than an Ad campaign to help their hardware partners if they expect those companies to hold the "MicroSoft Only" OS choice.
The richest companies in the Microsoft world, are the virus/trojan protection companies.
Until THAT changes, don't focus so much on how clean the fonts are.....
Jeez Microsoft - isn't it enough that you copy all Apple's user interface ideas? Now you have to copy their ad campaign too?
How else can they ever come up (or have ever come up) with anything even half way decent other than ripping off Apple? Mind you, the psychology of this is a bit dubious. They are working on the principle that everyone knows the Mac ad to understand theirs if they spook Mr PC. So in effect endorsing the Mac ad ...
Cheeto fingers and Star Wars t-shirts anyone?
I can't wait to see "real PC users" sending in their videos of them using PCs.
Cheeto fingers and Star Wars t-shirts anyone?
This fits in very well with what I was going to post.
I personally think the best ad campaign Microsoft could use would be to feed off the stereotype of Mac users/aficionados being arrogant and self-righteous. Make PC users appear down-to-earth whereas Mac users appear as fashion victims. I think that would connect with people more than these trying-too-hard-to-reinvent-their-image style ads.
It would have to be done in a somewhat subtle (not hokey) way though. Which isn't really Microsoft's style.
It'd be an incredible waste if they don't bring Seinfeld back. $10 million for two short spots? He didn't make that kind of money even on his own show.
Despite how they Microsoft is spinning this as merely being the first phase of an ad campaign that is now "over," anyone can see that actually these ads were actually "cancelled."
There are rumours of at least two more episodes "in the can" that will never see the light of day, so that's four commercials for 10 million and that's fairly standard rates.
I just hope we don't have to wait until we are in the retirement home for the ones that were never aired to leak out. I think they are lousy advertisements but I'd still love to see them.
This fits in very well with what I was going to post.
I personally think the best ad campaign Microsoft could use would be to feed off the stereotype of Mac users/aficionados being arrogant and self-righteous. Make PC users appear down-to-earth whereas Mac users appear as fashion victims. I think that would connect with people more than these trying-too-hard-to-reinvent-their-image style ads.
It would have to be done in a somewhat subtle (not hokey) way though. Which isn't really Microsoft's style.
Agreed. What's funny is how awful and predictable Microsoft is at advertising. They really just don't get it do they? It's almost unbelievable how bad they are at interaction.
I could come up with tons of ads making fun of Macs. We are easy. We are pricks who have a hatred for anything un-Mac. I would play up the fact that there are still websites I cannot use with Safari. There are tons of games that will never come out for Mac. These are minor issues, but still. A Mac has some, and I say that lightly, deficiencies.
I could come up with tons of ads making fun of Macs. We are easy. We are pricks who have a hatred for anything un-Mac.
Even beyond that. Have the Mac user pull up in an Audi/BMW (with built-in iPod integration), being very smug about the latest music to come out of <pick your fashion capitol>, talking about "haute" architecture/design, being dismissive of any opinions the PC user has. Make the Mac user seem obsessive in their following of high-end culture, and really play up that feeling one gets when they encounter someone like that. Make the PC user intelligent, but have a much more approachable and common-sense outlook on things.
Hey Microsoft, want to pay me 10 million to write your next ad campaign?
Also beginning Thursday night, the Redmond, Wash.-based software giant will invite visitors to the website to upload videos and photos that will demonstrate "how they, too, are PCs."
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
lol. I hope there is no "approval" process. Cause I think Mac users would have more fun with that then the people who are "passionate" about their PC.
And after PC users fight WMP and reboot a couple of times they will have lost their video and the rest of their hard drive to a virus anyway. So I'm predicting the majority of PC users won't get to post a video at all!