My thoughts…on stuff

My thoughts on…those Mac vs. PC ads

July 20th 2006 -

Mac vs. PC, a war that has been waged ever since computers fell into the hands of the average Joe. Both factions have advanced computing as we know it. Apple has made computers and their interfaces more stylish, and Microsoft has made computers available to the masses. And while Microsoft has over 90% of the market share, the little computing company that could still fights on. Its latest success, the IPod, has made the CD player obsolete and is almost as popular as sex, drugs and alcohol in colleges. But Apple’s primary goal is to get you to take the blue pill and escape the Microsoft matrix, and it hopes its new commercials will do just that. They feature two guys, used to portray Mac and PC users. The PC guy is a nerdy, lame middle-aged suit, while the Mac guy is a casual, hip young adult. Is it me or do they look a lot like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs? The Mac guy brags about the cool stuff he does, like video and podcasts, and the PC guy tries to compare but always falls short, coming up with spreadsheets and pie charts. Here are some of them.

There have been a lot of Mac ads in the past, but these ones are getting a lot of attention because they insult PC users, comparing them, well, to the PC guy. PC users are being persecuted, suffering insults such as “You’re such a PC!”, worse if you own an IPod. PC users have fought back, creating spoofs of the infamous commercials. Needless to say, there’s a bit of controversy surrounding the ads. That’s probably what Apple wants, as there’s no such thing as bad publicity. MySpace wouldn’t have overtaken Friendster as the #1 social networking site if it never got any bad press. I like the ads, and look forward to seeing them. I’d like to try a Mac someday, as I’m always open to new things (except that). They seem like pretty awesome systems. If my experience warrants me to switch, then I probably will. But for now, I am a PC guy.

Related Posts:

1. My thoughts on…the iPod vs the Zune
2. My thoughts on…the arrival of the new Zune
3. My thoughts on…Bill Gates’ final day at Microsoft
4. My thoughts on…Microsoft Surface
5. My thoughts on…the iPhone

10 Responses on “My thoughts on…those Mac vs. PC ads”

1. 
   marie b. Says:
   July 20th, 2006 at 3:01 pm

   I just blogged about this not long ago myself, and I agree - the characters are obvious pastiches of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs.

2. 
   Shaman Dandulla Says:
   July 20th, 2006 at 4:47 pm

   I am more and more attracted to mac.. never tried one, but I am very tempeted indeed. They know how to do their marketing!
   shame they don’t have the right button…

3. 
   Clay Says:
   July 20th, 2006 at 5:38 pm

   I remember trying out an imac in the mid 90’s and falling in love with the ease of operation and cool features but every friend I had told me not to buy it because hardly any software would work on it. At the time I didnt know software from hardware and ended up buying a Dell pc but after all of the windows changes I’ve been thru……I wish I would have went with the Mac.

4. 
   Rockantzy Says:
   July 20th, 2006 at 5:56 pm

   Ahh…Mac, I yearn for thee. Kinda like Clay, didn’t really know what I was gettin and didn’t know that Mac would be more friendly to my interests.

5. 
   Cuppojoe Says:
   July 20th, 2006 at 5:59 pm

   I think it’s a pointless comparison, really. It’s like comparing a Ford F250 to a Honda Insight… They each have their uses and their strong points, but they aren’t really made to do the same job, are they? Most Mac users I know use them for their power in the graphic design field, for example. Aside from that, it’s really about personal preference, right? I, too, am a PC guy but that doesn’t mean I think the Mac is a piece of junk… I don’t think Mas should be implying that about PCs either.

6. 
   Ricardo Says:
   July 20th, 2006 at 11:32 pm

   I love my mac but this battle is long over. I only wish to use and enjoy my mac in peace. There was a time when it looked like Apple would go under but it’s not. So I have no PC angst anymore.

7. 
   Stunner Says:
   July 20th, 2006 at 11:48 pm

   I have seen these ads myself and yes they do depict the founders of the PC and the Mac. I guess they are trying to say the Mac is the exciting way forward and the PC is a boring thing of the past. Anyway, at least the ads are better than the ones Quiznos had!

8. 
   Ri Says:
   July 21st, 2006 at 11:22 am

   Microsoft makes software, not PC’s. I.e. Microsoft Windows vs. MAC OS, Netscape, etc.

   And, Microsoft makes sofware for Mac as well.

   Apple competes with the PC makers, i.e. HP, Sony, etc.

   I tell you what, my Sony Vaio is a poor representation of the PC. My Dell desktop is a bit better, but still full of errors, freezing, security gaps and constant vulnerabilities, which Apple seems to have been dealing with better. My only concern is to find out how my G5 (still in my dreams) will fit into my PC network in my office. If not, I will have to get another PC to replace the junk, i mean sorry, the Vaio.

9. 
   justacoolcat Says:
   July 21st, 2006 at 9:13 pm

   I hope Mac sticks around because they push back against the P.C. world and that means better products as you noted. Still, I’m a p.c. guy. They’re cheaper, easier to fix, and run just as well.

10. 
    Billy Says:
    July 21st, 2006 at 11:26 pm

    i am a linux freek

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