Lauren AKA the girl from the Windows commercial is really Lauren De Long, a SAG-eligible actor with special skills including cheerleading, stage combat, and ear prompting. Giz and TechFlash tracked her down and she informed them that she is under NDA for her involvement in Microsoft’s laptop taste test. So she wasn’t an average girl picked up off the street, BangBus-style [Editor's Note: DO NOT DO A SEARCH ON THIS], to purchase a laptop for the Redmond marketing department. Who knew?
Hell hath no fury like a fanboi scorned so a number of sites have already offered Ms. De Long a great MacBook in place of the poorly reviewed HP she purchased.
I mean even Ellen Feiss, the stoned switcher girl, had a bit more cred in that she was a real 14-year-old girl who just got a G4 and was called in by Errol Morris and interviewed rather than given a script and then carted around town hunting for a laptop. I understand advertising is mendacity, but Microsoft’s brand is a bit more over the the top than Apple’s, don’t you think?
Also, quick tip for those of you trying to look like “average people:” wear glasses and a scarf. It turns off that burnished LA charm in seconds and makes you look like a mousy SUNY student.
“So she wasn’t an average girl picked up off the street, BangBus-style”
Right, cuz you know the girls on bangbus really are random average girls picked up off the street.
Its time to sue the ads company that promote that videos. It deceiving the customer. Is Microsoft really trying to get that low to deceive the customer? hmmm… time to ignore Microsoft
I have a unibody Macbook and a Vista desktop at home. I use both regularly and don’t find the Macbook so much better than the PC as the “I’m a Mac” guy claims.
What deception! Sue Apple!
C’mon, you don’t really have a MacBook now do you. It’s time to tell the truth.
Oh, and BTW, I use Axe body spray and haven’t gotten laid in 2 years…I think I’m going to sue them too!
Newsflash, the “I’m a PC” guy is actually a comedian – not a computer running Vista, and the hip looking “I’m a Mac” guy is actually an actor – not an actual Mac computer.
I’ll pause now for that to set in.
Also, when you open a can/bottle of Coors Light, there is not actually a magic train that comes to deliver cool refreshment for all!
For the magic train to come you need to open many can/bottles of Coors Light.
thank you – just what I was going to say. “The Horror…an actor in a commercial..!”
I’ll give a few ladies a bunch of coors light and then I’m driving the magic train. Its def. refreshing.
After enough Coor lights, the magic train becomes the Bang Bus
this is the best group of coments i’ve seen… ever… haha
Deceiving the customer?
Have you SEEN apple’s Mac vs PC ads?
Not just deception, they are flat out LIES and SLANDER.
Funny how when Apple makes fun of Microsoft (without even PROMOTING their own product so much as bashing the competition) all the fanboys go “Ha ha ha, thats great, stupid Microsoft!”
But when Microsoft says “All joking aside, Windows systems are cheaper and will still get the job done” Apple fanboys cry and whine and shout allogations of “SUE! SUE! SUE!”
“Windows systems are cheaper” is a LIE.
The long-term cost of ownership for Windows is higher.
And how exactly are you going to prove that?
What do you mean by long term ownership exactly?
I have seen Mac fanboys constantly claim this but never actually expand on it.
I think the ads said they picked some one from the street. However, it is not. So, its means they are flat lying. It is deceiving customer. Need to ask ads watch dog group to investigate.
Mr. Jobs
This dosen’t change the fact that Apple’s own Mac vs PC ads are any better, in fact, they are many times worse as they flat out lie about their competition and state things that are just not true.
How is this NOT deceiving the customer?
I also noticed that you ignored my question.
What the hell are you talking about the long term ownership cost is higher. I know SEVERAL people that have six year old desktops with XP that still work fantastic to do this day, they’ve never had to do one thing. Plus if they wanted to, they could pick up a video card for $50 and all the ram they need for under $20. How much would that cost on a apple?
Fucking fanboys.
No, he might be right. The long-term costs could be higher of owning a PC.
After all, it would be more expensive, long-term, to own computer with an OS that actually has software written for it, as opposed to an OS that has 17 programs everyone uses and that’s it.
If you run Windows you might – GASP – actually buy a couple of games….
Everytime my XPSp2 machine bluescreens, I start a stopwatch. I stop it when the desktop is back up.
The culumative time over the last year, multiplied by my hourly wage, has more than justified the price difference between a Windows machine and my Mac at home.
Despite her being an actress she wasn’t hired as one for the ads. She replied to a focus group type search for people interested in laptops. No doubt she probably beat out the other people for the TV ad because she’s a cute actress, but it’s not like they called her agent for a totally scripted commercial thing.
Of course she can’t be real since she purchased an HP over a Mac. I guess Windows has a 90% market share only because 90% of the consumers are actors and paid by Microsoft.
Yeah, it’s because macs are more expensive (you get what you pay for) and Linux is still rough around the edges. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that microsoft has a better product than either one. Quantity does not equal quality.
True, but if PCs were really the horrible, unusable spawns of satan that Apple Knee-Jerk Defenders claim, much more of the market would be willing to pay the iTax. They are not, so most people would rather save a little money and get a product that works just fine for what they need– despite being able to get to the battery and not having a unibody frame. Somehow they get by.
For as well adjusted and content as Apple products are supposed to make you, I’ve never seen such a sensitive and rabidly defensive bunch of people. This ad is totally truthful, an HP with more specs costs hundreds less than a Mac, yet it’s caused such an uproar (complete with creepy internet stalking of the actress) it’s insane.
So you’re one of those ignorant fools that think just because something is more expensive it must be better? I’m sorry, but Apple doesn’t even tell you what kind of RAM is in its Mac Pros that sell for, get this, $2,500 base price. It comes standard with 2 gigs of RAM (I’m sorry, but really? catch up Apple) and what kind of RAM is for Apple to know and for you never to find out. An upgrade from this atrociously small amount of RAM to a decent 4 gigs is $500.
Let’s think about this now. $2,500 plus 500 equals $3,000. A retail value $3,000 computer that has only 4 gigs of RAM. I can go to Newegg and purchase 4 gigs of DDR2 800 RAM for less than $40 now. In fact, come this summer when I have time to play around a little with my pc I’ll have 8 gigs all to myself, a new nVidia GeForce 8800 or 9800 card (currently running an older 8800 right now) for less than $150, my current Intel Duo 3.00G CPU, and my 500GB HDD that I got for less than $100 over Christmas. My whole rig has cost me less than $1,500 including monitor, case, and power supply, in addition to an $80 version of Vista Home Premium Builder’s Edition SP1.
I’m not saying that pc companies are superior in any way (Dell does an alright job with their XPS line), just that Apple users need to wake the fuck up and learn something about the machines they paid way too much for.
MIcrosoft = 90% market share.
Umm.. who the fuck is Apple?
Apple is easy to forget once you stop listening to the young hip dick smokers in the valley.
Microsoft fucking OWNS Apple in the pc market.
No, Windows has a 90% market share because it is an illegal monopoly. That’s what illegal monopolies do. They also are incredible liars–from the “Vista capable” fiasco to claiming that when people get a computer with XP they’re buying Vista–and can’t be believed. They also don’t sell computers–not one. But at least, Tom, they don’t act toward a company like you do toward MS–you know, like a BangBus girl…
Uh – Linux and OS X are two very viable alternatives to Windows that are reasonably priced and simple to obtain. Thus Windows cannot be a monopoly.
You get what you pay for?
And WHAT exactly can a Mac do that a Windows system cannot?
Besides have a following of blind fanboys that is.
A Mac system can run both windows and the Mac OS. :) Oh and it can make you office look cool.
And a PC system can run Windows, Linux, or MACOSX as well, if you want to “look cool” look at all the crazy cases there are for PCs.
Unlike Apple however, MS and the Linux Community don’t hardcode their OS to reject a system that is not made by Apple even though it is fully capapible of running on it.
So, using your obviously fucked up logic, does this mean Apple is an illegal monopoly because nearly every portable music player is a fucking iPod?
God, why don’t you all line up and toss Jobs’ salad. There is a difference between being a fan and burning a candle under someone’s picture.
You can really be your own person without Steve Jobs and Appleitis.. I promise!
lol – took the words right out of my mouth
“So she wasn’t an average girl picked up off the street, BangBus-style”
Right, cuz you know the girls on bangbus really are random average girls picked up off the street.
—–
Hahahahahahaahaha…. just had to laugh at that one!
GUYS, I JUST FOUND THIS OUT:
MICROSOFT USED AN ACTRESS IN A COMMERCIAL!!1!!
THEY MADE THAT COMMERCIAL ON PURPOSE!!1!
/
Notice that in the ad, Lauren is driving a VW convertible. It’s about twice as expensive as the cheapest car on the market. I wonder why she didn’t buy a Chevy Aveo instead? ;-)
So not only is Lauren not cool, but she’s a hypocrite as well.
Because a cheap car lacks the safety features of a VW, also the style and driving excitement. A cheap computer still surfs the web, word processes, photo shops, downloads music, ect… You can’t blame a company for showing their product costs less than their competitor. This has been going on for a while. Get Steve’s job out of your mouths.
Hey Harvey,
YOU would be doing (gladly) the “I’m a PC” if Microsoft hired you!
don’t let fanboyitis make you look stupid. Businesses uses Microsoft – Young turd burglars use Apple.
If Microsoft hadn’t pretended that Lauren didn’t know she was making a PC commercial….
A few girls from my hs went on the bangbus show. It seems quite popular these days, must be easy money.
Did anyone really think she was just some randomer off the street?
No one did, but she is less “off the street” than is right to assume.
what?
no one believed she was just some random girl off the street yet she is less “off the street” than is right to assume? how’s that?
either you didn’t believe she was just off the street or you did and are now shocked that she’s not; you can’t have it both ways.
John, youre an apple fanboi, just admit it.
This whole article stinks of rotten apples.
honestly, for future reference then, assume all people on tv commercials are actors…guess what, that cute girl “using valtrex” probably doesn’t have herpes either.
“Bangbus style”…proof online journalism will never get the respect it seeks.
leave your full name and you can ensure you won’t either!
I find that in very poor taste as well. That comment might have been “funny” among a certain subsection of 40-year old American males. Respect for Techcrunch: -35%.
I thought it was hilarious, personally.
I thought it was funny as well. Peter is probably the biggest closet perv no one knows, but comments like the one above make him feel like he’s not.
He “doth protest too much, methinks”
I agree, very funny…plus, I believe techcrunch is thriving where most dailies are going under–Sun Times just joined the Tribune in Chapter 11 today. And I don’t think additional or any bangbus references were going to save either, I think it wouldn’t have hurt. (Yes, I am joking)
I have to agree. referencing porn in an article doesn’t amount to real journalism. the real death of the industry is lack of professionalism in online media.
I laughed when I ready it because I am an adult but a am sure kids do read Crunchgear. Understanding your audience and the open access of the articles should be considered. Referencing sites like this and then telling your reader not to search it just leads kids want to understand it more. I will not be letting my kids visit this site.
How come no link to Bangbus Crunchbase profile ?
Would be ironic to find her starring in Bangbus in order to improve MS credibility however…
Anderson wins the rare “make Nicholas laugh” award!
almost as good as the “trapped your nob in the door” award
Agreed. The Bangbus reference was probably gratuitous.
And yet referenced in 75% of the posts thus far. Developing…
What a con artist.
Was anyone fooled in to thinking this was real in the first place?
What other style could this possibly be? Man-on-the-street? No, because there’s a van involved, presumably. Cinema verite?
This is almost an exact bang-bus analog: you find a “real person” – really an actor – on the street, give them money, and get something in return. albeit with considerably less nudity.
moron!
apple fanboi
john biggs… would you kiss mister jobs’ ass if it were right in front of you?
you guys just hate Microsoft I think that’s the bottom line. No one actually thought she was just off the street. You think bang-bus is real? lmfao.
I am not microsoft hater however if I am not mistaken in the video, it really trying to deceive the audience. It specifically said that they just got someone off the street. So actually, they are lying. Now, when it is lying, then the ads company might get into trouble.
Yes because those iPhone adverts that downloaded web pages and used GPS super quick weren’t deceptive in the slightest…
And didn’t Apple get in trouble in the UK over that? Granted, they should have been in trouble anywhere that ad was shown, but not everyone just rolls over and takes all advertising without calling a spade a spade. Or at least a bit hoe.
“it really trying to deceive the audience”
… ahem
“Hi! I’m a Mac, and I’m a PC!”
Nuff Said
wait, bangbus isn’t real?
your chance for humor was lost as soon as you started writing this joke of an article
Why all you people acting like this does not happen on a daily basis, let’s see, Windows has like a 96% market share?
Apple did 2 years of those snobby “Hi I’m a Mac and I’m a PC” ads with a HOLLYWOOD ACTOR.
Geez, and Windows 7 hasn’t been released yet, the Macaziods are really going to be upset then.
I love my iMac here, but only because it can boot Windows.
Ah, the million-boi army of Macistas to the rescue!
That ‘not cool enough’ insight reeeally hit a nerve in the emo-poser-hipster-trust fund community.
LOL…
nail on the head. My co-worker, mid 30’s, gelled spiked hair with his 40 pair of shoes, nordstroms/old navy wardrobe trendy I have a apple laptop, ipod, and iphone, trying to attract very early 20’s girl to take to the dance clubs in LA…
lmao…
What about you refering to Bangbus when it’s about picking a girl? That’s sad really.
She looks better with glasses on…
She’s a cutie either way.
She can ride my personal bangbus anyday. And i don’t even mind if she is an actress.
I hate Microsoft. [Disclosure: I used to work for Microsoft]
Correct that comment:
I hate Microsoft. [Disclosure: I'm a Fanboi]
“BangBus-style”
Actually laughed out loud. Well played sir.
Glad to know I wasn’t the only one. :)
I’d be willing to bet 90% laughed and 80% got it with out ever having seen the bangbus site.
The real question is how many went and googled it?
Is bangbus similar to slamvan?
Wow, the cult of Mac is just like Scientology. Pay too much to be in it, and then declare anyone who dare criticize it an SP.
How, exactly, does an NDA suggest in any way that she’s not actually someone picked off the street? Wouldn’t it behoove Microsoft to get people who appear in their commercials to not talk about it before they’re out? Also, the dates on NDAs I’ve signed tend to last much longer than is necessary.
The commercial could indeed be totally scripted, but her having signed an NDA isn’t exactly a smoking gun.
Time for some PCBus videos? Pick up random girls off the street in a bus and give them some Vista in the back!
She’s hot though =]
Any semi-jaded media-savvy person who’s watched a little bit of TV should be able to see that she wasn’t just picked off the street. Shouldn’t everyone look at advertising with a healthy amount of skepticism, or am I asking too much here?
just because she’s a “SAG-eligible actor” that means that microsoft’s ad agency couldn’t have just picked her up off the street? it automatically means that this was set-up and the american public was lied to?
the location could easily be l.a. and if i’m not mistaken there are a whole lot of “SAG-eligible” actors on the streets there. gasp, go figure! so far i haven’t seen ANY proof that she wasn’t just some girl picked up off the street.
And to have a talking part, you must join a SAG — nothing new there. If you notice, extras on TV shows have these muffled voices and are not actually shown with their mouth moving. Because they are not part of the SAG.
Please do some research before you claim that MSFT has to hire somebody to actually choose a Windows machine over a Mac.
what the hell are you talking about? i never claimed anything. i asked two questions:
1) she can’t be a sag-eligible actor and someone off the street?
2) because she’s an actor by trade means the commercial was a lie?
maybe you should work on your reading comprehension before you respond next time. the internets are hard!
Maybe you need to go back to school…
1) That’s what my response says, that she must be an SAG actor
2) I chose not to respond to that question
Hey, Jason… Um, I believe he was agreeing with you/backing you up. Maybe you’re the one that needs to go back to school?
And while yes, “the internets are hard”, just remember, Hooked on Phonics worked for me.
It can work for you too!
it says on her website profile that she’s contracted to star in the microsoft ads.
Seeing a trend here: a couple of days ago, the folks at ReadWriteWeb were shocked — shocked! — to discover that some celebrity tweets on Twitter weren’t actually composed by the celebrities themselves…
…and now the Crunchy folks are shocked — shocked! — to discover that a person in a commercial might actually be a paid actress!
As for me, I’m shocked — shocked! — to learn that geeks who write for geek blogs are having such difficulty separating fantasy from reality.
Shocked, I tell you, shocked!
What’s funny to me is how far some websites will go to hate on Microsoft. The premise of the commercial remains accurate no matter how you (Techcrunch, Crunchgear, etc) try to manipulate it…. PCs are much less expensive than Macs. Period.
what is bangbus style – Is this some kind of an insider lingo, like “toss my salad” … or what?
I think Mac fan club is jealous because they have 2 guys in their commercial and not a girl.
I am not sure why PC associated with MS Windows all the time. You can run Linux on it and it much better system then Mac. Ofcource here will be argument you don’t have photoshop and Blah Blah Blah.
Get a life people.
It’s this kind of hard hitting, investigative journalism that brought newspapers like the Seattle Post-Intelligencer to their knees!
Looks like as soon as they read this piece, the Chicago Sun Time decided to file for bankcruptcy. Why compete?
Were you drunk when you wrote this?
Perhaps you should change the name to CrunchTrash.com
/snark
Not that there’s anything wrong with SUNY. Right… right?!?!
Fact remains – HP is cheaper the Apple ;)
love it or hate it,
what an effective advert
The fact that its making so many fanboys cry out and weep is proof of that.
I’d hit that. Peace out.
Its surprisingly good!! to know that TC also is a follower (at least the writers) of BangBus :D
Seriously?? Like there’s ever any question about someone in an ad being an actor versus just some schmo off the street. How naive are you?? Next you’ll tell me that you actually think John Hodgman IS a PC and Justin Long IS a Mac. Not humans, playing a role on a commercial. That they actually ARE COMPUTERS. Idiots.
Fact is, Apple is the least open source company on earth. And they are by far the most expensive computers that you can buy for the processing power. Why not point that fact out in an ad?
Hey Biggs: Did you really have to copy an entire article off of Gizmodo to prove your love for the fruit?
Come on TC, fire this stupid jackass. I won’t even hire this guy as an unpaid intern.
Apple lovers go to all lengths to project their lord and master above all — while their enemies (e.g. Microsoft) can’t do anything legitimate ever.
It says more about the koolaid Apple users who gladly plunk down whatever bizarre amount Apple demands of them, then about Apple’s competition.
I have both PCs and MACs. The Mac failure rate is much higher than PCs. The image is the opposite. My reality is PCs are cheaper and more reliable.
Shes not just hot shes Bang-Bus HOTT!
yeah yeah yeah yeah……eeewww……….yeha!
LMAO!
I believe the relevant question to the sincerity of the commercial/ad is:
– was she reading a script, or is she an actress (hired by MSFT, etc, etc) with the task of finding a laptop (with her specifications, etc, etc).
If the first, then I think this is a pretty typical commercial – and we shouldn’t be all that surprised.
If the second, then I think that its irrelevant that she’s an actress, whatever. She made her choices, without influence from her employer – then the commercial rings true. Any idea if she knows she worked for MSFT? They used Crispin+Bogusky (whomever the agency is) which might have shielded her from biasing her choice.
About the SAG thing. I think all of those people have to join or they get blackballed. I remember that kid who used to be in all those Dell commercials (in the late 90s) was not in the union and he got blackballed and it killed his career. (random knowledge-I think he was a student at NYU or something and someone told me about him).
Yeah, that was about 2005 and he hasn’t worked since he was caught smoking pot in public. Also, he wasn’t exactly an oscar-worthy actor so he probably wasn’t going too far anyway
Ok did anybody really think she was a girl they choose off the street, I mean get real. Second hate to tell Microsoft, we already know Apple is more expensive its not a secret. I buy Apple products because I like how they work and am willing to pay more. Outside my own world, Cool I am not
She’s really a man.
she (or he) is also black
“Hell hath no fury like a fanboi scorned so a number of sites have already offered Ms. De Long a great MacBook in place of the poorly reviewed HP she purchased. ”
Huh, funny how the MAC fans act all superior and unstoppable, but ONE commercial has them all up in arms and offering to BUY her a Mac because of this one commercial.
Insecure much?
title should have been:
“$1000 Laptop In Is-Half-As-Good-As-A-$2000-Laptop SHOCKER!”
And you miss the point.
“$700 laptop is not as powerful as a $2500 laptop but does everything I need just perfectly anyway!”
editor-fanboy: stop masturbating over apple paper ads
lol @ bangbus style
The problem is that MS basically needs to trick people into buying their products (Mojave is really Vista) or finding someone who has NO money to spend but needs a laptop with a 17″ screen … basically if that’s your only criteria, MS is your choice! No need to spend more than $700 on a PC as long as MS WIn is on it is MS’ message (I’m sure even HP is happy that the message is that no one should ever buy a $700+ HP machine). It’s not a lie but it does NOT add credibility to WIN’s ad when the ONLY person they can find who will take $700 for a WIN PC is an actress … that’s the bottom line. THe ultimate takeaway from the average person is that MS has to trick and give money away for people to select a PC … and even the ultimate message is not all that intelligent – because Pc buyers on a budget with ONE criteria (17″ screen) already buy PC’s so what’s really the point except to tell the average buyer that you shouldn’t pay more than $700 for a PC and price is essentially your only factor.
1. Apple’s ads are flat-out LIES and slander against Microsoft. its funny how nobody is mentioning these ads here. This ad however paints an actual realistic scenario that many real world people would encounter.
2. The whole point of Mojave is that people had just heard Vista was terrible and rejected it without even knowing what the OS was or how it worked, it was just negative PR spread by word of mouth, not a fault of the OS. Mojave proved this.
3. MS is the message? Notice they didn’t even ADVERTISE Windows in that ad.
4. And the people in Apple commercils are NOT actors? Mr. Pc and Mac?
5. And WHAT sense does it make to purchase a PC over a Mac if you are on a budget? What can the cheapest Mac do that a PC cannot?
Your argument is nothing but whiney crying and full of more holes than a tea strainer.
Heh, bang-bus style. She would be great on the bang-bus.
She’ll be better off in a BangBus commercial, now that is cheaper than PlayBoy.
This commercial depicts something, ok, picture this:
Apple –> Playboy
Microsoft –> BangBus
Which one will you choose?
“It turns of that burnished LA charm in seconds and makes you look like a mousy SUNY student.”
Shouldn’t it be turns “off” ?
And Bangbus.. heh! :) :)
I’m not sure this is really a Windows vs. Mac debate. It’s a IBM Compatible PC versus Mac HARDWARE debate. There is evidence that many PCs are def less expensive than Mac hardware, but not all. Pull out the Lenovo’s and Vaio’s and you’ll get the picture – PCs have expensive units too.
This ad is a great bash on a company that has expensive products that happen to still be selling well. It works out great for Microsoft.
However, there is a dark side to that add. They have to be careful because I can get a PC and run linux on it and enjoy a free o/s and supporting software for life. Try to beat that Mac/Windows.
Having said that, I run all three and enjoy my Mac better than my PC for graphics/video intensive apps and for an easy to use interface. It does just work. However, I have been trying out the Windows7 beta and it could easily persuade me to jump to just one O/S.
who cares about the damn microsoft vs apple !!!!!
IS SHE ON BANG BUS OR NOT???? i cant find her!
mmm my mac book pro is nice and warm on my lap…
Are you saying that owing a Mac won’t automatically get me all the real sex I want, and I still have to resort to BangBus?
I thought one of the Apple ads implied that.
only if you’re Kanye West or Conan OBrien.
Windows systems were cheap….when you were able to get an install CD from your friend and install it in your PC. Since they started that “online registration”, now it’s difficult (and costly) for us, the real dudes, to get it.
I would have hired Angelina Jolie, dress her in one of the TOMB RAIDERS leather + vinyl costumes, with no bras, give her a crappy Lenovo ThinkPad, and pay her $5M just to say:
” I’m Angelina Jolie. I have no freakin’ idea what a laptop does. But I’m hot, I’m wearing no bras, and I got you on ATTENTION. Now, get your little sorry excuse for a butt out of that sofa and buy one of this things, and ask the salesperson to include WINDOWS VISTA in it”
Guaranteed to increase the sale of Vista-based laptops and PC’s by 24% in the first 3 months. (Except in Alabama, where the projected increase would be 46%)
For demographic targeting, get Bratt Pitt, with the sames clothes Angie was wearing, put a a PB&J sandwich on his hand and tell him to say:” blah, blah, blah….PC….blah, blah, blah Windows Vista”.
Same sales results as Agie (Women brains are easy ans simple).