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Apple targets Vista ads in new Get a Mac campaign

updated 09:25 am EDT, Mon October 20, 2008

Apple targets Vista ads

Apple has released new "Get a Mac" TV ads in an attempt to counter recent Microsoft efforts at boosting the public image of Windows. In the first of the ads, which are now available online, PC (John Hodgman) is shown setting aside a large portion of money for advertising, and a tiny portion on fixing Windows Vista. When Mac (Justin Long) points out that the Vista money is not enough, PC admits this and shifts it all over to the advertising pile.

The second ad, "V Word," has PC explaining that he will no longer use the word "Vista," preferring to censor it with a large red button. The ad makes reference to Microsoft's omission of its latest OS from TV advertising, where it opts for the words "Windows" or "PC" instead. Microsoft took flak for its series of Jerry Seinfeld ads, which did not even mention Microsoft's products directly.

 
Previous Comments

Genius

10/20, 09:59am reply

The just blew away $300 million Microsoft dollars with one ad. Well done!

kerryb

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2001

+12

Unnecessary

10/20, 10:21am reply

Maybe it's just because I'm an Apple die-hard, but those "I'm a PC" ads are intolerably lame. The actors come across as so defensive and snarky, especially in the earlier ads. "I have a beard." "I wear a headband." Who friggin' cares. It's like MS took a page out of Apple's playbook of unsuccessful ads before Apple finally got around to telling people about the benefits of the actual product.

"I'm a human being. Not a human thinking or a human doing, but a human being." W.T.F.???

malax

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2006

+2

Vista

10/20, 10:25am (1 reply) reply

I am a Mac User since about 2000 and prefer OS X and Apple Software to Microsoft. So please don't jump all over me....

Vista is pretty good. I am running it with VM Ware fusion on a dual quad core MacPro Workstation with six GB of memory (3.5 allocated for virtual guest).

Vista runs fine. There are things I like about it (their version of dashboard, start menu, some control panel access,) and some things I don't like (most of the control panel, constant intrusiveness in day to day activity, still obscure error messages) but the experience is not bad. Office runs fine (even hogs like Visio and Project). Visual studio 2005 and MS Sql server desktop also run well.


I also have a similar guest running on my 2GB Core Duo macbook pro, and Vista is a bit sluggish. This is by no means a "weak" computer (2.16 GHz) but there is a noticeable lag in software performance, particularly in programs listed above (also when using Netlix view now, which is very nice on the macpro, but unusable on the macbook). I allocate about 1.25 GB memory to the virtual guest.

My non scientific conlusion- If your software is recent and well written, and your system is also fairly powerful, you should have no problem. M$ got themselves in trouble early on by "certifying" underpowered machines to run Vista. I think once you get over the hardware hurdle, Vista is a good OS.

Note: I run ubunto as well on both systems, and it runs very quickly on both. I do extensive work in Photoshop and Illustrator, but do not have a windows version to compare.

Just my comments.

dynsight

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: May 2005

+2

Being

10/20, 10:30am reply

Yes, Malax, that last saying does make no sense. Being is nothingness (pun intended). Dogs, cats, sponges, amoebas are "being." Personally, I would rather be Doing and Thinking.

He should say I am more than a human being, or human doing, or a human thinking, ....I am a human creating (or some other such nonsense).

dynsight

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: May 2005

+6

Safari broken again

10/20, 01:38pm (2 replies) reply

The link (www.apple.com / getamac / ads /) works in Firefox, but not in Safari.. gives me a 'invis.gif 1x1' file.. no content..

Marook

Forum Regular

Joined: May 1999

-4

Keep it up Mac!

10/20, 04:43pm reply

both ads are winners in my book! Great as always Mac!

MacTruck27

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Oct 2008

+3

animals smart

10/20, 04:58pm reply

"Dogs, cats, sponges, amoebas are "being." Personally, I would rather be Doing and Thinking."

Most animals I know are smarter than most people I know.

bhuot

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Nov 2003

+2

@dynsight

10/23, 09:53am reply

Good comments. I use XP at work on an old old Dell. It runs. ............... mostly......................... most of the time.

:-) But I use a MacBook as a backup and for on the road. It runs much better.

What pickles me is these MS trolls that get paid to wander the web putting dumb comments about how Apple is bad. No real proof or issues (or if issues, they usually are stupid ones).

Just a thought.
en

Eldernorm

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Sep 2007

0

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