Apple fanboys furious over Microsoft adverts - LiquidNinjas.com

**Kill-Switch** · 03-31-2009, 05:23 AM

Quote:

Apple fanboys are foaming at the mouth over the latest wave of Microsoft adverts which happen to point out that their over priced toys are more expensive than ordinary PCs.

Furious letters are flying everywhere on the net about the adverts which point out that when the economy is in tatters the last thing you want to do is spend more than $1000 on a computer which does less than those that are cheaper. The television ad shows a young woman who's confused by the lack of sub-$1000 computers on offer at her local Apple Store, but who finds shedloads of cheaper Windows-based PC options at her local retailer. The advert has clearly got under the skin of Apple which has ordered its tame lackeys in the trade press to gun for the campaign.

Serious tech magazines have been ringing up Apple resellers to ask what they think. Not surprisingly they think the campaign is pants. However none of the people we have seen interview deny that the adverts are true. One Apple reseller said that “lots of PC users have fallen for the 'big spec sheet, low price' trap”... this would be the trap of buying a computer that actually did something for less cash.

Using even more dodgy logic he said that Apple should not be making such an advert because it does not make computers. Some said that if Microsoft wanted to talk about price it should compare the price of Microsoft Office to Apple's iWork, or the “complete version of Windows” versus OS X?. Last we looked OS X was more expensive than Windows Home which is its comparable product. Iwork is cheaper than Office but has less functionality. OpenOffice is free and works nicely on Windows.

Another reseller claimed that it was like taking someone to a BMW dealer and asking them to find a car for under $20,000. Er not really, the build quality of Apple has gone down the toilet recently and anyway you can get a really good quality PC for $1000, and you cannot get a good Mac for that amount of cash.

Our favourite attempt to defend Apple's outrageous pricing came from Cnet which pointed out that the adverts were bogus because Microsoft didn't use a 'real person' and that the young woman was 'just an actress'. Sheesh and we thought the 'I am a PC' and 'I am a Mac' blokes were real hardware.

Strange that none of the Apple koolaid drinking press thought that it would be a good idea to compare prices and specs. If Apple is more expensive for the same spec then why aren't they helping their readers make sensible buying decisions rather than helping a proprietary company screw more cash from punters who do not know any better.

We think it funny that when Apple scores a hit, like it did with the I am a Mac adverts, the fanboys and their tame press dance joy jigs in print. However when Microsoft scores, they pull out all stops to shout down a valid message.

Source

**DCMan** · 03-31-2009, 05:36 AM

Apple people make me laugh...

**unacceptable_risk** · 03-31-2009, 09:34 AM

Got to an onsite tech support job today, and not a PC in sight. Just a house full of Apples. Dropped the usbstick full of handy diagnostic utils back in my bag and just started guessing lol. Thank goodness for browser based apps.

I'm so not down with the 1 button mouse thing... C'mon seriously.

I looked and looked for the fix everything button, but couldnt find it. Meh.. Anyway, the problem fixed itself while I was there, and I showed the guy how to tune the digital channels on his TV.. So he was happy.
Result.

***Synthohol*** · 03-31-2009, 09:44 AM

simple solution, use your own usb rodent, mac will figure it out.

also the newer mac mouse (with the little clit) can easily be programmed for r/b clicking.

sadako1 · 04-15-2009, 08:22 AM

My wife's desperate for a Mac... she has one priced up ready to go. I told her I'd price better PC hardware for the money and waddayaknow, I did! In a Lian Li aluminium case it looks as good, too! So PC it is.

I think she got sucked into the Apple=pretty/PC=ugly thing. It was also assumed that Apple had better functionality with their software, but [another] recent foray into Linux has opened my eyes to the PC friendly open source world where Open Office and GIMP live happy, free lives. Makes dropping big money on iWork and Aperture/Photoshop seem like a bit of a waste!

Not sure where we're going to go with a notebook though... we need a new one 'cos the Vaio's approaching the end of its useful life and a MacBook's looking mighty attractive!

***Player0*** · 04-15-2009, 07:28 PM

A MacBook is the only Apple computer I'd consider buying. They're fairly competitive with many other PC notebooks in the upper echelon. But from a price vs functionality standpoint you really can't beat most generic sub $800 PC notebooks.

I only spent big money on a notebook because I wanted decent 3d abilities.

**Kill-Switch** · 04-16-2009, 04:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sadako1

Not sure where we're going to go with a notebook though... we need a new one 'cos the Vaio's approaching the end of its useful life and a MacBook's looking mighty attractive!

That sentence stuck in my mind and made me laugh, we're talking about over priced Macs and you talk about needing a new laptop because your VAIO is approaching the end of it's life. Why am I laughing? well because VAIOs are as bad as Macs in the over priced department. Case in point, the wife needed a new laptop and she wanted a VAIO ... we actually found a laptop costing half as much but with twice the specs!!

sadako1 · 04-16-2009, 08:47 AM

The Vaio was something that she already had when I met her, so sadly there wasn't a lot I could do about it and it wouldn't be my choice. It's only coming to its end due to the trifling of a 6 year old boy and a tiled kitchen floor. What an emotional time that was in the Livesey household!

I totally get what you're saying about the Vaio. I'm sure there are several machines out there with a better spec than a Vaio (or a MacBook for that matter) for something like half the price! Acer do a good line.... If peple ask my opinion on notebooks I tend to say Acer first, due to their bang for buck.

I might try to convince her that Alienware's the way to go, just to see what she says

I think, ultimately, all she wants is for it to be mobile, pretty and have a decent screen.

sadako1 · 04-16-2009, 09:02 AM

K-S: Point well taken, by the way! I was astonished when she told me how much she'd paid for the VAIO! It's OK, but it's not that ok, if you get me!

Back to the thread though, my in-laws have one of those Mac cube things that 'replaces' your desktop box with a tiny little white cube. It was a gift and they've had plenty of issues with getting used to it and comibng to terms with its lack of functionality. They're not dunces either - my father-in-law's an electrical engineer and builds satelites for a living!

Their ads tend to point folks towards the 'lifestyle' element to their hardware... "look how cool we are; you can be this cool, too! Buy Apple!" You also have to take into account how fragile they are as far as market share goes if that's all they're built on (and they pretty much are). If it wasn't for iPod, the 'lifestyle' product of our generation, they'd most likely still be nowhere right now... maybe they'd be more focused on quality in that case. I seem to remember a time when people in creative fields went to Apple for their alternative perspective. It seems that they've lost that and replaced it with the same cut-throat, corporate nonsense that we hate M$ for. A backward step if you ask me, but I guess integrity and the capitalist system don't go hand-in-hand! Anyway, their claws-out response to the M$ ads is probably due to their own feelings of vulnerability. Maybe they're aware that they could be at risk of being a fad and need to keep up the momentum to really have a chance in the future!

***Player0*** · 04-17-2009, 11:21 AM

The interesting thing to note is that Apple doesn't actually make computers anymore. They make a front-end for BSD. One that isn't very fully fleshed out yet (just like all linux GUIs). When I had my MacBook I was amazed at how similar Mac felt to Gnome. Except for the typical weird Mac stuff here and there (one button, no quick way of knowing whats running, etc).

I really did fancy the MacBook because I didn't pay for it. My Alienware (whom also don't make computers) blows it away though.

Apple does do one thing better than MS right now and that's 64 bit support. If you want 4G of RAM (and there's almost no need to do so still though we all do) or more on a STABLE OS than OSX is champ heh.

Vista 64 is a pile of shit. XP64, well I've never used it honestly so I can't say. How can it be better than Vista 64 though? Ignoring the typical Vista problems cause it's Vista, the 64 bit part underneath should be better fledged than XP 64.

But maybe it's stable? What do you guys think?

**Farabomb** · 04-17-2009, 02:48 PM

Meh, OSX isn't as stable as you think. It crashes every other week and I constantly have font issues. I also do not find it easy to work with when things go screwy. That being said I'm considering a mini for home in case I ever have to take work home.

***Synthohol*** · 04-17-2009, 05:43 PM

XP64 has been as solid as my 2k3 server. i have xp64 on 3 boxes now and im pretty satisfied. no more driver issues or compatibility crap like when it was first released.
what i found interesting is that the service pack for XP64 and ALL flavors of server 2003 is the same SP. makes ya think huh?

Flybye · 04-26-2009, 04:28 PM

LMAO...I just finished watching the MS commercials and a few commentaries on people with macs.

This exactly reminds me of when Mitsubishi was advertising their new Eclipse against a 3rd gen RX-7 or the Dodge commercial that was leaving a Lotus Esprit in the dust. Cheap shots is what they are.

Again, not being pro PC or pro Apple here, but at least the Apple commercials are somewhat truthful. The MS commercials...ok we give a guy $1,500. If you can buy a laptop cheaper than that, and we tell the guy you keep keep the difference, what is going to stop him from buying the cheapest alternative in order to keep the "free" money?

Even asked my GF about it who is a TV junkie, has seen all the commercials, is completely unbiased and owns a PC Laptop. She pretty much said most people will only see the price difference of the PCs and impulsively purchase upon that. Then you will always have the dedicated Apple fans, and the group that will truly do their homework on what exactly they are looking for. And those are the ones willing to pay the extra dollar for an Apple.

***Synthohol*** · 04-26-2009, 08:07 PM

it boils down to what you need instead of "brand" hype.
i don't buy tampons because i have no need for them or what they do, i have no uterus.
i don't buy Macs because i have no need for them or what they do, i have no overpriced multimedia creation needs. (uterus)

i still have to use Macs for my career periodically and i tolerate their... well "Je ne sais quoi" when i have too because im being paid to do so.
at least the newer style mice with the clitoris support right button clicks just by leaning the mouse to the right. other than that Macs are still tampons.

**Kill-Switch** · 04-28-2009, 05:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flybye

Then you will always have the dedicated Apple fans, and the group that will truly do their homework on what exactly they are looking for. And those are the ones willing to pay the extra dollar for an Apple.

Holy shit are you serious? LOL Anyone who truly does their homework on exactly what they are looking for will only choose a Mac if they were looking to buy a Mac. If they came from an unbiased approach they'd more than likely buy a PC (unless they bought into marketing hype or some salesman's pitch). As has been pointed out a trillion times, anything a Mac can do a PC can do ... at a fraction of the cost.

I'm sorry but IMO (of course

) very few people would choose a Mac if they really did their homework and were not biased either way. I myself sound biased, but hey I did my homework, there's nothing a Mac can do that I can't do with a PC. They can do one or two things very slightly better, but for the huge difference in cost I think I can manage just fine with a PC.

**Kill-Switch** · 04-28-2009, 05:43 AM

More fuel to the fire:

http://brightsideofnews.com/news/200...the-speed.aspx

Flybye · 04-28-2009, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kill-Switch

Holy shit are you serious? LOL Anyone who truly does their homework on exactly what they are looking... As has been pointed out a trillion times, anything a Mac can do a PC can do ... at a fraction of the cost....

People look for different things when doing their homework.

Obviously, our goals are far different than other peoples. But I was simply referring to people who seek the ease of use on a Mac. Ease of use for the commoner, stability (1.5 months and only 1 lockup on the mini for me so far), no bloatware, and aesthetics. And, true, anything a Mac can do a PC can do, but OSX just comes with so many easy to use and cute features! I mean, playing with this Mini for so long, I can see why so many people become dedicated Apple fans.

I also called Applecare support to see what the experience is like. Compared to what happened to me when I called M$ a few moons ago...wow. Simply WOW. I called to just ask a few questions about a harddrive upgrade. The professionalism and politeness was something I have not experienced in a very long time.

But the list of things that I don't like are certainly cropping up, though. Logitech doesn't even make Setpoint for the mac. Half of my G5's buttons are useless.

AOL Instant Messenger isn't as friendly on the Mac as it is on the PC ( I can't even see people's nick names. Only their screen names) There are a bunch of little things here and there that I can mention.

But I'm even considering get a Mac Mini for my son which is only 6yrs old. For many, I can completely understand why it is so hard to justify the additional price tag on a Mac when compared to a windoze machine. I know I still partially question it. But using this Mini for so long, I can understand why people continue to buy them even if they ARE over priced PCs with a fancy OS. At the moment, I'm still not sure if most people buy them simply because OSX is different, if people are just tired of windoze or a combination of both. Some people are willing to be different, and are also willing to pay the price just TO be different regardless of whatever benefits we may or may not think OSX has.

I've been a PC user since the mid 80s! You know where my heart is. But jeesh, playing with OSX, and even dared to use it consistently this past weekend without even turning on my PC has made me see the core of this Apple. Almost everything I have on the PC, I have installed on this Mini. Office, Firefox, Thunderbird, Azureus, and a few other things. I know gaming sucks on this poor little Mini, but the experience with everything else just seems more pleasurable.

I'm not trying to convince anyone here that a Mac is or isn't better. But like I said before, using one for over a month, and even using it 95+% of the time for the past 4 days has made me look at Apple from a different prospective. I'm inclined now to defend it just a bit, but am not exactly ready to take a bullet for it.

Flybye · 04-28-2009, 11:31 AM

Oh, and don't get me started with OCZ. Bad PSUs, bad memory, and even bad REPLACEMENT memory directly from them has given me an extremely sour taste. So my stance on that article will just stay at Blaa.

**Kill-Switch** · 04-28-2009, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flybye

Oh, and don't get me started with OCZ. Bad PSUs, bad memory, and even bad REPLACEMENT memory directly from them has given me an extremely sour taste. So my stance on that article will just stay at Blaa.

Again, are you serious!? LOL

My PSU became faulty, I contacted OCZ who were really great over the entire thing, they even arranged to pick it up from my house (some thing they generally do not do!) AND within a week I had a brand new PSU.

My memory was having issues, I was running 4 x 1 gig sticks (or trying to) but kept having problems. Spent some time talking to OCZ about my problem and thought we'd narrowed it down to 2 of the sticks. They were promptly shipped back to them and I had a brand new set of RAM (and newer revision) a short time later. Found out I was still having problems, OCZ figured either the new RAM (which was manufactured differently than the old RAM) might be causing a problem with the old RAM ... OR running 4 x 1 gig sticks was the problem since it has been known to cause problems. I was given the option of either replacing the old RAM for some more of the new stuff or send ALL of my RAM back and get 2 x 2gig sticks instead. I opted for the later and everything has been fine since.

IMO that is exemplary service that few other manufacturers provide.

Regarding the article, forgot that it's OCZ, what that article states (and Zealots ignore and blame the manufacturer) is that Macs have a hard coded limitation that will cause problems with SSDs running at crazy speeds and thus super fast SSDs have to be limited to run on the Mac properly.

Flybye · 04-28-2009, 02:44 PM

Yes...I'm serious. LOL I used to be a big fan of OCZ hardware. Then everything simply turned upside with me one year. It was a matched pair of their memory that I was having problems with. Had it replaced, and those were also faulty. This was about 4 years ago, though. So perhaps I should give them another chance.

Oh, I didn't have a problem with their service at all. It was just the constant headaches I was getting with their hardware. I even had a PSU prematurely die from them in about a year.

Honestly, I really don't know about anything SSD related with the Macs. I do know that some of the Macbook Pros have an SSD, but I haven't looked around for any benchmarks on them. But I have also even read on how Intel's SSDs tend to degrade over time..or at least used to. So..I'm not pointing any fingers at the moment.