'Get a Mac' ads contribute to Mac sales

the Billion Dollar Baby in Redmond is throwing tantrums over the ads.

This post is for the critics and "experts" who criticized the ads as insulting to PC users. These people insisted that the ads would drive potential switchers away as they (the ads) portrayed PC users as clueless, dense, uncool. The critics here also claimed that the Mac guy came off as arrogant, condescending and would further drive customers away. The critics said Apple was being arrogant in claiming OS X was more secure than Windows. They said the ads would enrage the hacker sub-culture and would spawn a flood of OS X viruses and exploits in the wild to teach Apple a lesson.

Of course NONE OF THESE PREDICTIONS HAS MATERIALIZED! So what do the ads critics have to say now that the ads are indeed reported to be working and drawing switchers into the fold? Do I hear crickets chirping?

I was strictly an avid PC user for years, even to the point of belittling Mac users for their choice. I found the ads appealing not distasteful. So, I looked into what they were claiming and it all seemed to check out. I even went to www.symantec.com after seeing the "virus" ad and searched like crazy and couldn't find a single virus listed that affected Macs. I got a MacBook Pro to try it out in Jan 07, and, like all my Mac using friends used to say "once you try Mac, you never go back". I have to say I am absolutely AMAZED how much better the Mac system works over windows based machines. I even bought Norton for Macs as my first software purchase (used PCs my whole life, remember) and it came with a widget I installed that lists the latest virus threats which seams to be Norton’s idea of sarcasm because there is never one that affects a Mac. Now that I know this my only complaint about the ads is that they should be shouted from the roof tops instead of humbly conveying the message. But, alas, that is not the Mac way. In groups of 2 or more my PC using friends always make fun and say I’m a switch hitter now, but one on one they all ask the same thing – “Is it really true?”. So, Mac, keep playing the ads, save us all, for all PC users long to be saved just like me, despite what the grumpy dancing monkey boy may say.

There appears to be a "new" zero day exploit effecting all Microslop Office products. Even Office 2004 for Mac. Redmond's current fix is "Don't open the maliciously hacked documents. Just open the safe ones." Thanks MS. this'll work fine, i'm sure. OpenOffice.org, here I come!

Congrats and hey, I think you're right that ads in the past haven't always "gotten the point across." The last round of Switcher ads (actual people telling their reasons for changing to a Mac) were a step in that direction.

One major change from before, too, is that the newer "getamac" pages on Apple.com really does have fantastic info about Mac benefits. Tons of info, reasons listed, even "old myths" disspelled -- I think anyone who has never spent 30mins. reading thru Apple.com . . . would be pretty enlightened by doing so. So that's what I say to people thinking of buying a computer: "Take 30mins. to go thru Apple.com, if you can't actually get to a store to ask them in person. Really."

These ads seem very direct, hower in a subtle-subliminal kind of way.

GO APPLE!!! GO JOHN HODGMAN!!! GO JUSTIN LONG!!!

Little Billy Gates doesn't "get them"

http://dailytech.com/Bill+Gates+Speaks+on+Windows+Criticizes+Mac+Ads/article5957.htm

It hurts his massive brain so much that it goes right over his intelligence that his product is actually weaker and crappier alternative to anything else available as a desktop system_

Whatever !

here's a question... what is macs OSX ended up with 90% of the computer market like microsoft does... because you can only get it from purchasing computers from apple inc, do you think they would be forced to open up to 'competition' and allow other makers (dell, etc) to bundle and sell computers that run OSX? Opinions/legal experts needed!

Only time would tell, but I would guess not, since the issue with Microsoft is that they coercively used their SW to force PC makers to do things. None of that would apply. Monopolies in and of themselves are not illegal.